9. Relationship Based Boundaries in a Child-Led Approach
Let Them Lead: The Child-Led Autism Podcast
Release Date: 05/20/2025
33. The First 3 Communication Functions I Support With Autistic Students
Let Them Lead: The Child-Led Autism Podcast
In this episode, Nicole Casey discusses the challenges faced by speech-language pathologists (SLPs) when supporting autistic students, particularly the difficulty of starting communication support without knowing the child well. She emphasizes the importance of a structured approach to identify key communication functions, such as asking for help, protesting, and directing actions. Nicole advocates for a child-led approach that empowers students to communicate authentically and autonomously, moving beyond traditional methods that may hinder their development. The conversation highlights the...
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32. Helping the Helpers: What Teams Really Need to Support Autistic Kids Well
Let Them Lead: The Child-Led Autism Podcast
In this episode, Nicole Casey emphasizes the critical importance of collaboration among professionals supporting autistic students. She discusses the need for empathy, trust, and understanding within teams, particularly focusing on the roles of paraprofessionals and support staff. Nicole shares practical strategies for building relationships, advocating for change, and fostering a supportive environment that prioritizes the well-being of both students and staff. The conversation highlights the systemic challenges faced by educators and the necessity of a team-centered approach to effectively...
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31. Eye contact, Quiet Hands, and Calm Body – The Trifecta of Harm
Let Them Lead: The Child-Led Autism Podcast
In this conversation, Nicole Casey challenges traditional notions of attention and connection in learning, particularly for autistic students. She emphasizes the importance of accommodating diverse sensory needs and creating an engaging learning environment that allows students to feel regulated and at ease, thus enhancing their ability to learn and engage. Takeaways We need to rethink how we understand connection and attention. Attention doesn't mean sitting still; it can look different. Accommodating a child's sensory system is crucial for learning. Creating an engaging environment helps...
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30. Building Yes Spaces So Autistic Kids Can Truly Lead
Let Them Lead: The Child-Led Autism Podcast
In this episode of Let Them Lead, Nicole Casey discusses the concept of "yes spaces" in therapy and educational settings, emphasizing their importance for both autistic students and educators. She explains how creating environments where children can explore safely without constant redirection fosters authentic communication and co-regulation. Nicole shares practical tips for setting up yes spaces, highlighting the balance between freedom and safety, and the benefits for both students and educators. Takeaways: Creating yes spaces allows children to explore safely. Yes spaces reduce the need...
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29. It Wasn’t the Child: How a Broken System Led to My Concussion
Let Them Lead: The Child-Led Autism Podcast
In this episode, Nicole Casey discusses the challenges and emotional impact of working with autistic children, focusing on incidents where educators face physical injuries. She shares personal experiences, emphasizing the need for systemic change and proactive support to prevent such situations. Nicole advocates for understanding over blame and highlights the importance of co-regulation and emotional safety. Takeaways We need to talk about the hard things to move forward. Injuries at work are not the child's fault. Systemic issues contribute to workplace injuries. Co-regulation is key to...
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27. It's Not Chaos: How to Explain Child-Led Therapy to Skeptical Parents and Teams
Let Them Lead: The Child-Led Autism Podcast
In this episode, Nicole Casey discusses how to handle situations where one's approach in therapy is questioned or judged. She emphasizes the importance of understanding the root of such questions, often stemming from fear, and advocates for a collaborative and curiosity-driven response rather than defensiveness. The conversation also touches on setting boundaries with colleagues and the challenges of implementing child-led therapy, highlighting the need for clear communication and shared goals. Takeaways When feeling questioned, it's important to pause and reflect. Defensiveness can hinder...
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26. The Ripple Effect of Better Goals: How to Write What Truly Reflects Progress (+ Join the Free Workshop)
Let Them Lead: The Child-Led Autism Podcast
In this episode, Nicole Casey discusses the challenges of writing meaningful goals in therapy, particularly for autistic students. She emphasizes the importance of aligning goals with therapeutic approaches and using dynamic assessments and rubric-based documentation to capture authentic progress. Nicole provides strategies for confidently defending these methods in conversations with administrators and highlights the need for a shift in how progress is measured to better support students' communication development. Takeaways Conversations about student goals can be challenging. Goals often...
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25. Can They Just Be Kids? The Datafication of Autistic Childhood
Let Them Lead: The Child-Led Autism Podcast
Join the FREE Rubric Reset Workshop, live on November 12: Grab your free ticket here >> In this episode, Nicole Casey discusses the unique challenges faced by autistic children in relation to their childhood experiences. She emphasizes the importance of understanding the balance between therapy and allowing children to simply be kids. The conversation highlights the need for unstructured time, the impact of excessive therapy, and the significance of quality over quantity in therapeutic approaches. Nicole encourages parents and professionals to prioritize the...
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24. The Real Reason Goal Writing Sucks (and What to Do About It)
Let Them Lead: The Child-Led Autism Podcast
Join the FREE Rubric Reset Workshop, live on November 12: Grab your free ticket here >> In this episode, Nicole Casey discusses the challenges of writing effective goals for autistic students, emphasizing the limitations of traditional goal writing systems. She introduces rubrics as a solution to create individualized, meaningful, and measurable goals that reflect the child's needs. The conversation highlights the importance of moving away from compliance-based goals and focusing on authentic progress. Nicole also invites listeners to join her free Rubric Reset...
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23. The Worst Goals for Autistic Students (As Told By Autistic Adults)
Let Them Lead: The Child-Led Autism Podcast
In this conversation, Nicole Casey explores the discomfort surrounding the topic of therapy goals for autistic children, emphasizing the importance of listening to autistic voices. She discusses the harmful nature of compliance-based goals, such as suppressing stimming and forcing eye contact, and advocates for a shift towards neuroaffirming, child-led therapy that prioritizes the child's needs and experiences. The conversation highlights the need for collaboration among therapy teams and the importance of empowering autistic individuals to advocate for themselves. Takeaways: ...
info_outlineIn this episode, Nicole Casey discusses the importance of establishing boundaries within child-led therapy. She explains how locking the toy closet in her clinic serves as a safety measure rather than a restriction, emphasizing that structure and safety can enhance a child's autonomy. The conversation explores the balance between child-led practices and necessary boundaries, highlighting that boundaries are essential for creating a safe and predictable environment for children. Nicole encourages listeners to reflect on their own practices and consider how boundaries can support both the child's needs and the therapist's well-being.
Takeaways:
- Locking the toy closet is for safety, not restriction.
- Structure and safety enhance a child's autonomy.
- Child-led therapy requires establishing boundaries.
- Boundaries serve the relationship, not just control.
- Predictability is more meaningful than strict structure.
- Being child-led does not mean self-sacrificing.
- Boundaries help in co-regulating with children.
- Safety is the foundation of child-led therapy.
- Balance between structure and flexibility is crucial.
- Reflect on personal boundaries in therapy practices.
This podcast is reviewed by our team member, Meghann Beaton, who is an autistic adult. Meghann provides feedback and recommended edits priort to releasing our episodes to help ensure our content remains aligned with neuroaffirming principles and lived experience. We are deeply grateful for her insights, which continue to shape this space into one that centers safety, connection, and authentic communication.