This week I had the honor of interviewing special education teacher Dawn Ellis for the podcast. Dawn shares her expertise in the area of adapting curriculum to meet the needs of all children. Specifically, we talked about using adapted books for science and social studies. You know how much I love adapted books, so this was such a fun interview. Cultivating Exception Minds Website Be The Exception Podcast Cultivating Exceptional Minds on Instagram You may also be interested in these supports: Vi...
Jul 11, 2023•25 min•Season 1Ep. 26
In this episode, I shared information about the 2023 Summer PD Series. This series provides professional development trainings and resources to get you ready for the upcoming school year! Here are the links you need: Summer PD Series July 6, 2023 FB Live File Folder Challenge Autism Classroom Guide Kickstart Back To School Bootcamp 2023 Adapted Book Guide Adapted Book Challenge 4 Shifts We Need To Make: Autism In The Schools Masterclass Toilet Train With Compassion Mini-Course Toilet Training Gu...
Jul 04, 2023•11 min•Season 1Ep. 25
In episode 24, I have the pleasure of interviewing Rachel Madel M.A.,CCC-SLP. Rachel is an LA-based speech-language pathologist dedicated to coaching parents and professionals on incorporating technology to best support speech and language development. Rachel presents both nationally and abroad on the use of augmentative alternative communication (AAC) for children with complex communication needs and coaches clinicians, teachers, and parents on integrating technology in classrooms and at home t...
Jun 27, 2023•49 min•Season 1Ep. 24
In This Episode You Will Learn 5 Ways To Create A Smother Transition To Kindergarten For Your Autistic Child: Visit the school's playground over the summer Put together a social story Create an "All About Me" document Practice adaptive skills Meet the teacher and visit the classroom Links Related To This Week's Episode: Reinforcement Inventory Social Story Library Going To Kindergarten Social Story All About Me Template Free Sleep Article From Autism Advocate Parenting Magazine Autism Advocate P...
Jun 20, 2023•14 min•Season 1Ep. 23
In this episode, I'm sharing 10 children's books that promote self-regulation and support autistic children. So, if you're a parent, educator, or simply someone interested in this topic, you're in for a treat! We'll be discussing some amazing books that will be perfect to add to your home or school library. In This Episode You Will Learn: 10 children's books about self-regulation and sensory differences Where to learn more about self-regulation Links Related To This Week's Episode: Sensory Child...
Jun 13, 2023•15 min•Season 1Ep. 22
In today's Q&A podcast episode, I answered questions from listeners about toilet training young autistic children. In This Episode You Will Learn: What to do if your child or student uses the bathroom at home, but not at school or in public Readiness signs for potty training Where to start first with toilet training Helping children communicate the need to use the bathroom How interoception affects toilet training Links Related To This Week's Episode: Toilet Training Toolkit Guide Toileting ...
Jun 06, 2023•21 min•Season 1Ep. 21
We are on the last episode in this 3 part series on potty training autistic children with compassion. Today, I'll be sharing 12 additional tips and tricks that have worked for me and the parents I have supported over the last 2 decades. Be sure to listen in because one of these tips might just be the one you needed to get over the potty training hump. In This Episode You Will Learn: 12 tips and tricks for potty training autistic children Links Related To This Week's Episode: Toilet Training Tool...
May 30, 2023•12 min•Season 1Ep. 20
What skills do I even start with as I'm potty training my autistic child or student? Which strategies will help me best support the child as I begin to teach these skills? Today we will be talking about which skills you can start with and the types of visual and sensory supports can help you potty train with compassion. You will also learn where to get the brand new free Toilet Training Guide from Autism Little Learners. Be sure to listen to episode 18, which was part one of this 3 part series o...
May 23, 2023•16 min•Season 1Ep. 19
One of the biggest skills parents of my students want to work on is potty training, and rightly so. This skill is huge when it comes to independence! But, many times, ditching those diapers and pull-ups takes a lot more time than with neurotypical children. Why is that? That's what we are chatting about it inside this episode of the Autism Little Learners Podcast! In This Episode You Will Learn: Why potty training is delayed for many autistic children What the term "interoception" means How lang...
May 16, 2023•19 min•Season 1Ep. 18
In this episode, I'm talking about all things TpT Sitewide sales. Teachers Pay Teachers sitewide sales are a great opportunity to save money on educational resources. By planning ahead, signing up for email notifications, following your favorite sellers, taking advantage of bundle deals, leaving feedback, using free resources, and checking the sale dates and times, you can maximize your savings and get the resources you need for your classroom or home. In This Episode You Will Learn: What a TpT ...
May 09, 2023•11 min•Season 1Ep. 17
Symbolic sounds are the sounds that represent specific words or ideas, such as "meow" for a cat or "choo-choo" for a train. These sounds can be very helpful for young children who are still developing their language skills, as they can provide a way for children to communicate even if they don't have the words to express themselves. Today's show dives into different types of symbolic sounds, and ways to use them to encourage language development. Don't forget to grab your free list of symbolic s...
May 02, 2023•13 min•Season 1Ep. 16
Video modeling is an effective strategy for autistic students. Research has shown that video modeling can help with teaching new skills or routines. The best thing about video modeling is how motivating it is! It's such an underutilized strategy and can be implemented quickly and easily. I'll share some tips for getting started in this episode. In This Episode, You Will: What video modeling is Benefits of video modeling Different types of video modeling 3 tips to get started Examples of ways to ...
Apr 26, 2023•12 min•Season 1Ep. 15
Have you heard about my Visual Supports Challenge? It's happening now and I want YOU to join me and the thousands of educators and parents who have gotten started. If you like to take action and really implement and use what you learn, this is for you. Find out more inside the show. In This Episode, You Will: Learn About The Visual Supports Challenge 7 Visual Supports That Are In The Visual Supports Challenge Learn 7 Reasons To Use Visual Schedules Discover 6 Tips For Implementing Visual Schedul...
Apr 18, 2023•17 min•Season 1Ep. 14
Thanks for joining us for Tuesday Talks With Tara & Jason. These Q & A episodes will air on the first Tuesday of each month. I love brainstorming with you and helping you come up with ideas, so be sure to submit a question by sending me a DM on Instagram or Facebook. You can also submit using this link . In today's Q & A episode, I answered questions related to autism about: Navigating the initial diagnosis of autism Parents in denial of autism diagnosis Student who puts visuals in t...
Apr 11, 2023•19 min•Season 1Ep. 13
April has historically been called Autism Awareness Month. But, now you might be hearing that it is now being called Autism Acceptance Month. Why was that change made? Why is the puzzle piece now replaced with the infinity symbol? How has the definition of autism changed and how has the prevalence of autism increased over the past 20 years? Episode 12 of The Autism Little Learners Podcast will bring you up to speed! In This Episode You Will Learn: Autism Awareness vs. Acceptance What the puzzle ...
Apr 04, 2023•24 min•Season 1Ep. 12
Your student or child engages in mostly exploratory play where they interact with toys in a sensory way. Then may dump, sift or bang toys and objects. The next step is functional play. Episode 11 dives into functional play and autism In This Episode You Will Learn: What functional play is Benefits of functional play Where to find visual supports for 1 and 2 step play Examples of functional play Links Mentioned In This Episode About Functional Play & Autism: Functional Play And Autism Blog Au...
Mar 28, 2023•16 min•Season 1Ep. 11
Do you have students who aren't playing with toys in a functional way yet? Do they like to dump, or explore toys or objects in more of a sensory way? If you said "yes", this episode about exploratory play and autism is for you! In This Episode You Will Learn: What exploratory play is Benefits of exploratory play Examples of exploratory play Links Mentioned In This Episode About Exploratory Play & Autism: Visual Support Starter Set Visual Supports Facebook Group Autism Little Learners on Inst...
Mar 21, 2023•16 min•Season 1Ep. 10
Multi-modal communication is a term we've been hearing more and more. How can we honor all modes of communication and what does that even mean?! In this episode, we will chat about that, plus I'll share 3 tips for encouraging multi-modal communication. Don't forget to download the free Multi-Modal Communication Checklist! In This Episode You Will Learn: What multi-modal communication means How you can honor communication Tips for encouraging multi-modal communication Links Mentioned In This Epis...
Mar 14, 2023•12 min•Season 1Ep. 9
Thanks for joining us for Tuesday Talks With Tara & Jason. These Q & A episodes will air on the first Tuesday of each month. I love brainstorming with you and helping you come up with ideas, so be sure to submit a question by sending me a DM on Instagram or Facebook. You can also submit using this link . In today's Q & A episode, I answered questions related to autism about: Student escaping from the classroom Justifying play-based learning Managing sensory tools Visual schedule vs c...
Mar 07, 2023•27 min•Season 1Ep. 8
We hear the term self-regulation all the time. But, we need to remember an important step of co-regulation. This episode will walk you through 5 tips for moving from co-regulation to self-regulation. You can grab the calming kit here . In This Episode You Will Learn: 5 tips for moving from co-regulation to self-regulation About what co-regulation is About what self-regulation is Visual supports that can encourage self-regulation Links Mentioned In This Episode About Co-Regulation & Self-Regu...
Feb 28, 2023•20 min•Season 1Ep. 7
Using adapted books with your young autistic students can be incredibly beneficial for helping them learn and grow. Whether you are a teacher, parent, or caregiver, using adaptive books can help you support the child's development in a variety of ways. This episode will walk you through 10 reasons to use adapted books at home or school. You can grab the free visual pieces for "Brown Bear, Brown Bear" by downloading the Visual Supports Starter Set . In This Episode You Will Learn: 10 benefits of ...
Feb 21, 2023•19 min•Season 1Ep. 6
Implementing visual supports at home can be overwhelming. You may be a parent, caregiver, or family member who is thinking "where do I even start when it comes to visuals at home?". Or, you might be a teacher or childcare provider who is supporting a family with a young autistic child. Whichever category you fall under, I'm hoping you can walk away with some actionable ideas today! In This Episode You Will Learn: Different types of visual supports for home 4 examples of visual supports for autis...
Feb 14, 2023•19 min•Season 1Ep. 5
Thanks for joining us for Tuesday Talks With Tara & Jason Phillips. These Q & A episodes will air on the first Tuesday of each month. I love brainstorming with you and helping you come up with ideas, so be sure to submit a question by sending me a DM on Instagram or Facebook. You can also submit using this link . Links Mentioned In This Episode About Visual Supports: Visual Schedules Made Easy Online Course Waitlis t Autism Little Learners on Instagram Autism Little Learners on Facebook ...
Feb 07, 2023•20 min•Season 1Ep. 4
In this episode, I share 5 of my favorite visual supports to start with in an autism classroom. They work at home too! Stop reinventing the wheel and try these visuals that are tried and true and have stood the test of time. In This Episode You Will Learn: 5 different visual supports for autism Why each of these visual supports are valuable How to implement these visuals with autistic children Links Mentioned In This Episode About Visual Supports: Visual Support Starter Set The Incredible 5 Poin...
Jan 31, 2023•22 min•Season 1Ep. 3
Let's talk about visual supports and autism. Educators and parents are told to "use visual supports" and there is a good reason why. They are an evidence-based strategy for autistic children! However, it can be difficult to navigate the countless visuals that pop up in a google search. Which visual strategies are proven to work? Which visuals should I create for my autism classroom? Where do I start with visuals for autism at home? In This Episode You Will Learn: Where to find a free set of visu...
Jan 24, 2023•9 min•Season 1Ep. 2
Thank you for listening to this quick little mini-episode of the Autism Little Learners Podcast! I'm so excited about all of the goodness and actionable strategies that this podcast is going to give you in its full-length episodes. I want YOU to come away with strategies that are tried and true and REALLY word for young autistic children. Whether you are a parent, family member, or educator, this podcast is for YOU! Together, we will chat about all things autism. Some of the upcoming topics incl...
Jan 14, 2023•4 min•Season 1Ep. 1
