Turn Autism Around

From the creator of Finding Cooper’s Voice, comes the book Forever Boy. Kate Swenson joins me for the second time on the Turn Autism Around podcast to share her new book, available now. Forever Boy is an autism memoir about Kate’s real experiences navigating parenting and life with her son Cooper, pre-diagnosis and beyond. Kate shares a beautiful excerpt in today’s interview, along with some insight on the inspiration behind the book and the reality of having a large social media following. 

Timeouts, punishment, and threats of punishment are an overused and ineffective strategy for changing problem behavior. Today, I am sharing the three big reasons timeouts do not work. I cover the base level problems with punishment, discipline, and why I do not recommend these strategies. You can find out more about this topic in my brand new online mini course, No More Time Out.

"Sign Here", you may have heard your child say with a loose leaf scribbled contract in hand to get something they desire. This is actually a research based tool that you can use to get real change and meet real goals. Today I am interviewing Dr. William Heward and Dr. Jill Dardig, authors of the book, Let's Make a Contract, a family friendly book about changing your child's behavior in a positive way. We get into what a behavior contract is, who it's for, and how you can make it work. 

Do you have a toddler who was recently diagnosed with ASD? Elissa M is in the hot seat to share her beginnings of early intervention with her 2 and a half-year-old Lexi. After reading my book, Turn Autism Around, and working on my online Toddler Course, Elissa is ready to review Lexi’s assessments and discuss how her therapy is going and what Lexi’s future therapy may look like for Early Intervention ABA. Not only do we discuss all of the assessments included in my free book resources, we go over tips and new activities to get Lexi talking!

Are there signs that can lead to an early diagnosis of autism? In chapter two of my book, Turn Autism Around, I discuss possible warning signs for autism. I am going over these 10 signs in today's episode. These signs include lack of pointing, speech delays, and many more. Having these signs does not automatically mean autism but even without a diagnosis they can be worked on to help your child with my proven four-step approach, Turn Autism Around.

Research and new research conducted by practitioners working within the field is critical to the development of practice and the betterment of our children. In this interview with Dr. Amber Valentino of Trumpet Behavior Health, we are discussing applied research, the importance of conducting studies, the barriers for practitioners, and getting published. We discuss some of my own peer-reviewed journal articles and other studies I've completed. The goal of the research is to share knowledge, procedures that work, and make the world a better place.

Can language skills truly improve and excel through ABA and my online courses? Michele C of episode 78 returns for a progress update on her daughter Elena. We discuss the improvement that can occur through the effective implementation of my online course, how ABA therapy works with strong parent advocacy, and if it's possible to reverse an autism diagnosis? Michele is the captain of the ship when it comes to her daughters, their learning, and their health and we are excited to share this amazing progress story.

Mandy Mason is a powerhouse mom of two daughters, BCBA, and CEO and Founder of FIT Learning in Australia. In this interview, she shares her journey with her youngest daughter's diagnosis and how that has morphed her career and life. We discuss Australia and how it relates to autism rates, finding a diagnosis, and ABA. This episode has great advice for parents and professionals and unique insight on autism across the globe. 

Can an individual have both Down Syndrome and Autism? In this interview with Angela Lee, we discuss how these diagnoses often go hand in hand, the therapies for both, and Angela’s unique approach to encouraging more employment opportunities for this community. This is a great episode from a Mother, BCBA, and advocate in the special needs community. 

Safety is a big concern for the Turn Autism Around podcast. Captain Jerry Turning of Blue Bridge Training shares valuable information on the community of autism parents and first responders. Jerry is an autism dad and former police officer, he understands parents' concerns because he is a parent. We discuss a variety of safety issues for children with autism and how parents can approach and trust law enforcement with their child’s safety regardless of age.