I lost a lot of followers when I shared that I got my Autism diagnosis. It was so disheartening but honestly not that surprising because of ableism… What DID surprise me was that people shared they didn’t like how positive I was about receiving my diagnosis - especially considering my whole brand here focuses on Autism acceptance and embracing neurodiversity. What I want y’all to know:🧠 A person (even kids!) is the same exact person before and after their diagnosis, BUT they/caregivers will have a much better understanding of how their brain works as well as their needs following the diagnosis.🧠 Don’t judge anyone for how they process this info- it may be with humor, joy, sadness, or any other emotion and everyone’s feelings are VALID. 🧠 Just like with anyone, my experience with Autism will not be the same as other Autistic people’s. I was an Autism advocate for all before my diagnosis, and I will still be an advocate for all following my diagnosis. I will continue to support and share Autistic experiences and opinions from people with differing support needs, different ethnicity/cultures. AND I try my best to make it a habit to listen to and follow Autistic people that I don’t always agree with because all Autistic voices matter. 🧠 Many people also said I was “faking it” and questioned that I was self-diagnosing. Y’all. I was lucky and privileged enough to get a full clinical evaluation. I personally *needed* that outside provider to know if I was Autistic or not (even as someone who specializes in KIDS Autism evals) because like I always say, Autism is not always that different and it is easy to miss/misdiagnose. But many people don’t have access to evaluations and are able to identify as Autistic when they realize Autism perfectly explains their whole life. Please don’t ever tell people they are faking or that they aren’t Autistic, especially based off of superficial information you have about them from the internet 🤦🏼
Have you checked out @mrsspeechiep’s must have resources? Huge thanks to @shanbslp for being such a huge supporter and creating this video for how she uses them! ❤️ LINK in comments to my most popular (PDF) products:1️⃣ The Autism Handbook: Helps adults have a better understanding of Autism from a positive mindset. I honestly think all professionals and caregivers, especially those new to Autism, would benefit from this book! Professional versions with license to share and single use for caregiver versions available! 2️⃣ Understanding Autism Together: Aims to support caregivers as they tell their child they are Autistic. It covers both caregiver support/counseling and has illustrated stories featuring diverse Autistic characters as they tell the reader they are Autistic too! License and single use options! 3️⃣ The Autism Handbook for Kids: Gives Autistic kids (7+) tons of info about Autism and what it means to be Autistic. Perfect to use in Autism Self-Advocacy groups! License and single use available.4️⃣ Embracing Neurodiversity in Education - a “crash course” for educators to challenge previously held believes and learn about neuro-affirming teaching support! License to share.5️⃣ Guide to Talk to Kids About Autism: geared towards teaching groups of kids about Autism understanding and acceptance. My products are downloadable pdfs and are not in physical book format at this time, however you do have permission to print and bind as Shannon did with hers in this video!
Did you know?! ♾️Neurodivergent is *probably* the term you are looking for ❤️
Just like you want to be able to communicate your wants, needs, and ideas - SO DO KIDS! ♾️❤️AAC = Augmentative and Alternative communicationThe facts:1️⃣ AAC does not stop kids from speaking- the opposite is true, it can increase oral speech 2️⃣ Kids have a right to access communication. ALL communication methods are equal, and withholding communication only leads to frustration and kids learning that their voice is not important 3️⃣ You can work on teaching and learning oral speech and AAC at the same time- it doesn’t have to be one or the other4️⃣ There’s no age limit or prerequisites to using AAC Talk to a SLP today about AAC! Note: Not all SLPs are created equal and some still hold outdated and incorrect ideas about AAC. Finding a SLP who specializes in AAC is key!
👻🎃 Download this NEW Halloween freebie to help your child communicate during trick or treating. Comment SPOOKY and we’ll send you the link that includes an AAC handout and low tech visuals like this bracelet and more for use this Spooky season! Print and place Velcro to create a communication bracelet. Siblings and adults can also wear to model as you walk and talk. Don’t want a bracelet? No problem- loop around a bucket handle! Remember! Kids should not have to say trick-or-treat in order to receive candy. We should honor all forms of communication! These are just some ideas to consider if your child uses symbols in their total communication.Ideas to use:👻 using fun sound effects like knock knock🎃 using verbs like stop, go and wait🍭 continuing tasks by using words like more and go🧑🚀 using scripts like trick or treat, smell my feet!👸🏽 commenting if they like or don’t like the candyHave you downloaded this before? Be sure to get the new and updated version with the handout! Link in the comments! ⤵️
@spinsandstomps & @mrsspeechiep on Autism and neurodiversity acceptance for caregivers 🌈♾️❤️We frequently hear from parents sharing that they’re stuck feeling grief about their child’s diagnosis- and we’ll start by saying your feelings are valid. BUT it’s super common for your thoughts and emotions to change over time- and this is a great goal to work towards! The process of moving from grief (or anything you are feeling) to celebrating your child’s neurotype might look different from person to person, but we wanted to share a little bit about what that process can look like and steps you can take to get there! 1️⃣ Unlearn harmful stereotypes about Autism (and learn about Autism from a fresh perspective!)2️⃣ Let go of the pressure of meeting milestones and meet your child where they are at - focus on and celebrate all progress, not just the big steps3️⃣ Focus on your child’s strengths 4️⃣ Prioritize connection over compliance and decrease demands if they are difficult or overwhelming for your child 5️⃣ Stop comparing your child to others 6️⃣ Listen to and learn from Autistic adults and neurodiversity-affirming educators 7️⃣ Stop trying to get your child to see the world from your point of view, and start trying to see the world from THEIR’S ❤️As always- while your feelings are valid, we do urge you to be aware of how they can impact others, and encourage you to keep thoughts and emotions that may be harmful for your child to see later - in private conversations (i.e. not on the internet) ❤️
Most of you have heard of gestalt language development but did you know that many GLPs also demonstrate gestalt cognitive styles too?This means a person may process information, events, and experiences as a “whole” and is often a reason many kids (especially Autistic kids) can be dysregulated or upset by unexpected changes, when activities are interrupted/work isn’t fully completed, or when things do not go in a manner they expect. It’s also why kids may imitate words, facial expressions, and gestures of others *exactly, and the same way each time. Sometimes this happens and we, as adults, do not understand what a child is communicating - but often when we do some detective work (which often involves media) we find meaning! And as @evietheexplorer1111 says- “just because something doesn’t make sense to us, doesn’t mean it’s nonsensical” - follow them for more Evie and follow @mrsspeechiep for more Autism content!
It’s actually really common for PEOPLE to be focused interests! In fact, it’s quite common in the PDA profile! But it’s also VERY socially motivated - leading parents and professionals to “rule out” Autism, when it’s actually a part of Autism. Autistic children often ask many personal questions to people who are their special interests and have strong and reciprocal social interactions with them- although it may not be seen with other people. And also, autistic people can be social in general! I recommend that if possible, the preferred person schedule at least 15-30 mins per day where they give the Autistic child their full attention (i.e. child chooses activity, no phones, etc)!I also want to highlight that it can be really difficult to be a child’s special interest. This is because while being around, speaking to, touching, etc the preferred person is *regulating* to the Autistic child, it’s often simultaneously *dysregulating* to the preferred person because it can be such high intensity. When parents are a special interest, I recommend lots of breaks and “me time” - especially if they are the default parent (which, usually they are!).
Empower Autistic kids by teaching them more about Autism and their brain! EVERY time I use pages from the Autism Handbook for Kids, Autistic kids are like 💡 💡 that’s me!!! And I love when they get to see themselves and identify with characters! The Autism Handbook for Kids teaches kids who already know that they are Autistic all about Autism. It’s got in depth knowledge to empower kids to understand their brain and see them up for self advocacy and self acceptance! If your child doesn’t yet know they are Autistic, Understanding Autism Together is a great place to start! https://www.mrsspeechiep.com/shop-all
In hindsight, this post will probably just make you want some pizza 🍕 😆
But if you want my BEST SELLING Autism Handbook to share neuro-affirming information about Autism (because Google can really suck!) comment Handbook and I’ll send you a link!
On sale until 9/8 (and I rarely do sales so get yours now!)
It’s time for a SALE 🎉🎉🎉ALL Mrs Speechie P products are on sale, including my best selling Autism Handbook & Autism Handbook for Kids ($18 off professional license, $8 off caregiver), my recently released Understanding Autism Together ($18 off license, $5 off caregiver), and my JUST LAUNCHED TODAY - Embracing Neurodiversity in Education ($15 off!)- and more! Be sure to check out my FREE download for teachers available during the sale, Sept 5-8! Most products come with a license to share (for professionals) or a single use/caregiver version (for families). Have a question about any of my products, need a link, or want help finding the right fit for your needs? Let’s chat! ⤵️ www.mrsspeechiep.com/shop-all
Parents ask:🤔 Should I tell my child about their Autism diagnosis? ✅ YES! 🤷 When should I tell my child they are Autistic? ✅ Now is a great time! 🗣️ Okay but HOW do I have this conversation? @meaningfulspeech and @mrsspeechiep are here to break this down to 5 easy steps! 1️⃣ Be sure you are emotionally ready and in a place to have a positive conversation 2️⃣ Focus on the facts 3️⃣ Give specific examples of how Autism relates to them 4️⃣ Use positive language 5️⃣ Validate their feelings and allow for questions And if you want some extra, step by step support to help YOU - as well as visual stories to explain Autism in a way your child can understand- Understanding Autism Together is just what you need! Learn more at https://www.mrsspeechiep.com/understanding-autism-together?utm_campaign=877f41f6-dada-427c-9fc6-0fd3d941abb2&utm_medium=mail&utm_source=so
