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National Professional Development Center on ASD: 

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National Professional Development Center on ASD: 

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The National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorder (NPDC) was funded by the Office of Special Education Programs in the US Department of Education from 2007-2014. The NPDC developed free professional resources for teachers, therapists, and technical assistance providers who work with individuals with ASD. Resources include detailed information on how to plan, implement, and monitor specific evidence-based practices.

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The National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorder (NPDC) was funded by the Office of Special Education Programs in the US Department of Education from 2007-2014. The NPDC developed free professional resources for teachers, therapists, and technical assistance providers who work with individuals with ASD.

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handout slides for Assessment of AUT in g

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Help for kids 8 to 12 years of age crack the code of emotions and friendships.

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MindUP | The Goldie Hawn Foundation | Preventative mental health program for schools

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For 20+ years the preventative mental health program from MindUP | The Goldie Hawn Foundation has equipped students, educators and families with mental fitness tools that build greater emotional literacy and improve resilience to face challenges with optimism, strength, and compassion.

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Anxiety is one of the biggest challenges faced by children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders and Asperger syndrome. Help them conquer their fears-and participate more fully in home, school, and community life-with this innovative group therapy program for children 8-14 years old and their parents.

Ideal for small groups of 4-5 children but also effective in one-to-one therapy, this proven, ready-to-use program is a must for mental health professionals who work with children and families in clinical settings. Developed to address the specific needs and challenges of children with high-functioning ASD and Asperger syndrome, Facing Your Fears works because it

targets specific fears or worries that interfere with day-to-day functioning at home and school

actively involves parents in every session-the key to helping children make progress and ensuring that families provide skillful, sensitive support

is backed by more than 7 years of funded research, including two clinical trials with positive outcomes

engages children with memorable, age-appropriate strategies for defeating anxiety, from creating "worry bugs" to filming movies of themselves facing their fears

gives children repeated opportunities to practice their social interactions with others

uses the highly effective principles of cognitive behavioral therapy

helps children and parents generalize the skills they learn in group to other settings

Facing Your Fears includes everything professionals need to run a successful program-a Facilitator's Manual, one Parent Workbook, and one Child Workbook. With the Facilitator's Manual, group leaders will get complete guidance on conducting each session: clear step-by-step instructions, materials lists, goals, sample schedules, and helpful hints for running sessions smoothly.

The Parent Workbooks and Child Workbooks (also sold separately in packs of 4) give children and families a wide variety of creative activities to help them fight fears and worries head-on, both inside and outside the group setting. And the included DVD inspires and motivates kids with sample movies of real children facing their fears.

Essential for every mental health professional working with children with ASD, this innovative program will help families struggling with the burdens of anxiety and increase children's odds for lifelong academic and social success.

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Anxiety is one of the biggest challenges faced by children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders and Asperger syndrome. Help them conquer their fears-and participate more fully in home, school, and community life-with this innovative group therapy program for children 8-14 years old and their parents.

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Understanding & Explaining ASD (Spanish Version)

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Understanding & Explaining ASD (Spanish Version)

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understanding the spectrum spanish version

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Que es el Autismo? Entendiendo el espectro del autismo (Understanding the Spectrum) Spanish version

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Que es el autismo. Comic Entendiendo el espectro del autismo (Understanding the Spectrum) Spanish version Rebecca Burgess translated by Jennifer Del Valle

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | RSS

A few months ago, I got the same email from several people within a couple of days: "Jeremy, you HAVE to have Donna Henderson on your podcast to talk about autism in girls!" At the time, Donna had just circulated a comparison table of autism symptoms and presentation in the PED-NPSY listserv, and it spread like wildfire. I'm so fortunate to have her here today to dive deep into autism and how it looks in girls and women. These are just a few things that we cover:

Are we really missing girls with ASD?

If these cases are so subtle, does it matter if we're missing them?

How do girls on the spectrum present differently?

Typical battery for assessing autism in girls

Cool Things Mentioned

The Testing Psychologist podcast is now approved for CEU's!

I'm excited to announce that I've partnered with At Health to offer CE credits for podcast episodes! Visit this link to access current and past episodes available for CE credit. You can use code "TTP10" for a discount on ALL the course credits you purchase from At Health!

About Dr. Donna Henderson

Dr. Donna Henderson has been a clinical psychologist for 25 years. She earned her doctoral degree from the School of Professional Psychology at Wright State University and subsequently worked as a staff psychologist and then Director of Acquired Brain Injury at the Gaylord Hospital in Connecticut. After staying home with her three children, Dr. Henderson joined a private practice, The Stixrud Group, in 2011. She specializes in neuropsychological evaluations for individuals with cognitive, academic, social, and/or emotional challenges, with a particular specialty in autism. Dr. Henderson is a frequent lecturer on the subtle presentations of autism, on girls and women with autism, and on parenting children with complex profiles.

About Dr. Jeremy Sharp

I'm a licensed psychologist and Clinical Director at the Colorado Center for Assessment & Counseling, a private practice that I founded in 2009 and grew to include 12 licensed clinicians, three clinicians in training, and a full administrative staff. I earned my undergraduate degree in Experimental Psychology from the University of South Carolina before getting my Master's and PhD in Counseling Psychology from Colorado State University. These days, I specialize in psychological and neuropsychological evaluation with kids and adolescents.

As the host of the Testing Psychologist Podcast, I provide private practice consulting for psychologists and other mental health professionals who want to start or grow psychological testing services in their practices. I live in Fort Collins, Colorado with my wife (also a therapist) and two young kids.
Ready to grow your testing services? Click below to schedule a complimentary 30-minute pre-consulting call!
Schedule Your Call

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TTP #119: Autism in Girls & Women w/ Dr. Donna Henderson - The Testing Psychologist

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A few months ago, I got the same email from several people within a couple of days: "Jeremy, you HAVE to have Donna Henderson on your podcast to talk about autism in girls!" At the time, Donna had just circulated a comparison table of autism symptoms and presentation in the PED-NPSY listserv, and it spread like wildfire.

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Spectrum Conditions

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Expert resources, events and courses for Autism from internationally recognised experts Professor Tony Attwood and Dr Michelle Garnett.

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Strategies for Honoring Neurodiversity in Social Communication Assessment (PD102742)Presenter(s): Geralyn R Timler, PhD, CCC-SLP

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Strategies for Honoring Neurodiversity in Social Communication Assessment (PD102742)Presenter(s): Geralyn R Timler, PhD, CCC-SLP

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The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) is the national professional, scientific, and credentialing association for members and affiliates who are audiologists; speech-language pathologists; speech, language, and hearing scientists; audiology and speech-language pathology assistants; and students.

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Share your videos with friends, family, and the world

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Printable templates

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268: Masterclass: Autistic Adolescent Girl w/ Dr. Donna Henderson - The Testing Psychologist

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Welcome back to another masterclass episode! If you haven’t listened to the prior masterclasses, these episodes are a little different than typical interviews.

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | RSS

Would you rather read the transcript? Click here.

How many kids have you seen over the last few years with rule-outs of both ADHD and autism spectrum disorder? If you're anything like our practice...hundreds. These are the two most common referral questions in our practice, yet they're also challenging to tease apart. Dr. Caroline Buzanko returns to the podcast for part 1 in a discussion of differentiating ADHD & ASD. In this first part, we discuss:

Why it's important for clinicians to tease these apart

Neuroanatomical similarities and differences between the two

The overlap and differentiation of "Part A" ASD symptoms from ADHD symptoms

Cool Things Mentioned

Caroline's previous episodes (one & two) on parental perceptions of the evaluation
Featured Resource
I am honored to partner with PAR for 2021 to bring you featured items from their catalog! Listen to each episode for specific product recommendations and links. Learn more at www.parinc.com.
The Testing Psychologist podcast is approved for CEU's!
I've partnered with At Health to offer CE credits for podcast episodes! Visit this link to access current and past episodes available for CE credit. You can use code "TTP10" for a discount on ALL the course credits you purchase from At Health!

About Dr. Caroline Buzanko

Dr. Caroline Buzanko is a Psychologist. Mother. International Speaker. Yoda of anxiety. ADHD Superhero. And Changer of Lives. With over twenty years working with children, teens, and their families, her focus is on developing long-term success and maximizing their resilience. She also trains other mental health professionals and educators to optimize their effectiveness conducting psychological assessments and working with children and teens.
Get in touch:
Website: https://drcarolinebuzanko.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-caroline-buzanko/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrCarolineBuzanko/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.carolinebuzanko/
Overpowering Emotions Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/overpowering-emotions-podcast-helping-children-and/id1618828819

About Dr. Jeremy Sharp

I'm a licensed psychologist and Clinical Director at the Colorado Center for Assessment & Counseling, a private practice that I founded in 2009 and have grown to over 20 clinicians. I earned my undergraduate degree in Experimental Psychology from the University of South Carolina before getting my Master's and PhD in Counseling Psychology from Colorado State University. These days, I specialize in psychological and neuropsychological evaluation with kids and adolescents.

As the host of the Testing Psychologist Podcast, I provide private practice consulting for psychologists and other mental health professionals who want to start or grow psychological testing services in their practices. I live in Fort Collins, Colorado with my wife (also a therapist) and two young kids.
Ready to grow your testing services? Click below to schedule a complimentary 30-minute pre-consulting call!
Schedule Your Call

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346. Differentiating ADHD & Autism, Part 1 w/ Dr. Caroline Buzanko - The Testing Psychologist

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How many kids have you seen over the last few years with rule-outs of both ADHD and autism spectrum disorder?

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Executive Function Supports for Everyday Life with Oswin Latimer

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Listen to this episode from Two Sides of the Spectrum on Spotify. Oswin Latimer is the founder and President of Foundations for Divergent Minds (FDM) and former Director of Community Engagement for the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN).

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A Different Approach to Self Regulation with Autism Level Up

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A Different Approach to Self Regulation with Autism Level Up

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Jacquelyn Fede is a developmental psychologist and autistic self-advocate and Amy Laurent is a developmental psychologist and pediatric occupational therapist. They are the co-founders of Autism Level Up! where they challenge OTs to listen to autistic voices and level up our work with people on the spectrum. Join in the conversation as we explore the incredible self-regulation tools for therapists and autistic people that Amy and Jacquelyn have created.

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a different approach to self regulation with autism level up

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‎Two Sides of the Spectrum: A Different Approach to Self Regulation with Autism Level Up on Apple Podcasts

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Jacquelyn Fede is a developmental psychologist and autistic self-advocate and Amy Laurent is a developmental psychologist and pediatric occupational therapist. They are the co-founders of Autism Level Up! where they challenge OTs to listen to autistic voices and level up our work with people on the...

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Teaching emotional regulation: Emotions Charting

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Teaching emotional regulation: Emotions Charting

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Includes:
-Getting Started Is The Hardest Part
-What is Procrastination
-Avoid Procrastination
-Procrastination & Motivation Reflection Worksheet
-What is Perseverance? (Emotional Control)
-We Can Persevere Poster Activity (Emotional Control)
-Finding Inspiration From People Who Persevered (Emotional Control)
-What Does Your Mind Look Like? (Emotional Control)
-Let's Review Worksheet...Starting and Finishing a Task

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Teacher Direct Instruction Lesson - Flexibility

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Teacher Direct Instruction Lesson - Flexibility

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Includes:
-What is Flexible Thinking?
-What is Perspective?
-Thinking Differently Worksheet
-Changing The Way You Look At It Worksheet
-Understanding Perspective Task Cards
-Learning How To Compromise
-Compromising Task Cards
-Dealing With Change
-Dealing With Change...Trying New Things A New Way Task Cards
-Change Can Be Fun Activity
-Let's Review...Flexible Thinking Worksheets

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Teacher Direct Instruction Lessons on Time Management - Organization & Planning 

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Teacher Direct Instruction Lessons on Time Management - Organization & Planning 

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Includes:
-Being on Time Narrative
-Checking the Time Worksheets
-Passing the Time Worksheets
-Estimating Time Narrative
-Practice Estimating Time
-How Much Time is Left?
-Is There Enough Time?
-Time Management Narrative
-Time Management Flow Chart Examples
-Time Management Flow Chart (BLANK)
-Time Management Task Cards
-Time Management Review Worksheet

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Teacher Direct Instruction Lesson - Planning

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Teacher Direct Instruction Lesson - Planning

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Includes:
-Making A Plan
-Let's Plan...A Pizza Dinner
-Practice Planning
-Being Prepared
-Preparing to Attend a Party
-Let's Practice Preparing
-Prioritizing
-Prioritize This or That?
-Prioritizing A List
-Let's Review Planning, Preparing & Prioritizing

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Backpack Luggage Tag Checklist - Elementary

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Backpack Luggage Tag Checklist - Elementary

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Backpack Luggage Tag Checklist - Secondary

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Backpack Luggage Tag Checklist - Secondary

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10 Planning Skills Every Child Should Know

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10 Planning Skills Every Child Should Know

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We all know the familiar catchphrases about good planning.
"By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail." "Plan your work and work your plan." "A goal without a plan is just a wish."
Planning connects to our culture so much that we spend an astounding $386 million on planner books and organizers annually. Yet for many children, teens, and adults, developing practical planning skills continue to be one of the barriers to success. It's one of the most critical executive functioning skills to prioritize with diverse learners to start teaching now.

Why are planning skills important?

In earlier articles, we've covered the basics of planning skills and the connection that deficits in executive functioning can have on challenging behaviors. As a reminder, planning skills inform our ability to identify and manage tasks in the future. It includes identifying future tasks and events, setting goals to complete them, and analyzing the steps needed to complete the task ahead of time.

Practical planning skills create a sense of control and allow us to complete tasks more quickly and efficiently. When we plan carefully, jobs go smoothly, allowing us more time for fun and relaxation. Likewise, when we don't have a plan, frustrations rise, tasks take longer, and may even be finished incorrectly.

The 10 Planning Skills Every Child Should Learn

After you complete an assessment of your child's executive functioning skills, note that planning skills may look different depending on your child's age, their skill level, and their experience with independent planning. These skills describe progression, including beginner, intermediate, and advanced executive functioning tasks. Focus on identifying where your child needs support right now, and then gradually expanding to more difficult executive functioning goals.

How to identify an end goal

Start by encouraging your child to identify the end goal of simple tasks. Ask them about the end goal of putting away belongings ("so the room is clean") or of daily living tasks like going to the car wash ("so the car gets clean"). Ensuring a learner can identify the end goal of a task is a prerequisite skill for learning to plan the intermediate steps.

How to identify the main idea vs. minor details

Some teens and adults with unique learning needs get hung up in the details of planning and miss the 'big picture' or the main idea. Before beginning to work on executive skills like planning, you may need to focus on boosting the communication skill of articulating the central concept vs. minor details. Use familiar movies, video games, and books to talk about main ideas; then move on to the main idea vs. small details on scheduled daily activities.

How to use a checklist

Hundreds of different sources cite the value of using checklists. From the United States military to Fortune 500 business success, humans from all walks of life find value in creating a list of tasks and visually marking them off when completed. It seems like a simple concept, yet many individuals with unique learning needs struggle to create checklists independently and use them functionally. Start by practicing how to use a checklist with the steps of familiar tasks. Then graduate to using a list of steps with new responsibilities. Then, once your child can independently check off steps, move to the next one, start working on creating checklists.

How to order simple activities

As part of using checklists above, you may need first to teach your learner how to order the steps of simple activities. It's challenging to teach planning skills if your learner struggles to know which actions go in what order. Have your child write out the steps or use visual cue cards to order the steps of everyday activities (i.e., getting a car wash, preparing a favorite meal, ordering in the drive-through). Have your learner focus on explaining and understanding the cause-effect relationship when sequencing steps. It can go a long way to help learners understand planning skills if they can also articulate why steps should go in a specific order.

How to use a calendar/planner

Once a child can demonstrate the order of a task, and use a checklist to complete steps in order, start to introduce the concepts of time and pre-planning tasks. For many teens and adults, it can be helpful to start with a daily calendar first, focusing on mapping out the steps for one day rather than overwhelming them with multiple days or weeks of tasks.

As a reminder, we've developed hundreds of different calendar/planner systems because there's no one-size-fits-all solution. Observe for several days and get a sense of how your learner uses a calendar most effectively as a tool to stay on track. Does it make sense for it to be on a mobile device? Paper and pencil? It's it helpful to sync with your own calendar to share updates, changes, and reminders? Choose a calendar or planner tool that's most likely to help your learner succeed, not necessarily the one that you prefer.

How to set reminders

As your learner masters the order of steps and using a calendar or planner tool, start teaching the value of reminders as a planning tool. Teach your teen or young adult to be more planful by setting smartphone reminders or using a well-placed note. Encourage them to try several different options and provide support and praise when they indicate a reminder was helpful. If your learner misses a critical task or deadline, instead of a reprimand, use it as an opportunity to teach reminders.

How to use visual maps, drawings, and diagrams

Now that your learner has more experience with planning concrete, well-defined tasks, it's a good time to start working on planning tasks without clear steps. One strategy shown to help enhance executive functioning is creating visuals, including mind maps, drawings, and diagrams. These visuals can help create order from undefined or less structured activities. They can also be helpful when needing to prioritize tasks or plan what to do next.

How to use the 'next best step' strategy

For some learners, the break down in planning skills doesn't happen with identifying tasks. It's in prioritizing. In this case, focus heavily on goals and strategies that help your child identify the next best step or what's immediately most important. Try brain dumping, or having your child list all the steps in a task and then ordering and selecting the most important or next step.

How to communicate a plan

As your child moves along with creating and prioritizing steps in a plan, it's important not to miss out on the opportunity to practice effectively communicating about plans. How many challenges occur because your child failed to articulate a plan, or that a plan exists at all!? Think of opportunities across the day to ask your child, 'What's your plan today?' or 'How are you going to accomplish that?' Provide praise and support when your child creates a great plan independently. If he or she struggles to communicate the idea, go back to using checklists, visuals, or some of the other strategies to help articulate steps in a plan.

How to manage when things don't go according to plan

Although the last skill on this list fits more with the executive planning skill of shift, it's still one of the essential tools you can provide a diverse learner. Flexibility, or moving forward when things don't go according to plan, shows advanced skills in planning and prioritization. If teens and adults can learn to pivot rather than get bogged down by missing steps, it goes a long way in improving success at home, school, and work. Since challenging behaviors or default bad habits can arise when things don't go according to plan, it should be a priority skill as part of boosting executive functioning.

Strategies to Teach Planning Skills to Your Child

If you're ready to dive into helping your child improve executive functioning and planning skills, consider these key strategies. They may help avoid common stumbling blocks and set up your child for success:

Collect baseline information

Before starting any teaching strategy, it's best to gather some information about your child and how he or she currently uses planning skills. Jumping into a training program without a baseline understanding of where you're working from might mean you choose the wrong skill to work on or target the ability in a way that ultimately isn't useful.

Create a SMART goal

Work with your child to develop a SMART goal about using planning skills. Keeping your child's age and current skill level in mind, select a goal that captures both the baseline (where you're starting from) and the desired level of performance (where you're heading. Focus on writing a goal that has a strong 'why' and meaning for both you and your child.

To help generate goals, download our .pdf worksheet for planning goals.

Find motivation and common ground

If your child doesn't already demonstrate executive functioning skills like planning, evaluate motivation. Is this something your child can already do but doesn't seem motivated to do? Or is the skill something they don't understand how to do in the first place? Ability and motivation are two different issues that require different approaches. If you find it's related to motivation, establish a common ground starting place to start working on the goal that makes sense to your child.

Consider video games and digital play

Video games are full of opportunities to target planning skills. If your child already tunes into a preferred video game, use it to establish common ground. Have your child identify the end goal of the game or mastering a level, the order of the steps needed to meet the video game goal successfully, and the outcome of planning out the steps.

Focus on successes

As you start to work on planning skills with your child, you're bound to hit bumps in the road. Instead of being discouraged about setbacks, focus on the successes and positive steps forward. Teens and adults with unique learning abilities already understand they learn differently. Concentrating on what they're not doing well isn't particularly helpful. Instead, stay focused and build on what's going well.

Use visuals and supports

Research supports that checklists, calendars, and reminders help us all use executive functioning and planning skills more effectively. As you work through teaching different planning skills, focus on how you can build in visual supports. Your child may not always need them, but they can be a helpful tool to bridge the initial gaps in learning.

Regularly step back to re-evaluate

As part of developing a SMART goal, developing a way to measure progress and regularly re-evaluate becomes important. Decide on a timeline early on for when you plan to step back and assess progress. Document what's going well and the next few steps forward. If you hit a plateau in how your child's progressing through learning planning skills, consider how you might break the current skill apart into smaller sub-steps. Don't be afraid to back up to the last successful stage before progressing. Sometimes confidence and fluency with a previous skill can be the necessary momentum to move forward.

Surround yourself with support

For some teens and young adults, boosting executive functioning skills requires an 'all hands-on-deck' approach. If you've tried some of the strategies above or are concerned you may not have the support necessary to boost planning skills, consider who else might help support you and your child. Your child's medical care team or an experienced mental health professional can assist you in making informed decisions. Other members of the care coordination team may already be working on planning skills in different ways that could also be helpful to boost your efforts.

One final note about using planning skills: Children, teens, and young adults all respond well to models of appropriate behavior. If you believe your child could benefit from a boost in executive functioning skills like planning, be sure to model those effective behaviors in your own life. Demonstrate the value of having a well-organized calendar, of using checklists and reminders. Consistently communicate with your child about 'next steps' and how you plan out upcoming tasks. By providing real-life examples, your child can see planning skills in action as he or she continues to become more independent.

Further Reading

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10 Planning Skills Every Child Should Learn | Life Skills Advocate

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We can all agree that learning to plan is an important life skill. But what should that involve? Check out the 10 planning skills every child should learn.

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New WWC Methodological Report on Using Bayesian Meta-Analysis to Explore the Components of Early Literacy Interventions

This WWC methodological report explores to what extent components of early literacy interventions can explain which interventions have positive effects on alphabetics outcomes. The components examined in this report have a limited role in explaining variation in intervention effects, but this report identified positive associations between intervention impacts on alphabetics outcomes and components related to using student assessment data to drive decisions and teaching social-emotional learning strategies. >> More info

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As an initiative of the U.S. Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences (IES), the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) was created in 2002 to be a central and trusted source of scientific evidence for what works in education.

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Autism and the double empathy problem: Implications for development and mental health

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Autism and the double empathy problem: Implications for development and mental health

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Double Empathy: Why Autistic People Are Often Misunderstood

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Autism affects how someone makes sense of the world around them. About 1–2% of people are autistic. You might have an autistic classmate or family member, or maybe you are autistic. Autistic people might communicate differently than people who are not autistic. This means that it can be difficult fo…

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Unmasking Autism: Discovering the New Faces of Neurodiversity

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Unmasking Autism: Discovering the New Faces of Neurodiversity [Price PhD, Devon] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Unmasking Autism: Discovering the New Faces of Neurodiversity

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Dr. Catherine Crowley developed the critical questions over the course of her clinical practice. The Early Intervention version of these questions are more specific to early intervention evaluations. She has found them to be the most effective and valid pieces of information needed by the evaluator in order to distinguish language difference from disorder, especially in culturally and linguistically diverse populations. In addition, this set of questions includes questions supported by research as being the one of the most accurate measures of language disorder (Restrepo, 1998).

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School-age Language Assessment Measures (SLAM) | LEADERSproject

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Dr. Catherine Crowley developed the critical questions over the course of her clinical practice. The Early Intervention version of these questions are more specific to early intervention evaluations. She has found them to be the most effective and valid pieces of information needed by the evaluator in order to distinguish language difference from disorder, especially in culturally and linguistically diverse populations.

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As many narratives could tell us (think of Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" as an extreme example), just because something "has always been done this way" does not mean it shouldn't be questioned. This month we'll turn that concept into thinking about standardized tests, too-long THE> determining factor in whether students do or do not receive speech and language interventions, particularly in the public school setting. Without inserting my POV too much into this topic, let's keep the Summer Study Series focus and take a look at the recent review article published in Language, Speech and Hearing Services in Schools, A Critical Analysis of Standardized Testing in Speech and Language Therapy (Nair, Farah & Cushing, 2023). The authors recount the history of speech and language intervention as dating back to the Middle Ages, with recognition of speech disabilities and efforts to remediate seen in cultures such as ancient India...

Continue Reading →

June has at this point busted out all over! I know I am wrapping up my school year work while many of you may have been lounging for a few weeks, I hope. For this month's entry in our Summer Study Series we are diving into the strong connection between narrative language and social learning. But speaking of Summer Studies related to narrative and social development, don't miss MindWing's Summer Course: Social Communication with SGM®: Social Emotional Learning, Language Processing, & Pragmatics-July 25 & 26, 2023! While from a few years back, this month's article presents terrific and easy to implement ideas for the PK-primary school level. Let's delve into " Using a narrative- and play-based activity to promote low-income preschoolers' oral language, emergent literacy, and social competence" from the Early Childhood Research Quarterly (Nicolopoulou, Cortina Ilgaz, Brockmeyer Cates & de Sá, 2015)...

Continue Reading →

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MindWing Concepts, Inc. Reading Comprehension

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MindWing Concepts (Story Grammar Marker) designs educational products relating to narrative and expository reading comprehension and writing, intervention.

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A guidebook for teens and adults with Williams Syndrome, Autism, ADHD, Intellectual Disabilities, and other human conditions that may present challenges in building healthy relationships.

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Story Champs enables your students to tell stories with pride, gain social confidence, and build literacy. Learn how we make learning fun and engaging here!

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"With the COVID crisis and all its fallout, kids are having to deal with some very big emotions. Our proven tools and techniques can be life-savers.

Teachers are overwhelmed trying to help kids. We give them a powerful resource as they try to perform and avoid burnout.

Administrators are slammed, too, supporting teachers and trying to manage a fluid, often chaotic situation. Kimochis can help turn down the heat."

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"With the COVID crisis and all its fallout, kids are having to deal with some very big emotions. Our proven tools and techniques can be life-savers. Teachers are overwhelmed trying to help kids. We give them a powerful resource as they try to perform and avoid burnout.

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Helping over 1 million educators, clinicians and families around the world. Strategies to teach essential life skills including social emotional learning and self-regulation across all environments.

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Bring social emotional learning into the classroom!
Digital version must be purchased separately-only on Apple Books and Google Play (not printable).

Thousands of schools, clinics, and homes have found the award-winning storybook, You Are a Social Detective! (Winner & Crooke, 2020), to be a practical, engaging addition to their libraries. While simply reading the storybook is educational, the social and emotional concepts are ripe for deeper teaching in whole-class and small-group settings. The You Are a Social Detective! Teaching Curriculum and Support Guide has been piloted and tested over years in large school districts. It's just the tool you need to bring important social emotional learning (SEL) into your classroom.
Each chapter is a lesson plan that includes:
Help your students become Social Detectives with this easy-to-use curriculum that fits into your current teaching day. Designed as a companion guide to teach the concepts explored in You Are a Social Detective! 2nd Edition more deeply, this curriculum provides 10 structured lesson plans and visual tools to support building students' social attention, social interpretation, and self-awareness. Discover practical strategies for teaching students to define social situations, make smart guesses, and uncover hidden social expectations. The concepts taught in these 10 lessons support the SEL areas of self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and problem solving for decision making.

Big picture context for each lesson

Lesson objectives

Key vocabulary to emphasize

Suggestions for how to introduce the lesson

Discussion prompts

Extension activity ideas with photo examples

Writing prompts to extend the learning

Watch a real-life example of how to teach Lesson #3: Clue Collector Club
Appendices include activity visuals (Thinksheets) for each lesson, a family letter template, a professional letter template, a literature resource guide, and writing prompts to expand teaching.

In this short 10-minute video, Ann, a 3rd grade teacher, provides a real-life classroom example of how to teach Lesson #3 in this easy-to-use curriculum. Watch Ann teach her students how Social Detectives use the situation (place + people + what's happening) to collect clues and create their own social magnifying glass.

Also included: Supplemental Visual Teaching Tools available online for curriculum purchasers. Each lesson has a short teaching PowerPoint to make your lessons come alive with visuals from the storybook and Turn & Talk activities. Also available are downloadable and printable Thinksheets from the curriculum. These online tools can be used to support large group, small group, or tele-education-and perfect for use on SMART Board, Google Classroom, or any other digital platform.
Award-winning Social Detective & Superflex Series
The multiple award-winning storybookYou Are a Social Detective! 2nd Edition is a companion to the new Teaching Curriculum & Support Guide. It teaches social learners the power of observation, reading context, and interpreting clues to figure out how to respond in ways that meet their social goals. After students have worked through You Are a Social Detective, they'll be ready to explore other books within our Superflex series.

Our award-winning Social Detective & Superflex series teaches social observation, social awareness, perspective taking, flexible thinking, and self-regulation. Click here to explore all our Social Detective & Superflex resources-why this social emotional learning series has sold more than 447,000 copies worldwide!

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You Are a Social Detective! Teaching Curriculum & Support Guide

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Bring social emotional learning into your classroom! Thousands of schools, clinics, and homes around the world have found the multiple award-winning storybook, You Are a Social Detective!, to be a practical, engaging addition to their libraries. The storybook alone is educational, but the social and emotional concepts within it are ripe for deeper teaching in whole-class and small-group settings.

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The concept of Social Stories™ was developed by Carol Gray in 1989 through her work as a teacher in Michigan. The stories are based on a social philosophy that recognises that communication is a two-way process and therefore the social impairment is a difficulty shared by both the individual with autism and the communicative partner ...

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A Therapist's Guide to Supporting Authentic, Autistic Social Communication

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A Therapist's Guide to Supporting Authentic, Autistic Social Communication

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We know by now that Autistic adults are the real experts on how Autistic people experience the world. In this episode, Autistic SLPs Rachel Dorsey and V Tisi take us deeper than we've ever gone into how we can understand and support authentic, Autistic social communication in any context. If you listen to this episode and want to keep learning, check out their newly released CE course Let's UNMASC: Understanding the Needs and Motivations of Autistic Social communication at learnplaythrive.com/unmasc

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a therapist's guide to supporting authentic

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autistic social communication with rachel dorsey and v tisi

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‎Two Sides of the Spectrum: A Therapist's Guide to Supporting Authentic, Autistic Social Communication with Rachel Dorsey and V Tisi on Apple Podcasts

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We know by now that Autistic adults are the real experts on how Autistic people experience the world. In this episode, Autistic SLPs Rachel Dorsey and V Tisi take us deeper than we've ever gone into how we can understand and support authentic, Autistic social communication in any context.

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Preschool Observation EB practices checklist

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Preschool Observation EB practices checklist

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Using animated videos for narrative and social intervention

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Using animated videos for narrative and social intervention

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Play Pause SGM Animations and Narratives for Social and Language Learning

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31 Best Wordless Videos to Teach Problem Solving - Speech Therapy Store

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Grab your students attention and have some fun using wordless videos to teach problem solving. You won’t believe what your students will…

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"One of the most remarkable books I've ever read. It's truly moving, eye-opening, incredibly vivid."-Jon Stewart, The Daily Show NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY NPR * The Wall Street Journal * Bloomberg Business * Bookish FINALIST FOR THE BOOKS FOR A BETTER LIFE FIRST BOOK AWARD * NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER The Reason I Jump . Written by Naoki Higashida, a very smart, very self-aware, and very charming thirteen-year-old boy with autism, it is a one-of-a-kind memoir that demonstrates how an autistic mind thinks, feels, perceives, and responds in ways few of us can imagine. Parents and family members who never thought they could get inside the head of their autistic loved one at last have a way to break through to the curious, subtle, and complex life within.The Reason I Jump allowed me to round a corner in our relationship." This translation was a labor of love by David and his wife, KA Yoshida, so they'd be able to share that feeling with friends, the wider autism community, and beyond. Naoki's book, in its beauty, truthfulness, and simplicity, is a gift to be shared.Praise for The Reason I Jump

You've never read a book like - Chicago Tribune

Using an alphabet grid to painstakingly construct words, sentences, and thoughts that he is unable to speak out loud, Naoki answers even the most delicate questions that people want to know. Questions such as: "Why do people with autism talk so loudly and weirdly?" "Why do you line up your toy cars and blocks?" "Why don't you make eye contact when you're talking?" and "What's the reason you jump?" (Naoki's answer: "When I'm jumping, it's as if my feelings are going upward to the sky.") With disarming honesty and a generous heart, Naoki shares his unique point of view on not only autism but life itself. His insights-into the mystery of words, the wonders of laughter, and the elusiveness of memory-are so startling, so strange, and so powerful that you will never look at the world the same way again.

In his introduction, bestselling novelist David Mitchell writes that Naoki's words allowed him to feel, for the first time, as if his own autistic child was explaining what was happening in his mind. "It is no exaggeration to say that

(Editor's Choice) -Whoopi Goldberg, People

"This is an intimate book, one that brings readers right into an autistic mind." The Reason I Jump is a Rosetta stone. . . . This book takes about ninety minutes to read, and it will stretch your vision of what it is to be human." -Andrew Solomon, The Times (U.K.)

"Amazing times a million." -The Boston Globe - Parade

"Extraordinary, moving, and jeweled with epiphanies."

"Small but profound . . . [Higashida's] startling, moving insights offer a rare look inside the autistic mind."

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The Reason I Jump: The Inner Voice of a Thirteen-Year-Old Boy with Autism

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The Reason I Jump: The Inner Voice of a Thirteen-Year-Old Boy with Autism [Higashida, Naoki, Yoshida, KA, Mitchell, David] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The Reason I Jump: The Inner Voice of a Thirteen-Year-Old Boy with Autism

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Animated shorts are entertaining for kids of all ages and also incorporate some (sneaky) language-based concepts. These wordless videos are great as a therapy material... "Even without any speech?" Of course!

Wordless videos provide opportunities for spontaneous commenting, problem solving, and emotional inferencing (just to name a few). Since we use them so frequently in therapy, we decided to compile a list of 12 of our personal favorites.

"But I want to know how I can apply them in speech therapy!" We've got you covered there too! Check out our post from back in February discussing specific ways to use wordless videos in speech therapy to target specific language concepts.

Best Wordless Videos for Speech Therapy
Bridge Snack Attack Catch It Head Up Sweet Cocoon Ormie the Pig Carrot Crazy For the Birds The Egyptian Pyramids Trouble in Paradise La Petite Cordonnier (The Small Shoemaker)
Comment below to tell us your favorite wordless video!

Looking for more resources?

Never run out of entertaining wordless videos and animated shorts!

Want to know our favorite materials for running smooth and effective intervention sessions?

1. Blue light glasses - a must for long days using screens

2. Notepads - for making allllll the to-do lists

3. Binders - for keeping data and notes organized

4. Pens and pencils - are you a pen or pencil person? I go back and forth!

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10+ Best Wordless Videos for Speech Therapy

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Wordless videos provide opportunities for spontaneous commenting, problem solving, and emotional inferencing (just to name a few). Since we use them so frequently in therapy, we decided to compile a list of 12 of our personal favorites. "But I want to know how I can apply them in speech therapy!"

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TTP #110: Pragmatic Language and Autism in Deaf Children w/ Dr. Aaron Shield - The Testing Psychologist

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Would you rather read the transcript? Click here. I was sitting in on an ADOS-2 a few months ago with a nonverbal little guy. He used a fair amount of sign language, which got me thinking: do the pragmatic communication problems associated with autism happen in nonverbal or deaf children? After a li…

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SUGAR Sampling Utterances and Grammatical Analysis Revised

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What's New?

Join us in Tennessee on September 13 & 14!

Austin Peay State University

Clarksville, TN

SALT Online Story Elicitation

SALT now offers an online application for eliciting stories from children in grades P, K, 1, 2, and 3.

Our animated character, Eric, will elicit stories in monolingual English, monolingual Spanish, and Spanish/English versions.
Learn More

About Us

Systematic Analysis of Language Transcripts (SALT) software standardizes the process of eliciting, transcribing, and analyzing language samples. It includes a transcription editor, standard reports, and reference databases for comparison with typical peers.

SALT Software, LLC is an intellectual property transfer company resulting from research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and is home to the Systematic Analysis of Language Transcripts (SALT) software. The sale of the software provides funding for collecting normative data, creating updated versions of the software, and developing training materials.

SALT Software is dedicated to improving the assessment of language acquisition and disorders through the use of language samples. We focus on developing easy-to-use software, collecting comparison data from typical speakers, and providing high-quality training materials.

Jon F. Miller

Co-Founder, Ph.D., CCC-SLP

Professor Emeritus, University of Wisconsin-Madison

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Exploring Feelings: Cognitive Behaviour Therapy to Manage Anxiety

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Exploring Feelings: Cognitive Behaviour Therapy to Manage Anxiety [Attwood, Tony] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Exploring Feelings: Cognitive Behaviour Therapy to Manage Anxiety

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PEERS | Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior

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The Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS®) is world-renowned for providing evidence-based social skills treatment to preschoolers, adolescents, and young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety, depression,…

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | RSS

Would you rather read the transcript? Click here.

Dr. Caroline Buzanko is here for part 2 of this mini-series on differentiating ADHD from ASD. If you didn't tune into part 1, I'd recommend that you check it out before diving into this one.
Cool Things Mentioned Featured Resource
I am honored to partner with PAR for 2021 to bring you featured items from their catalog! Listen to each episode for specific product recommendations and links. Learn more at www.parinc.com.
The Testing Psychologist podcast is approved for CEU's!
I've partnered with At Health to offer CE credits for podcast episodes! Visit this link to access current and past episodes available for CE credit. You can use code "TTP10" for a discount on ALL the course credits you purchase from At Health!

About Dr. Caroline Buzanko

Dr. Caroline Buzanko is a Psychologist. Mother. International Speaker. Yoda of anxiety. ADHD Superhero. And Changer of Lives. With over twenty years working with children, teens, and their families, her focus is on developing long-term success and maximizing their resilience. She also trains other mental health professionals and educators to optimize their effectiveness conducting psychological assessments and working with children and teens.
Get in touch:
Website: https://drcarolinebuzanko.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-caroline-buzanko/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrCarolineBuzanko/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.carolinebuzanko/
Overpowering Emotions Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/overpowering-emotions-podcast-helping-children-and/id1618828819

About Dr. Jeremy Sharp

I'm a licensed psychologist and Clinical Director at the Colorado Center for Assessment & Counseling, a private practice that I founded in 2009 and have grown to over 20 clinicians. I earned my undergraduate degree in Experimental Psychology from the University of South Carolina before getting my Master's and PhD in Counseling Psychology from Colorado State University. These days, I specialize in psychological and neuropsychological evaluation with kids and adolescents.

As the host of the Testing Psychologist Podcast, I provide private practice consulting for psychologists and other mental health professionals who want to start or grow psychological testing services in their practices. I live in Fort Collins, Colorado with my wife (also a therapist) and two young kids.
Ready to grow your testing services? Click below to schedule a complimentary 30-minute pre-consulting call!
Schedule Your Call

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348. Differentiating ADHD & ASD, Part 2 w/ Dr. Caroline Buzanko - The Testing Psychologist

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Dr. Caroline Buzanko is here for part 2 of this mini-series on differentiating ADHD from ASD.

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Spanish Speaking Families: Participate in Unstuck Research
Familias Hispanohablantes: Participar en un estudio de Unstuck
Click Here!

Curricula for both elementary and middle school aged students

Online implenter training modules

Free videos

Online parent training

Free supplemental materials (YouTube Channel and posters)

Unstuck is for children who struggle with executive functioning. Unstuck is a language mediated intervention, although it contains extensive visual supports which can be adapted for use with many different types of children.

Research shows that Unstuck helps children with autism or ADHD become more flexible problem solvers, with better abilities to follow directions, make transitions, and avoid meltdowns and negativity. It also helps reduce parent stress and creates calmer classrooms.

Further research needs to be done on a broader group of people with executive function challenges.

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The Unstuck intervention (curriculum) can be delivered by school based personnel and/or community based clinicians such as:

Teachers

Speech and language therapists

Counselors

Social workers

Psychologists

Occupational therapists

Paraeducators

Tutors

Parents can create an Unstuck home:

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Unstuck from Early Childhood through Early Adulthood

Ages 4-6

Ages 8-11

Ages 11-15

Ages 14-22

Curriculum
In Development

Curriculum and Online Training Coming Soon

Video: The importance of the Unstuck philosophy

In the video below, Julia Bascom speaks to the importance of the Unstuck philosophy: Understanding your strengths and things you need to work on so that you can seek accommodations and supports.

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This video is not an endorsement by ASAN of Unstuck. Video court esy of www.unstuckontarget.com

Implementers

Do you want to improve classroom management and build a common language of self regulation in your school? Are you working with a child who is stuck on an overwhelming feeling or situation? Do you have clients who are struggling to be flexible in social situations?

Families

Does your child struggle with changes in routine, working independently or overwhelming feelings?

"Unstuck has been a lifesaver for our family"

Here's what parents say they learned...

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Here's what kids say they learned...

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"Being able to have multiple plans because if I don't have multiple plans I get stuck. If I have multiple plans I can get a little of what I want, rather than not at all. In most situations that's better."

Here's what teachers say...

​

"This is exactly the type of intervention needed to support our academically higher but dysregulated kiddos with ASD and ADHD. I appreciate the structure the curriculum provides."

Here's what community providers say...

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Unstuck and On Target | Executive Function

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A research-based intervention for children with executive function difficulties that helps develop more flexible problem solving skills.

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Hazel Mitchell is the author and illustrator of Toby from Candlewick Press. She is also the illustrator of Imani's Moon (Charlesbridge), One Word Pearl (Charlesbridge), Animally (Kane Miller), Where Do Fairies Go When It Snows? (Down East) amongst others.

Before becoming a children's book creator Hazel served for several years in the British Royal Navy before working as a designer and commercial illustrator in England (her home country) and USA. She attended art college in Great Britain close to her birthplace of Scarborough, Yorkshire.

Now she lives in Maine and works from her home studio. She still misses fish, chips and mushy peas, but is learning to love lobster. She has two poodles, Toby and Lucy, plus a cat called Sleep.

Represented by Ginger Knowlton at Curtis Brown Ltd., NYC.

Website http://hazelmitchell.com

Latest Books:

Do Fairies Bring The Spring? (by Liza Gardener Walsh) Down East Publishing 2017

Toby written and illustrated by Hazel Mitchell, Candlewick Press 2016

Where do Fairies go in the Snow? (by Liza Gardener Walsh) Down East Publishing 2015

Kenya's Art (by Linda Trice) Charlesbridge 2015

Animally (by Lynn Sutton)Kane Miller Publishing 2015

Imani's Moon (by JaNay Brown-Wood) Charlesbridge Publishing 2014

One Word Pearl (by Nicole Groeneweg) Charlesbridge Publishing 2013

1,2,3 by the Sea (by Dianne Moritz) Kane Miller Publishing 2013

Double Crossed at Cactus Flats (by Rich Williams) ABDO 2013

Hidden New Jersey (by Linda Barth) Charlesbridge Publishing 2012

All Star Cheerleader Books 1-4 (by Anastasia Suen) Kane Miller 2012

How to Talk to an Autistic Kid (by Daniel Stefanski) Free Spirit 2011

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How to Talk to an Autistic Kid [Stefanski, Daniel] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. How to Talk to an Autistic Kid

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Camouflage: The Hidden Lives of Autistic Women

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Camouflage: The Hidden Lives of Autistic Women [Bargiela, Sarah, Standing, Sophie] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Camouflage: The Hidden Lives of Autistic Women

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This intimate memoir reveals the woman inside one of autism's most prominent figures, Jennifer O'Toole. At the age of 35, Jennifer was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, and for the first time in her life, things made sense. Now, she exposes the constant struggle between carefully crafted persona and authentic existence, editing the autism script with wit, candor, passion, and power. Her journey is one of reverse-self-discovery not only as an Aspie but - more importantly - as a thoroughly modern woman.

Beyond being a memoir, Autism in Heels is a love letter to all women. It's a conversation starter, a game-changer, and a firsthand account of what it is to walk in Jennifer's shoes (especially those iconic red stilettos).

Whether it's bad perms or body image, sexuality or self-esteem, Jennifer's journey is as much a human journey as one on the spectrum. Because autism looks a bit different in pink, most girls and women who fit the profile are not identified, facing years of avoidable anxiety, eating disorders, volatile relationships, self-harm, and stunted independence. Jennifer has been there, too. Autism in Heels takes that message mainstream.

From her own struggles and self-discovery, she has built an empire of empowerment, inspiring women the world over to realize they aren't mistakes. They are misunderstood miracles.

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Autism in Heels: The Untold Story of a Female Life on the Spectrum

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Amazon.com: Autism in Heels: The Untold Story of a Female Life on the Spectrum (Audible Audio Edition): Jennifer Cook O'Toole, Jennifer O'Toole, Dreamscape Media, LLC: Books

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www.5pointscale.com was developed to share information about the use of the 5-point scale and other systems to teach social and emotional concepts to children and adults who could use some extra…

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Online Parenting Program

Learn what you can do to help your child manage stress and anxiety. Developed by experts and evidence-based.

Based on the latest research

Strategies you can apply at home

Symptom Checker

24/7 access, private and self-paced

You become a cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) expert

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Online Parenting Program Learn what you can do to help your child manage stress and anxiety. Developed by experts and evidence-based. Based on the latest research Strategies you can apply at home Symptom Checker 24/7 access, private and self-paced You become a cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) expert

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Superflex… A Superhero Social Thinking Curriculum Package (two-book set)

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Kids around the world are having fun learning about their own super-strengths using the Superflex® Curriculum. Students learn how to become a flexible superhero through engaging and motivating activities. Often without realizing it, they develop flexible-thinking, perspective-taking, and self-regula…

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Teach Kids to Manage Big Feelings Through Effective Social Emotional Learning

Over 80% of U.S. public schools reported in 2022 on the negative impact of the pandemic on child well-being and self-regulation. Kids are:

Struggling to manage their feelings and mental health

More disruptive in the classroom

Needing additional social, emotional, and behavioral support

(source: National Center for Education Statistics)

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The Zones of Regulation is a complete social-emotional learning curriculum, created to teach children self-regulation and emotional control.

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CAPTAIN Vision Statement

Establish a statewide training and technical assistance network focused on promoting the acceptance, support and quality of life for individuals on the autism spectrum, that is inclusive of partner agencies who will work collaboratively so that individuals on the autism spectrum and their families can benefit from effective services, supports and resources.

CAPTAIN Mission Statement

1. Increase knowledge about autism and Evidence Based Practices (EBPs) through systematic dissemination of information that is culturally relevant and respectful of the varied perspectives of people on the autism spectrum.

2. Improve implementation of EBPs with fidelity in schools and community settings through high quality training, coaching, and systems level support.

3. Increase consistency of EBPs use across systems by convening multiagency and regionalized workgroups that will assist with autism EBP integration into local service delivery systems.

4. Create an equipped workforce by collaborating with higher education, preparation programs and early career mentoring programs so that professionals entering into their careers will understand how to effectively support individuals on the autism spectrum.

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CA Autism Professional Training and Information Network - CAPTAIN

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CAPTAIN California Autism Professional Training and Information Network

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Neurodiversity describes the idea that people experience and interact with the world around them in many different ways; there is no one "right" way of thinking, learning, and behaving, and differences are not viewed as deficits.

The word neurodiversity refers to the diversity of all people, but it is often used in the context of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), as well as other neurological or developmental conditions such as ADHD or learning disabilities. The neurodiversity movement emerged during the 1990s, aiming to increase acceptance and inclusion of all people while embracing neurological differences. Through online platforms, more and more autistic people were able to connect and form a self-advocacy movement. At the same time, Judy Singer, an Australian sociologist, coined the term neurodiversity to promote equality and inclusion of "neurological minorities." While it is primarily a social justice movement, neurodiversity research and education is increasingly important in how clinicians view and address certain disabilities and neurological conditions.

Words matter in neurodiversity

Neurodiversity advocates encourage inclusive, nonjudgmental language. While many disability advocacy organizations prefer person-first language ("a person with autism," "a person with Down syndrome"), some research has found that the majority of the autistic community prefers identity-first language ("an autistic person"). Therefore, rather than making assumptions, it is best to ask directly about a person's preferred language, and how they want to be addressed. Knowledge about neurodiversity and respectful language is also important for clinicians, so they can address the mental and physical health of people with neurodevelopmental differences.

Neurodiversity and autism spectrum disorder

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with differences in communication, learning, and behavior, though it can look different from person to person. People with ASD may have a wide range of strengths, abilities, needs, and challenges. For example, some autistic people are able to communicate verbally, have a normal or above average IQ, and live independently. Others might not be able to communicate their needs or feelings, may struggle with impairing and harmful behaviors that impact their safety and well-being, and may be dependent on support in all areas of their life. Additionally, for some people with autism, differences may not cause any suffering to the person themself. Instead, the suffering may result from the barriers imposed by societal norms, causing social exclusion and inequity.

Medical evaluation and treatment is important for individuals with ASD. For example, establishing a formal diagnosis may enable access to social and medical services if needed. A diagnostic explanation may help the individual or their family understand their differences better and enable community connections. Additionally, neurodevelopmental conditions may also be associated with other health issues that require extra monitoring or treatment. It is important that people who need and desire behavioral supports or interventions to promote communication, social, academic, and daily living skills have access to those services in order to maximize their quality of life and developmental potential. However, approaches to interventions cannot be one-size-fits-all, as all individuals will have different goals, desires, and needs.

Fostering neurodiversity in the workplace

Stigma, a lack of awareness, and lack of appropriate infrastructure (such as office setup or staffing structures) can cause exclusion of people with neurodevelopmental differences. Understanding and embracing neurodiversity in communities, schools, healthcare settings, and workplaces can improve inclusivity for all people. It is important for all of us to foster an environment that is conducive to neurodiversity, and to recognize and emphasize each person's individual strengths and talents while also providing support for their differences and needs.

How can employers make their workplaces more neurodiversity-friendly?

Offer small adjustments to an employee's workspace to accommodate any sensory needs, such as

Sound sensitivity: Offer a quiet break space, communicate expected loud noises (like fire drills), offer noise-cancelling headphones.

Tactile: Allow modifications to the usual work uniform.

Movements: Allow the use of fidget toys, allow extra movement breaks, offer flexible seating.

Use a clear communication style:

Avoid sarcasm, euphemisms, and implied messages.

Provide concise verbal and written instructions for tasks, and break tasks down into small steps.

Inform people about workplace/social etiquette, and don't assume someone is deliberately breaking the rules or being rude.

Try to give advance notice if plans are changing, and provide a reason for the change.

Don't make assumptions - ask a person's individual preferences, needs, and goals.

Be kind, be patient.

Resources to learn more about neurodiversity

Neurodiversity in the Workplace

About the Authors

Nicole Baumer, MD, MEd, Contributor

Julia Frueh, MD, Guest Contributor

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What is neurodiversity? - Harvard Health

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The term neurodiversity conveys the idea that there is no single right way of thinking, learning, or behaving, and is often used in the context of autism spectrum disorder. A growing self-advocacy movement aims to increase acceptance and inclusion of all people while embracing neurological differences.

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Save Your Spot in the March Social Skills
Pilot Program

Unlock 8 weeks of free access to activities, video lessons, and games for your entire school or district.

30,000+ Educators trust Everyday Speech

Teaching Social Skills and Social-Emotional Learning Made Easy

With a team full of educators and SLPs, Everyday Speech has created two distinct social skills and social-emotional learning applications to help solve your most pressing issues:
1. Lack of time, resources + support, and 2. Positively affecting student outcomes.

Social Communication Curriculum

A deep dive into social skills with thousands of video-modeling lessons, digital and printable activities, and web based games.

Designed to save you hours of time and accelerate social learning as never before.

Social-Emotional Learning

An SEL solution for the entire school, lessons and activities designed specifically by grade level to increase student engagement. Available for Pre-K to Grade 12!

Try our 40-week digital curriculum to support all students' social-emotional needs and see your school climate soar.

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Full social skills and SEL curricula designed for you and your classroom. With 2 curricula to choose from, the Everyday Speech platform supports you with teacher prep, video modeling lessons and interactive activities for all students as Tier 1, 2, or 3 instruction.

It's everything you need for social skills and social-emotional learning, organized into no-prep, weekly lessons.

Thoughtful Video Modeling

No more cobbled together YouTube videos. Age relatable actors, realistic situations, with thought bubbles to teach perspective.

Interactive Learning Games

Engage your students with short impactful interactive games that help them practice newly learned skills.

Digital & Printable Worksheets

Your lesson plans are covered! With over 500+ worksheets and activities in both digital and printable formats, you can focus on teaching not searching.

All in one place, to save you time

No-prep

Both SCC and SEL lessons are curated for you to be able to log in and press play. It's that easy.

Trauma-Informed

Our materials are written through the lens of treating trauma which can better serve students' mental health.

Best-in-class Materials

Captivate your learners with modern and engaging video lessons, web-based games, and both digital and printable activities.

Quick pre & post assessments

Pre and post assessments make it incredibly easy for you to gauge where your learners are and monitor progress easily.

Watch a Snippet Video Modelling Lesson

Empower Every Unique Learner with Self-Advocacy

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Better doesn't have to be harder!

Social Skills Lessons Students Actually Enjoy!

Be the best educator you can be with no extra prep time needed. Sign up to get access to free samples from the best Social Skills and Social-Emotional educational platform.

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Select a social skills curriculum that is right for you

No prep social skills materials designed to save you hours of time and accelerate social learning

Step-by-Step Curriculum:

Hundreds of instant video modeling lessons, games, and worksheets ready to go. Find what's perfect for your learners across skills and abilities.

Social-emotional learning

A fully structured week-by-week curriculum designed for an entire class, school, or district

Step-by-Step Curriculum:

40 week, CASEL-Aligned curriculum means no-prep SEL lessons comprised of videos, games, and worksheets!

Social Communication Curriculum & SEL Curriculumn intended for an entire district to cover all students

Step-by-Step Curriculum:

Access to both the 40 week no-prep SEL lessons and entire Social Communication library of video-modeling lessons, games, and activities.

Over 25,000 educators, 2,500 school districts, and 1,600 organizations across the globe use Everyday Speech

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Social skills and Social-Emotional Learning Platform

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Teach social skills and social-emotional learning. Thousands of activities, 700+ videos and interactive games. Try free for 30 days.

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Supporting Students with Working Memory Difficulties

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Supporting Students with Working Memory Difficulties

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Find current research at The Informed SLP

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Find current research at The Informed SLP

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We know it's best practice to use a specific study protocol and a standardized approach for analyzing and reporting VFSS results (see here and here). It provides guidelines to ensure we're doing the same thing each time we conduct a swallow study (also called a modified barium swallow study) and holds us to a higher standard in our analysis and report writing. This benefits everyone: the patient, the physician reading our reports, and us getting our patients to the next level of care.

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The Informed SLP: Helping Speech-Language Pathologists

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We help speech-language pathologists with evidence-based practices (EBP). Read/listen to our SLP research reviews. Earn ASHA CEUs fast.

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Would you rather read the transcript? Click here.

"I'm not failing as a human, I'm thriving as an autistic human."

Dr. Wendy Marsh is here to chat with me about neurodivergent couples. Wendy has the lived experience of being married to an autistic man for nearly 30 years, along with the professional experience of working with autistic kids and adults for most of her career. Here are just a few things that we talk about:

Myths about autistic individuals and relationships

Autistic qualities that work really well in relationships

Sexual functioning in neurodivergent relationships

Similarities and differences with neurotypical couples

Cool Things Mentioned Featured Resource
I am honored to partner with PAR to bring you featured items from their catalog! Listen to each episode for specific product recommendations and links. Learn more at www.parinc.com.
The Testing Psychologist podcast is approved for CEU's!
I've partnered with At Health to offer CE credits for podcast episodes! Visit this link to access current and past episodes available for CE credit. You can use code "TTP10" for a discount on ALL the course credits you purchase from At Health!

About Dr. Wendy Marsh

Wendela Marsh is an award-winning author and speaker on autism spectrum disorders, and she provides autism assessment for adults in her private practice. Her latest book, Recognizing Autism in Women and Girls is available now and she's already at work on her next one, Love on the Autism Spectrum: Neurodivergent Couples Communication.
Get in touch:
About Dr. Jeremy Sharp

I'm a licensed psychologist and Clinical Director at the Colorado Center for Assessment & Counseling, a private practice that I founded in 2009 and grew to include nine licensed clinicians, three clinicians in training, and a full administrative staff. I earned my undergraduate degree in Experimental Psychology from the University of South Carolina before getting my Master's and PhD in Counseling Psychology from Colorado State University. These days, I specialize in psychological and neuropsychological evaluation with kids and adolescents.

As the host of the Testing Psychologist Podcast, I provide private practice consulting for psychologists and other mental health professionals who want to start or grow psychological testing services in their practices. I live in Fort Collins, Colorado with my wife (also a therapist) and two young kids.
Ready to grow your testing services? Click below to schedule a complimentary 30-minute pre-consulting call!
Schedule Your Call

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303. Neurodivergent Couples w/ Dr. Wendy Marsh - The Testing Psychologist

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Dr. Wendy Marsh is here to chat with me about neurodivergent couples.

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Learn how to apply the PEDro-P rating scale to treatment research in speech pathology. This interactive training program will give you a step by step guide on how to rate the methodological quality of randomised and non-randomised controlled trials

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Learn how to apply the PEDro-P rating scale to treatment research in speech pathology. This interactive training program will give you a step by step guide on how to rate the methodological quality of randomised and non-randomised controlled trials

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The UC Davis MIND Institute Autism Center of Excellence (ACE) is one of five Centers awarded by the National Institutes of Health in 2017. This ACE, called the Center for the Development of Phenotype-Based Treatments of Autism Spectrum Disorder, aims to discover effective treatments for subgroups of children with autism. The Center starts from the premise that one treatment will not fit all children with autism. If clinically meaningful subgroups can be identified on the basis of behavioral, biological or genetic features, treatments targeted to the characteristics of the subgroup will undoubtedly be more effective. The MIND ACE is an extension of the Autism Phenome Project (APP) which, for over 10 years, has worked to define different types of autism.

The initial goals of the ACE are:

1) To test two types of treatments for anxiety in children (8-12-years old) who have a clinically significant anxiety disorder in addition to autism (Project 1);

2) To determine why children with very enlarged brains and autism have poorer outcomes than children who have more typically-sized brains (Projects 2 and 3).

The long-term goal of these projects is to develop more effective treatments for this group of children who are currently not benefitting optimally from available therapies.

During the course of ACE operations, investigators will continue to define other autism subtypes and explore targeted treatments for these.

The overall structure of the MIND ACE is:

This research is supported by an Autism Center of Excellence grant awarded by the National Institute of Child Health and Development (NICHD) (P50 HD093079).

The Autism Center of Excellence embraces the concept of neurodiversity and welcomes autistic individuals as collaborators, students and staff members.

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UC Davis MIND Institute Autism Center of Excellence (ACE)

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Center for the Development of Phenotype-Based Treatments of Autism Spectrum Disorder, aims to discover effective treatments for subgroups of children with asd.

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Find current research and client perspectives on ASHA's evidence maps

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Find current research and client perspectives on ASHA's evidence maps

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Welcome to the Evidence Maps, the latest evidence at your fingertips.

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AFIRM Modules are designed to help you learn the step-by-step process of planning for, using, and monitoring an evidence-based practice (EBP) with learners on the spectrum from birth to 22 years of age. Supplemental materials and handouts are available for download.

Download an overview of the Components of AFIRM to learn about modules, resources, and professional development options.

Visit the Learn with AFIRM section to find out more.

To learn more about the updated EBPs, check out the National Clearinghouse on Autism Evidence and Practice website.

Introduction to Autism

Selecting an Evidence-Based Practice

AFIRM for Paraprofessionals: Simulated E-Learning

These simulated learning modules include brief overviews, video examples, and activity-based scenarios to learn foundational EBPs.

Reinforcement: Introduction & Practice

Prompting: Introduction & Practice

Supporting Peer Interactions: Introduction & Practice

Time Delay: Introduction & Practice

Visual Cues: Introduction & Practice

AFIRM for Toddlers

AFIRM for Toddlers are a set a of modules developed in collaboration with the Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center for early interventionists working with toddlers, families, and early care providers.

AFIRM for Toddlers Introduction

Behavior Supports for Toddlers

Naturalistic Interventions in the Child Care Setting

Parent-Implemented Interventions in the Home Setting

Reinforcement

Prompting

Visual Supports

Available Evidence-Based Practice Modules

The National Clearinghouse on Autism Evidence and Practice (NCAEP) identified 28 EBPs based upon a systematic review. The EBP modules are designed to help you learn the step-by-step process for planning for, using, and monitoring an EBP with learners with autism from birth to 22 years of age.

Augmentative & Alternative Communication

Antecedent-Based Interventions

Ayres Sensory Integration®

Behavioral Momentum Intervention

Cognitive Behavioral Intervention

Direct Instruction

Differential Reinforcement

Discrete Trial Training

Exercise

Extinction

Functional Behavioral Assessment

Functional Communication Training

Modeling

Music-Mediated Intervention

Naturalistic Intervention

Peer-Mediated Instruction & Intervention

Parent-Implemented Intervention

Prompting

Reinforcement

Response Interruption/ Redirection

Self-Management

Social Narratives

Social Skills Training

Task Analysis

Technology-Aided Instruction & Intervention

Time Delay

Video Modeling

Visual Supports

Available Supplemental Modules

Several EBPs identified in the previous review (Wong et al., 2014) were recategorized or reclassified in the most recent review by the National Clearinghouse on Autism Evidence & Practice (see Steinbrenner et al., 2020, p. 30 for details). The four modules below will remain available for AFIRM users as supplemental materials:

Picture Exchange Communication System

Pivotal Response Training

Scripting

Structured Play Groups

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AFIRM Modules AFIRM Modules are designed to help you learn the step-by-step process of planning for, using, and monitoring an evidence-based practice (EBP) with learners on the spectrum from birth to 22 years of age. Supplemental materials and handouts are available for download.

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Neurodiversity-Affirming Support for Autistic Students in the Special Education Context (PD102562)Presenter(s): Laura DeThorne, PhD, CCC-SLP

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Neurodiversity-Affirming Support for Autistic Students in the Special Education Context (PD102562)Presenter(s): Laura DeThorne, PhD, CCC-SLP

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The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) is the national professional, scientific, and credentialing association for members and affiliates who are audiologists, speech-language pathologists, speech, language, and hearing scientists, audiology and speech-language pathology support personnel, and students.

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If you haven't heard of Catherine (Cathy) Lord, you've most likely used one of her instruments in your assessments. She's been researching and developing assessment methods for autism spectrum disorder for about 40 years, and she is co-author of both the ADI-R and the ADOS (and ADOS-2) - two "gold standard" tools for assessing ASD symptoms. I talked with Cathy today about her ongoing research, upcoming clinical tools, and thoughts about the state of ASD assessment.

Here are some things we talked about:

Ongoing efforts to shorten and digitize the ADI-R

Differences in assessment of ASD between boys and girls

Ways to adapt the ADOS for females

The "ideal" battery for ASD assessment

The concept of "outgrowing" autism

Cool Things Mentioned in This Episode Podcast Sponsor
I'm so grateful to have Practice Solutions, a full service billing company for mental health practitioners, on board for sponsoring this month's podcasts. Jeremy & Kathryn Zug are a husband-wife team ready to help you with all things billing - claim submission, billing statements, payment collecting, and verification of benefits & coverage. Get a 20% discount on your billing services when you mentioned the Testing Psychologist podcast!

About Dr. Cathy Lord

Catherine Lord, Ph.D. is a licensed clinical psychologist with specialties in diagnosis, social and communication development and intervention in autism spectrum disorders (ASD). She is renowned for her work in longitudinal studies of children with autism as well as for her role in developing the autism diagnostic instruments used in both practice and in research worldwide today. She has also been involved in the development of standardized diagnostic instruments for ASD with colleagues from the United Kingdom and the United States (the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) an observational scale; and the Autism Diagnostic Interview - Revised (ADI-R) a parent interview), now considered the gold standard for research diagnoses all over the world.

Dr. Lord completed degrees in psychology at UCLA and Harvard, and a clinical internship at Division TEACCH at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

About Dr. Jeremy Sharp

I'm a licensed psychologist and Clinical Director at the Colorado Center for Assessment & Counseling, a private practice that I founded in 2009 and grew to include seven licensed clinicians, three clinicians in training, and a full administrative staff. I earned my undergraduate degree in Experimental Psychology from the University of South Carolina before getting my Master's and PhD in Counseling Psychology from Colorado State University. These days, I specialize in psychological and neuropsychological evaluation with kids and adolescents.

As the host of the Testing Psychologist Podcast, I provide private practice consulting for psychologists and other mental health professionals who want to start or grow psychological testing services in their practices. I live in Fort Collins, Colorado with my wife (also a therapist) and two young kids.
Ready to grow your testing services? Click below to schedule a complimentary 30-minute pre-consulting call!
Schedule Your Call

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TTP #39: Dr. Cathy Lord - All About Autism Spectrum Assessment - The Testing Psychologist

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If you haven't heard of Catherine (Cathy) Lord, you've most likely used one of her instruments in your assessments. She's been researching and developing assessment methods for autism spectrum disorder for about 40 years, and she is co-author of both the ADI-R and the ADOS (and ADOS-2) - two "gold standard" tools for assessing ASD symptoms. I talked with Cathy ...

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The Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire ( CAT-Q) is a self-report measure of social camouflaging behaviours in adults. It may be used to identify autistic individuals who do not currently meet diagnostic criteria due to their ability to mask their autistic proclivities.

Take the test here:

Who the test is designed for

Adults (age 16+) of average to higher intelligence.

What it tests

The CAT-Q measures the degree to which you use camouflaging strategies. The more you camouflage, the more of your autistic proclivities you are likely able to suppress. As such, a high camouflaging score can also account for lower scores on other autism tests. So if you don't currently meet the diagnostic criteria but you still think you have autistic traits, then this could be why.

The CAT-Q measures camouflaging in general, as well as three subcategories:

Compensation - Strategies used to actively compensate for difficulties in social situations.
Examples: copying body language and facial expressions, learning social cues from movies and books (see Autism & movie talk).

Masking - Strategies used to hide autistic characteristics or portray a non-autistic persona.
Examples: adjusting face and body to appear confident and/or relaxed, forcing eye contact.

Assimilation - Strategies used to try to fit in with others in social situations.
Examples: Putting on an act, avoiding or forcing interactions with others.

Taking the test

The CAT-Q consists of 25 statements, giving you 7 choices for each statement:

1. Strongly Disagree

2. Disagree

3. Somewhat Disagree

4. Neither Agree Nor Disagree

5. Somewhat Agree

6. Agree

7. Strongly Agree

The 25 statements relate to 3 subcategories of camouflaging:

Scoring range: 25-175

Threshold score: 100↑

All items are scored 1-7, with higher scores reflecting greater camouflaging.

We added auto-scoring for the CAT-Q, but should you want or need to self-score, we will explain how to do that in the Self-scoring section. To see how autistic people and neurotypicals score on the CAT-Q, go to the Average scores section. For more information on how to interpret your scores, read the post below.

How reliable, accurate, valid, and up to date is the test?

Research shows robust psychometric support for the CAT-Q.

High internal consistency was found for the total scale (Cronbach's α = 0.94), and the Compensation (α = 0.91), Masking (α = 0.85), and Assimilation (α = 0.92) factors.

Test-retest reliability was good; 30 autistic individuals retook the test 3 months later, and no significant differences were found between scores at both times.

The stability was good for the total scale and the Compensation factor, while moderate stability was found for the Masking and Assimilation factors.

Discussion

Dr. Natalie Engelbrecht:

I like that the CAT-Q addresses some of the problems with the outdated definitions of autism in the research literature. It can also identify a person with autism who might score below the threshold of other autism tests due to Masking.

I scored 143, which is significantly higher than most autistic females ( 124), and autistics in general. That is not a surprise as I have always camouflaged so much that therapists never diagnosed me with autism until age 47. In other words, we can say that my impression management-behaviours that occur in front of others-is excellent.

My Compensation (strategies used to compensate for difficulties in social situations) score of 49 is higher than the 42 average of autistic females. My Masking (strategies used to hide autistic characteristics or pretend to be a non-autistic persona) score is 52 compared to the average 38 of autistic females. And in terms of Assimilation (strategies to fit in with others in social situations), I score 45, which is average for autistic females.

Kendall:

The choices 'Strongly Agree' and 'Strongly Disagree' were an unnecessary complication for me. I often wasn't sure whether to answer strongly, feeling that agreeing or disagreeing was enough. Do I feel strongly? I don't know. Compared to what or who?

Several questions are duplicated with one word slightly changed-they seem to be asking the same thing. I found this puzzling and distracting.

Surprisingly, the test results show I camouflage more than I realize:

Martin:

I noted some very similar statements, such as #9 (I always think about the impression I make on other people) and #18 (I am always aware of the impression I make on other people). This kind of repetition can be particularly helpful for alexithymic people like me who have challenges accessing their emotions at times. By asking something in different ways, I might be urged to explore my feelings more and reflect on my behavior. But also, how you respond to each variation or related concept can reveal new things, and add nuance to your understanding of yourself.

However, I wonder if people would meaningfully differentiate between #9 and #18 when doing the test. And if not, does adding a substantially different statement relating to masking not result in a better metric to quantify masking?

I also wonder why Compensation consists of 9 items, while the other two categories consist of 8 items. Does this not result in skewed subscales? Either way, intuitively my scores seem to reflect my social behavior; and having done the test twice, my results are pretty consistent.

The self-scoring process is daunting though, especially if you have dyscalculia. I kept having a discrepancy between my total scores ( 118 and 128) and adding up the subscale scores ( 121 and 125), so clearly I kept miscounting somewhere. But we implemented an auto-scoring script to the test below, so no one needs to struggle any longer to do the CAT-Q.

Please read each statement below and choose the answer that best fits your experiences during social interactions.

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The Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire (CAT-Q)

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The CAT-Q is a self-report measure of social camouflaging behaviors in adults, used to identify camouflaging behaviors in autistic people.

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How we feel: A journal app for tracking feelings 

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How we feel: A journal app for tracking feelings 

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The How We Feel Project is a non-profit working to help everyone better understand their own emotions.

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Anna Vagin's website with free resources and information on using wordless videos in therapy

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Anna Vagin's website with free resources and information on using wordless videos in therapy

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My Dad taught me the power of bit by bit. Having had polio as a young boy, he always seemed to find a workaround for any physical challenge. He often said that when we did things "потихонько" - broke tasks down into attainable steps, problem solved creatively, stayed calm and went "bit by bit" (my rough translation,) we could do anything. Every day I learned about flexibility, patience, and kindness from him, and he continues to influence my work daily.

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Anna Vagin provides services to children and adults with social learning challenges. An engaging speaker, her books and therapy materials are innovative and effective.

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A Case Study: Unique Challenges of an Adolescent Female With Autism Spectrum Disorder

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A Case Study: Unique Challenges of an Adolescent Female With Autism Spectrum Disorder

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CUBED: narrative assessment and progress monitoring

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CUBED: narrative assessment and progress monitoring

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“People are so afraid of variety that they try to fit everything into a tiny little box with a specific label,” says 16-year-old Rosie King, who is bold, brash and autistic. She wants to know: Why is everyone so worried about being normal? She sounds a clarion call for every kid, parent, teacher and person to celebrate uniqueness. It’s a soaring testament to the potential of human diversity.

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Dr. Celine Saulnier has been involved with cutting-edge autism research for over 20 years, with some of the biggest names in the field. She has now transitioned to private practice and consults with groups all over the country about autism and assessment. I should also mention that she's a co-author for the Vineland! Here are just a few things we talk about today...

Early identification of autism during infancy

The role of genetics in autism diagnosis

Gender differences in autism

Celine's ideal battery for autism assessment

Cool Things Mentioned in This Episode

About Dr. Celine Saulnier

Celine Saulnier, Ph.D., obtained her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the University of Connecticut, after which she completed a postdoctoral fellowship and then joined the faculty at the Yale Child Study. At Yale, Dr. Saulnier conducted over one thousand diagnostic evaluations for both clinical and research purposes and studied adaptive behavior profiles in individuals with ASD. In 2011, she relocated to the Marcus Autism Center & Emory University School of Medicine to help develop and direct a large-scale clinical research program. In June 2018, she left Marcus to open her own diagnostic clinic and consulting company, Neurodevelopmental Assessment & Consulting Services, and she remains an Adjunct Associate Professor at Emory. Dr. Saulnier has written two books, Essentials of Autism Spectrum Disorders Evaluation and Assessment and Essentials of Adaptive Behavior Assessment of Neurodevelopmental Disorders, and is co-author of the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, Third Edition.

About Dr. Jeremy Sharp

I'm a licensed psychologist and Clinical Director at the Colorado Center for Assessment & Counseling, a private practice that I founded in 2009 and grew to include nine licensed clinicians, three clinicians in training, and a full administrative staff. I earned my undergraduate degree in Experimental Psychology from the University of South Carolina before getting my Master's and PhD in Counseling Psychology from Colorado State University. These days, I specialize in psychological and neuropsychological evaluation with kids and adolescents.

As the host of the Testing Psychologist Podcast, I provide private practice consulting for psychologists and other mental health professionals who want to start or grow psychological testing services in their practices. I live in Fort Collins, Colorado with my wife (also a therapist) and two young kids.
Ready to grow your testing services? Click below to schedule a complimentary 30-minute pre-consulting call!
Schedule Your Call

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TTP #73: Dr. Celine Saulnier - Research-Informed Autism Assessment - The Testing Psychologist

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Dr. Celine Saulnier has been involved with cutting-edge autism research for over 20 years, with some of the biggest names in the field. She has now transitioned to private practice and consults with groups all over the country about autism and assessment. I should also mention that she's a co-author for the Vineland!

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Social Communication and structural language in girls with Autism

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Social Communication and structural language in girls with Autism

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A Strengths-Based Approach to Autism Interventions with Dr. Kristie Patten

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A Strengths-Based Approach to Autism Interventions with Dr. Kristie Patten

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Kristie Patten is the chair of the Department of Occupational Therapy at New York University whose cutting-edge work focuses on using strength-based approaches in autism. Join us in this episode as we delve into:

- How most OTs wound up using a deficits-based model with autistic kids and why this is not serving our clients well

- Why we should move away from withholding kids' interests from them. We'll also talk about how first-then schedules and even limiting screen time may fall into this category

- How we can support autistic clients to build from their strengths to support their joy and participation in life, leisure, and work

- What we should be doing instead of social skills groups

- Why it's really easy to be a bad therapist and really hard to be a good one (plus some concrete steps to take to help get us there!)

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a strengths-based approach to autism interventions with dr. kristie patten

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‎Two Sides of the Spectrum: A Strengths-Based Approach to Autism Interventions with Dr. Kristie Patten on Apple Podcasts

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Kristie Patten is the chair of the Department of Occupational Therapy at New York University whose cutting-edge work focuses on using strength-based approaches in autism. Join us in this episode as we delve into: - How most OTs wound up using a deficits-based model with autistic kids and why this i...

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Girls Growing Up on the Autism Spectrum: What Parents and Professionals Should Know About the Pre-Teen and Teenage Years

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Girls Growing Up on the Autism Spectrum: What Parents and Professionals Should Know About the Pre-Teen and Teenage Years [Nichols, Shana] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Girls Growing Up on the Autism Spectrum: What Parents and Professionals Should Know About the Pre-Teen and Te…