Visual schedules are one of the most powerful tools in a SPED teacher’s toolkit, but only if students actually use them. In this episode, I’m walking you through how to create a visual schedule that’s meaningful, accessible, and part of your students’ daily rhythm (instead of just decoration on the wall).

We’ll cover the “why” behind visual schedules, how to match them to your students’ developmental level, and step-by-step tips to make them stick. Whether your learners are working with real objects, photos, or picture symbols, you’ll leave with practical strategies to set up schedules that truly support regulation, independence, and success.

✨ Why visual schedules are more than organization, they’re regulation, communication, and independence tools
✨ The research that proves their effectiveness in improving behavior and transitions
✨ How to scaffold schedules from real objects ➝ photos ➝ picture symbols
✨ Step-by-step guidance for building schedules that reflect your students’ actual day
✨ How to keep schedules interactive and student-centered
✨ Tips to make schedules stick as part of the daily routine (instead of collecting dust)
✨ Why consistency, updates, and personalization are key to success

• Explore ready-to-use Visual Schedule resources, social stories and supports in my TpT store.

• Connect with me on Instagram @teachingautism and share your visual schedule setups- I love seeing how you make them work for your students!

👉 Tune in and discover how to set up visual schedules that actually get used, and transform transitions, behavior, and independence in your classroom.

Echolalia and scripting are often misunderstood as “parroting” or “meaningless talk.” But the truth? They’re powerful communication tools and an important stage of language development, especially for autistic and neurodivergent students.

In this episode, I’m breaking down what echolalia and scripting really are, why they matter, and how you can embrace them as stepping stones to authentic, spontaneous communication.

✨ What echolalia and scripting are (immediate vs. delayed)
✨ Why they’re not meaningless, but valuable communication attempts
✨ How to figure out the function behind scripts and echoes
✨ Practical ways to acknowledge, validate, and expand student scripts
✨ How to intentionally use scripts as teaching tools in daily routines
✨ Tips for making room for media-based scripts (yes, even Bluey and Minecraft)
✨ Why reducing pressure and avoiding correction helps language flourish

• Explore my Core Vocabulary Activities Bundle, Adapted Books, and Matching Visuals Set to pair with scripting and support natural language growth.

• Connect with me on Instagram @teachingautism and share how you’re embracing echolalia in your classroom, I’d love to celebrate those wins with you!

• Read my blog post on Functional and Non-Functional Echolalia
• Want to learn more about scripting and how to respond to it? Read my blog post!

👉 Tune in to reframe echolalia and scripting as what they really are: bridges to meaningful communication.

Play isn’t “just play” - it’s one of the most powerful ways to support communication growth. In this episode, we’re diving into how to turn everyday play moments into opportunities for language, connection, and confidence.

Whether you’ve wondered how to support non-speaking students, embed speech goals into centers, or make playtime truly meaningful, this episode will give you strategies that are simple, fun, and effective.

✨ Why play is a natural foundation for language development (backed by research)
✨ How to follow your student’s lead to spark authentic communication
✨ The difference between modeling vs. quizzing during play
✨ Core vocabulary words that fit seamlessly into playtime
✨ How to set up communication-rich play spaces with intentional choices and visuals
✨ Ways to weave language into snack time, sensory play, and messy activities
✨ Why it’s essential to celebrate all forms of communication, not just speech

• Explore my Core Vocabulary Adapted Books, Activities Bundle, and Matching Visuals Set to help you embed communication into play

• Come hang out with me on Instagram @teachingautism and share your favorite play setups, I love celebrating those wins with you!

👉 Tune in and discover how to use play as a communication powerhouse for your students.

Core vocabulary isn’t just a buzzword, it’s one of the most powerful tools we can use to help our students communicate, connect, and grow. But here’s the problem: too often, AAC and core boards end up sitting on a shelf instead of being embedded into daily routines.

In this episode, I’m breaking down exactly what core vocabulary is, why it matters, and how to naturally weave it into your everyday classroom routines, without needing an extra hour in your day or a degree in speech therapy. You’ll leave with practical strategies that actually work in real classrooms, with real students.

✨ What core vocabulary really is (and why it’s so powerful for communication)
✨ Why we often overthink AAC and how to simplify it
✨ How to start small with just 1–3 core words a week
✨ Practical ways to embed core vocabulary into crafts, snack time, transitions, and story time
✨ Why modeling matters more than student output (and how to do it without pressure)
✨ How to make core vocabulary visible, consistent, and fun across your classroom
✨ The importance of keeping core words accessible in multiple spaces, not hidden away

• Explore the Core Vocabulary Activities Bundle, Adapted Books, and Matching Sets to help you model and embed core words with ease.

• Come share your core vocab wins with me on Instagram @teachingautism - I love seeing the words you’re modeling each week!

👉 Tune in and discover how simple, meaningful, and powerful core vocabulary can be when it becomes part of your everyday classroom rhythm.

Ever been told your students are “just getting out of work” when they take a sensory break? Or that they “need to learn to sit still”? In today’s episode, I’m breaking down why sensory breaks aren’t luxuries or rewards, they’re essential regulation tools that help students access learning.

We’ll dig into what regulation really means, why breaks aren’t the same as time-outs, how the research backs this up, and practical ways you can weave regulation tools into your day, without needing a fancy sensory room.

By the end of this episode, you’ll walk away with the confidence to shut down those “spoiling them with breaks” comments and the strategies to set your students up for success.

✨ The true definition of regulation (and why it’s not automatic for many neurodivergent students)
✨ The critical difference between a sensory break and a time-out
✨ What the research actually says about sensory supports in the classroom
✨ Why breaks must be proactive, not just reactive
✨ How to respond when it seems like students are “avoiding work”
✨ Easy, low-prep ways to add sensory breaks to your classroom
✨ Fresh ideas for reframing “breaks” into regulation tools

• Explore my visuals, schedules, and support tools for sensory regulation.

• Tag me on Instagram @teachingautism to share your sensory spaces and break systems, I love seeing what you create!

👉 Tune in and let’s reframe sensory breaks for what they really are: bridges back to learning.

Hey friends! In this episode of Teaching Autism and Special Education, we’re diving into one of the most misunderstood (but hugely important) parts of student behavior: sensory processing.

From toe-walking to meltdowns to zoning out, so many behaviors in our classrooms are not “bad behavior.” They’re sensory systems saying, “I’m overwhelmed and I need support.”

Together, we’re unpacking:

• What sensory processing actually is

• The 8 sensory systems (yes, there are 8!)

• What happens when those systems are out of sync

• Easy, realistic ways to support sensory needs in your classroom

• Why sensory differences are not about behavior, they’re about survival

• The role of the lesser-known sensory systems (vestibular, proprioception, and interoception)

• Common signs of over- and under-responsiveness across all systems

• Why sensory input should be proactive, not just reactive

• How to normalize and support sensory needs for every student

1. Visual (Sight) – Lights, movement, visual clutter

2. Auditory (Sound) – Background noise, voices, sudden sounds

3. Tactile (Touch) – Textures, clothing, materials

4. Olfactory (Smell) – Scents, perfumes, food smells

5. Gustatory (Taste) – Oral input, picky eating, chewing

6. Vestibular (Balance & Movement) – Motion, head position, spinning

7. Proprioception (Body Awareness) – Pressure, body position, movement

8. Interoception (Internal Signals) – Hunger, thirst, emotions, toilet needs

• Tomchek & Dunn (2007): 95% of autistic students experience sensory processing differences

• Schaaf et al. (2014): Understanding sensory patterns improves support, learning, and regulation

1. Observe and Track Patterns
    ➡️ Notice when students become dysregulated and what’s happening around them.

2. Stock Your Room with Tools
    ➡️ Fidgets, noise-canceling headphones, sensory bins, calm lighting, chewies, wiggle seats, let them choose what works.

3. Build Sensory Input Into the Day
    ➡️ Movement breaks, sensory stations, deep pressure, calm-down time—it’s not “extra,” it’s essential.

4. Talk About Sensory Needs Openly
    ➡️ Use visuals and stories to teach students how to understand and express their needs.

5. Include Sensory Supports in IEPs
    ➡️ These are not “rewards” or “nice-to-haves.” They’re vital learning supports. Put them in writing.

Was this episode a sensory “aha” moment for you?
Come say hi over on Instagram and tag me in your favorite takeaway.
Or explore my sensory visuals, blog posts and freebies.

Supporting sensory needs isn’t about “giving in.”
It’s about removing barriers to learning, regulation, and connection.
When we meet sensory needs, we don’t just see fewer meltdowns, we build more trust.

And that? That changes everything.

🎧 Hit play now and start seeing your students’ behaviors through a sensory lens.
And don’t forget to share this one with your SPED team, it’s a must-listen.

Hey lovely humans! Ever had one of those “I’ve tried everything and NOTHING is working” moments? Yeah… same. In this episode of Teaching Autism and Special Education, I’m breaking down what to do when you hit that wall.

Because behavior isn’t always straightforward. And when strategies flop, it’s not because you’re failing, it’s because this work is hard, layered, and human.

Today I’m giving you a step-by-step troubleshooting checklist I personally use when things go sideways. You’ll leave with fresh ideas, honest validation, and some much-needed calm.

• Why your go-to strategies might suddenly stop working (and what to try next)

• How to reassess behavior functions when things don’t add up

• Why the environment might be making things harder than they need to be

• How skill gaps show up as challenging behavior

• The power of team consistency and regulation, for the student and you

• When (and why) it’s okay to let a strategy go and try something else

• You’re not failing. You’re troubleshooting.

• Behavior is communication, and communication isn’t always clear.

• The environment plays a massive role in behavior outcomes.

• Lagging skills in communication, regulation, or executive function may be hiding under the behavior.

• Consistency across adults is key, misalignment causes chaos.

• Your regulation matters just as much as the student’s.

• Letting go of a strategy that isn’t working is not giving up, it’s adapting.

1. Recheck the Function
    ➡️ Use ABC data to make sure you truly understand why the behavior is happening.

2. Look at the Environment
    ➡️ Assess lighting, noise, transitions, demands, and adult responses, tiny tweaks = big shifts.

3. Check for Skill Gaps
    ➡️ Is this actually a behavior problem… or a skill that’s missing?

4. Evaluate Consistency Across Adults
    ➡️ If the team isn’t on the same page, the student won’t know what to expect.

5. Regulation Check
    ➡️ Are they dysregulated? Are you? Start there, always.

6. Try Something New
    ➡️ If a strategy truly isn’t working, let it go. It’s feedback, not failure.

Feeling seen after this one?
Come say hi on Instagram, or grab some practical, neuro-affirming behavior tools and trainings.

If you’re in that “nothing’s working” season, please know:
You’re not alone. You’re not failing.
You are showing up, and that means everything.

Behavior change takes time, but safety and trust are being built every day you keep trying.
You’ve got this. And I’m cheering you on every step of the way.

🎧 Hit play now and let’s troubleshoot together, with compassion, curiosity, and zero shame.
And if this episode helped you, share it with a teammate or leave a quick review so more SPED educators can find it too.

Hey hey, welcome back to Teaching Autism and Special Education!
Today, we’re talking about one of the toughest (and most misunderstood) parts of our job, supporting students through aggression and meltdowns without resorting to punishment.

Because here’s the truth: Punishment doesn’t teach regulation.
It teaches fear. And our students deserve better than that.

In this episode, I’m breaking down:

• The real difference between meltdowns and tantrums

• Why traditional discipline often backfires in SPED settings

• How to show up with compassion and safety, even when things get messy

This one’s for the educators in the thick of it, showing up with love even when it’s hard. 💛

• The neurological truth about meltdowns and aggression

• Why punitive responses can make behaviors worse

• Practical, neuro-affirming strategies to use in the moment

• How to co-regulate and connect, instead of isolate and shame

• What to do after a meltdown to teach new skills (the right way)

• Meltdowns ≠ tantrums: They’re a fight-or-flight response, not manipulation.

• Aggression is communication: It doesn’t mean the child is “bad”, they’re overwhelmed.

• Punishment teaches fear: Support builds trust.

• Regulation starts with you: Your calm can anchor their storm.

• Connection matters most: Even when behavior is intense, don’t withdraw your presence.

1. Stay Calm, Even When It’s Hard
    ➡️ Your nervous system becomes theirs, so breathe, soften, and anchor.

2. Remove the Audience, Not the Student
    ➡️ Create a safe space for regulation without adding shame.

3. Say Less, Show More
    ➡️ Skip the lecture. Use visuals, modeling, and low words.

4. Co-Regulate, Don’t Isolate
    ➡️ Sit with them, support them, and offer tools, not timeouts.

5. Teach Skills Later, Not in the Moment
    ➡️ When calm returns, that’s when the learning happens.

Yes, safety always comes first.
But safety doesn’t have to come at the expense of compassion.
You can hold boundaries and still lead with empathy.
Have a plan. Prep your team. Create safe spaces.
But remember, connection is the true prevention.

This episode hit home?
Share it with a fellow educator or tag me on Instagram @teachingautism, I love hearing how these tools support your students (and you).

Looking for calming visuals, regulation tools, or post-meltdown reflection sheets?
They’re waiting for you over at teachingautism.co.uk.
No fluff, just real tools that work.

You’re not a bad teacher because a student has big behaviors.
You’re a safe teacher because they’re having them with you.
This work is messy, and emotional, and exhausting, and still, you show up.
That is powerful. That is healing.
And that is making a difference every single day.

🎧 Hit play and let’s rewrite the script on behavior support, one connection at a time.
Subscribe, leave a review, or send this to the educator in your life who needs to hear: you’re not alone in this.