The Autism Little Learners Podcast

Working with autistic children has taught me that some of the most important lessons aren't about finding better teaching strategies. They're about changing how we see children, understand communication, and define what meaningful progress actually looks like.
When I think about the educator I was more than 25 years ago, there are things I believed, approaches I used, and expectations I had that I see very differently today. Not because I wasn't trying to do what was best for children, but because I've continued learning from autistic people, families, research, and the children themselves.
In this episode, I'm sharing 10 things I wish I had known when I first started working with autistic children. We're talking about presuming competence, communication beyond speech, behavior as communication, regulation, autonomy, and why connection will always matter more than compliance.
Whether you're a preschool teacher, SLP, OT, paraprofessional, or parent, I hope this episode gives you permission to keep learning, keep questioning, and sometimes change your mind about what you thought you knew.
Because experience doesn't mean we have all the answers. Sometimes it means we've learned to ask better questions.
In This Episode, You'll Learn:
What it really means to presume competence when supporting autistic children

Why communication is so much bigger than spoken language

How to move beyond saying "behavior is communication" and actually respond to what children are telling us

Why regulation and connection are essential foundations for learning

How connection over compliance changes the way we support children

Why participation doesn't have to look the same for every child

How following a child's interests can create meaningful learning opportunities

The difference between independence and autonomy

Why autistic voices and family perspectives should shape our practices

Why being an experienced educator doesn't mean we should stop changing our minds

10 Things I Wish I Knew About Supporting Autistic Children
1. What Does It Really Mean to Presume Competence?
2. Is Communication More Than Just Spoken Words?
3. What Does "Behavior Is Communication" Actually Mean?
4. Why Should Regulation Come Before Teaching?
5. Why Is Connection More Important Than Compliance?
6. What Does Meaningful Participation Look Like for Autistic Children?
7. How Do I Follow an Autistic Child's Lead When I Have Teaching Goals?
8. What's the Difference Between Independence and Autonomy for Autistic Children?
9. Why Is It Important to Listen to Autistic People and Families?
10. Why Should Experienced Educators Keep Changing Their Minds?
Try This in Your Classroom or Therapy Setting
You don't have to change everything about your teaching tomorrow. Instead, choose one of these 10 ideas that made you pause and think about how it shows up in your own classroom or therapy setting. Maybe it's presuming competence and noticing how often we ask children to demonstrate understanding before giving them access. Or maybe it's looking at a behavior you've been trying to stop and asking what the child might be communicating instead.
You might also think about what meaningful participation looks like for the children you support. Are we recognizing the child who moves during circle time as an active participant? Are we giving children meaningful choices, even when they need assistance? And how often are we creating opportunities for children to say no and have that communication respected?
Choose one idea to pay attention to this week and notice what happens when you change the question you're asking, the expectation you're holding, or the way you're responding. You don't need to have everything figured out or make a dozen changes at once. Sometimes the most meaningful growth starts with being willing to look at something a little differently.
Resources & Links
Episode 200: 20 Conversations That Changed How I Think About Autism: Coming next week! We're celebrating 200 episodes by revisiting 20 past guest conversations and the perspectives that continue to shape how we understand and support autistic children.
Episode 188: Regulate, Connect, Routines, Teach:The four foundations that guide how I support autistic preschoolers, from regulation and relationships to predictable routines and meaningful teaching.

AAC modeling in daily routines doesn't have to be perfect to make a meaningful difference. In fact, what if trying to do AAC perfectly is actually getting in the way of doing it consistently?
You listen to a podcast, attend a training, and learn all these wonderful strategies for supporting AAC users. You're ready to keep AAC accessible, presume competence, model without expectation, honor all communication, and move beyond requesting. And then Monday morning happens. Someone can't find their backpack, a child needs help opening breakfast, a para calls in sick, and your circle time materials have disappeared. By 10:30, you suddenly realize you haven't modeled AAC once.
Sound familiar? Here's the good news. You don't need another thing to add to your day. You need to put AAC into the day you're already having.
In this final episode of our AAC Awareness Month series, we're talking about practical ways to build AAC modeling into the routines you're already doing. We'll explore how to make communication accessible during snack, play, circle time, transitions, and all those messy, unpredictable moments that make up real life. Because consistency matters so much more than perfection.
In This Episode, You'll Learn:
Why consistency with AAC modeling can be more challenging than knowing how to model

How to build AAC into daily routines without creating another lesson or activity

Why starting with one routine and a few words can make AAC modeling more manageable

Practical AAC modeling examples for snack, play, circle time, and transitions

How to support multiple AAC users with different communication systems in one classroom

Ways to use low-tech core boards and high-tech AAC devices together

How to help paraprofessionals, substitute teachers, therapists, and families model AAC consistently

Why AAC access matters during dysregulation and challenging moments

How to move away from perfection and focus on meaningful communication opportunities

Making AAC Part of the Day You're Already Having
When I recently asked my community what was hardest about AAC modeling, 49% said remembering to model throughout the day. Another 42% shared that they knew what to do but struggled with consistency. That tells us something important. This isn't always a knowledge problem. Sometimes it's an implementation problem.
AAC can start to feel like one more intervention, one more lesson, or one more thing to remember. But AAC isn't supposed to be another activity. It's communication, and communication is already happening throughout the day. Instead of asking, "When am I going to fit AAC into my day?" we can start asking, "Where is communication already happening?" And the answer is everywhere!
Start With One Routine
If you've been struggling to model AAC consistently, please don't leave this episode thinking you need to model AAC all day long starting tomorrow. You'll probably do it beautifully until about 9:17, and then real life will happen. 
Instead, pick one routine that already happens every day. Maybe it's snack, play, arrival, circle time, bath time, or getting ready to go outside. Then choose a few words you can naturally model during that routine.
For example, during snack you might model OPEN, MORE, YUM, HELP, DON'T LIKE, or DONE. If someone drops something, there's an opportunity for UH-OH! And if someone takes the last cracker? Maybe NO!
During play with cars, you might model GO, STOP, FAST, CRASH, AGAIN, or MY TURN. You don't need to model every word. Pick one or two, model them naturally, and keep playing. The same approach works during transitions and circle time. A word like GO can be modeled during a song, while turning a page in a book, or later when children are playing outside.
Now that word isn't living inside an AAC lesson. It's living inside life. And remember, we're not asking children to copy us or prove they know the word. We're simply showing them another way to communicate about what's happening.
Supporting Multiple AAC Users in the Classroom
Modeling AAC one-on-one is one thing. Supporting multiple children using different communication systems, with different access needs, while running a busy preschool classroom? That's real life!
You don't have to touch every child's individual device every time you model. A classroom core board or shared AAC modeling system can be helpful, even when children use different AAC apps or devices. Individual communication systems still need to remain accessible, but a shared modeling tool can give everyone opportunities to see language being used throughout the day.
And what about low-tech versus high-tech AAC? It doesn't have to be either/or. You can model language using a core board, a device, speech, gestures, and pointing. Communication is multimodal, and we're not trying to make every interaction look exactly the same. We're creating an environment where different ways of communicating are recognized, supported, and valued.
Helping the Whole Team Build Consistency
Maybe you're an SLP who feels comfortable modeling AAC, but the paraprofessional supporting the child isn't quite as confident. Or you're a teacher who has been learning about AAC, but a substitute walks into your classroom without that same background. Maybe AAC is being modeled during therapy, but it's harder to incorporate at home.
This is another reason I love starting with routines. Instead of expecting everyone to become an AAC expert overnight, we can identify one simple place to begin. For example, "During snack, we're modeling OPEN, MORE, and DONE."
Now everyone has a practical starting point. Teachers, paraprofessionals, therapists, substitutes, and families can all support communication within a familiar activity. It's not about everyone doing everything perfectly. It's about building shared, meaningful opportunities for communication throughout the day.
AAC Belongs Everywhere, Especially When Things Are Hard
AAC devices are a person's words. And words don't belong in a backpack.
Communication doesn't only happen during speech therapy, circle time, or structured learning activities. It happens on the playground, in the car, at the park, during bath time, and in all those everyday moments when we're excited, tired, frustrated, overwhelmed, or laughing at something hilarious. AAC belongs in those moments too.
And when a child becomes dysregulated, communication access may matter even more. Sometimes AAC gets put away because a child isn't using it or seems too upset. But those may be the moments when they need access to words like STOP, HELP, HURT, NO, or BREAK.
They may not use the device at all. They might push it away or communicate through movement, gestures, facial expressions, or other actions. We still pay attention to the communication that's happening. The goal isn't to make a child perform AAC. The goal is to make sure communication remains accessible.
Try This in Your Classroom or at Home
If you're wondering where to begin, keep it simple. Choose one routine that already happens every day, like snack, play, arrival, or getting ready for bed. Then pick three words you can naturally model during that routine, including words beyond requesting.
Model those words during meaningful interactions without asking the child to repeat or demonstrate them. Share the routine and words with the other people supporting the child so everyone has a practical place to start. Practice during that same routine for a week, notice what works, and follow the child's lead.
You don't need a perfect plan or an entirely new activity. One routine. A few words. Model without expectation. Follow the child's lead. Honor all communication. And then do it again tomorrow.
Resources & Links
AAC Awareness Month Podcast Series: Catch up on Episodes 194–197 to explore communication access, AAC modeling without expectation, moving beyond requesting, and honoring all forms of communication.
Episode 181: What Autistic AAC User Jordyn Zimmerman Wants Every Educator to Know — Hear Jordyn's perspective on AAC, communication, and access.

Episode 78: Lilly's Voice: AAC For Everyone! — Hear Stefanie and Lily's AAC journey.

Free Resource: 8 Ways to Honor Protests — Practical ways to recognize and respond to children's communication with respect and compassion.
Bringing Our AAC Awareness Month Series Full Circle
At the beginning of this series, I asked a question: Are we really listening? And after everything we've talked about over these five episodes, I think that's still the question.
Are we noticing the communication that's already happening? Are we giving children access before asking them to prove they're ready? Are we modeling instead of constantly testing? Are we honoring NO as much as we celebrate MORE?
Because our job isn't to make a child communicate the way we want them to. Our job is to make sure they have ways to communicate.
And then...we listen.
Thank you for spending AAC Awareness Month with me. And a special thank you to Jordyn, Stefanie, Rachel, and the AAC users, families, and professionals who continue to teach me, challenge me, and help me rethink what I thought I knew.
I'm still learning. I'm still unlearning. And after more than 25 years of doing this work, I hope I never stop.

Understanding the different communicative functions of AAC means looking beyond "I want" and helping autistic preschoolers communicate what really matters to them.
Their family celebrates when Lily says NO.
That's what Stefanie, Lily's mom, told me, and this week you'll hear her tell it herself. Including the morning Lily looked at her mom and said, "Words inside."
This is week four of our AAC Awareness Month series, and it picks up right where last week's episode on modeling without expectation left off. Once we're modeling AAC, the next question is: modeling what?
So much AAC still centers on requesting. I want bubbles. I want cracker. Requesting matters. But it's just one of many communicative functions, and in AAC it often gets most of our attention.
In this episode, I'm asking a bigger question. Not "Can this child give me the response I'm looking for?" but "Does this child have a way to express their own thoughts?"
You'll hear autistic AAC user Jordyn Zimmerman describe what robust communication lets her do, and we'll talk about choice versus agency, what it really means to honor NO, and why protest is communication too.
Because communication isn't really communication if the only messages we're willing to accept are the ones we want the child to say.
In This Episode, You'll Learn:
Why requesting is just one tiny part of communication

The words to check for on a child's device, including STOP, I DON'T WANT, DON'T HELP ME, NOT THAT ONE, and THAT'S FUNNY

What Jordyn Zimmerman says robust AAC lets her do

The difference between choice and agency

What honoring NO looks like when something still has to happen

How protest shows up beyond a neatly produced "no"

A simple one-day AAC modeling audit you can do without changing anything yet

Why some vocabulary makes life easier for adults, while other vocabulary makes life richer for the child

Key Takeaways
Requesting is one small part of communication.
Think about your own day. "That's funny." "I'm tired." "Wait." "I changed my mind." Very little of our everyday communication is about asking for something.
What's on the device influences what a child can say.
If a child can say MORE but not STOP, or I WANT but not I DON'T WANT, we've given them a way to get things, but not the same opportunities to express their agency.
Choice isn't the same as agency.
Picking the red cup or the blue cup is choice. Agency means you can say "neither," "the green one," or "stop asking me about cups," and the people around you respond.
Honoring NO doesn't mean the child always gets what they want.
It means we acknowledge their communication. We can say, "I hear you," and then negotiate, offer another option, change the timing, or figure out why something isn't working.
Protest is communication.
Pushing away, turning away, crying, moving away, or tapping ALL DONE are all ways a child might communicate. Before labeling something as noncompliance, ask yourself what the child might be telling you.
Our AAC modeling sends a message.
The words we model help show children what they can talk about. Let's make that world big!
Robust vocabulary is personal.
Dinosaurs, elevators, burping, AGAIN, and maybe even NOT THAT SONG AGAIN. Children deserve access to vocabulary that reflects their interests, personalities, preferences, and experiences.
Try This in Your Classroom or at Home
You don't need to change everything about how you're modeling AAC. Start with a few small steps.
Check the device. Can the child refuse, comment, change their mind, and say how they feel?

Honor protests. The next time a child protests, start with "I hear you. You don't want to do this."

Notice your modeling. For one day, pay attention to which words you're modeling without trying to change anything yet.

Make vocabulary personal. Add words for one thing the child loves and one thing they really don't like.

Try this week's challenge. Pick one child and write down five messages they might want to communicate that aren't requests. Then model those messages during one familiar routine.

No copying required. We're inviting, not quizzing.
Resources Mentioned in This Episode
Continue the AAC Awareness Month Series
Episodes 194, 195, and 196: Previous episodes in our AAC Awareness Month series, including modeling AAC without expectation

Related Podcast Episodes
Episode 78: Lilly's Voice: AAC For Everyone! — Hear more from Stefanie and Lily about their AAC journey.

Episode 181: What Autistic AAC User Jordyn Zimmerman Wants Every Educator to Know — Learn from Jordyn's experiences and perspective on communication.

Free Resource
8 Ways to Honor Protests — A practical guide to recognizing and responding to children's communication with compassion and respect.

Coming Up Next Week
Next week, we're wrapping up our AAC Awareness Month series by talking about how to fit AAC into the day you already have, and why trying to do everything perfectly might actually be getting in the way.

What color is it? Where's the dog? Show me red. Tell me with your talker. If you support AAC users, you might be really good at quiz mode. I know I was.
As an SLP, I was trained to elicit responses. I wanted repetitions. I wanted data. I wanted to know: can they do it? And here's the tricky part: quiz mode feels like teaching. We're trying to help. But communication isn't supposed to feel like a test all day.
This is part 3 of our AAC Month series. Last week, in Episode 195, we talked about why children don't need to prove they're "ready" for AAC. When I asked where you get stuck, more than one in four of you said the same thing: what do I do when I model and the child does absolutely nothing?
That's what this episode is about.
I'm sharing what modeling without expectation really looks like, why silence doesn't necessarily mean nothing is happening, and what to do in that quiet moment instead of asking again. You'll also hear two clips from my friend Rachel Madel, SLP, whose phrase "inspire, don't require" sums up this whole conversation.
Because we're teaching language. We're not administering a test.
In This Episode, You'll Learn
What modeling without expectation looks like in everyday play, like a car going down a ramp

Why "quiz mode" feels like teaching but can make communication harder

What it's like to learn a new language while someone keeps asking, "What's this?"

Why silence doesn't necessarily mean nothing is happening

How heavy prompting can teach children to wait to be asked instead of starting communication themselves

Why prompting isn't "bad," and the question to ask about what yours is teaching

How to turn questions into comments

What to do when you model and the child still doesn't respond

Key Takeaways
Quiz mode feels like teaching, but it adds pressure. Questions and directives like "Show me red" and "Tell me with your talker" can turn communication into a test.

Modeling without expectation means modeling and moving on. The car goes down the ramp, you say and touch GO, and you keep playing. No "Your turn" or "Show me go."

Silence doesn't mean nothing is happening. A child may be processing what you said, managing sensory input, or finding a word on their device. Model, then pause, without filling the wait with more questions.

Heavy prompting can teach children to wait. Rachel Madel explains how a compliance-driven approach can teach kids to be responders instead of initiators.

Prompting isn't bad. It can be a helpful scaffold. The question is what it's teaching: dependence on the adult, or growing independence.

Questions can become comments. "Whoa... RED!" instead of "What color is it?" "Mmm... MORE" instead of "Do you want more?"

Follow what matters to the child. Rachel shares how she noticed her student had turned to his lunchbox and modeled OPEN instead of sticking to her plan.

Every model has value. If the child doesn't respond, that's okay. They still saw and heard language used by an adult who wasn't demanding anything back.

Try This
For ten minutes, listen to yourself and notice how many questions and directives you give.

Pick one and turn it into a comment, modeling the word as you say it.

After you model, pause. Give space, not a stare.

If the child is focused on something else, model a word for what they care about.

Choose one routine this week (play, snack, getting dressed, or circle time). Every time you're about to ask a child to show you something, ask yourself, "Could I model this instead?"

Resources & Links
AAC Month Series: This is part 3. Start with Episode 195: Stop Making Kids Prove They're "Ready" for AAC.

More from Rachel Madel: Listen to Episode 91: AAC & Modeling Without Expectation With Rachel Madel.

Too many questions? Episode 178: What If Too Many Questions Are Quieting Your AAC Learners? goes deeper.

Keep Learning: Read the companion blog post, Modeling AAC Without Expectation in the Classroom.

Free Guide: Get the 3 Simple AAC Shifts for three easy changes you can try in tomorrow's routines.

Next Week: We'll go beyond "I want": why AAC isn't a success just because a child can request Goldfish, and a family who celebrates when their daughter says NO.

As we continue AAC Awareness Month, I want to talk about an idea that kept far too many children from getting access to robust communication for far too long:
The idea that a child has to be "ready" for AAC.
Maybe they need to point first. Match pictures. Understand cause and effect. Show intentional communication. Sit and attend. Or start with something "simpler" before they can have access to a robust AAC system.
Many of us were actually trained to think this way. I was too.
But today we know something really important: there are no prerequisites for robust AAC. Access is the first step — not the reward.
In this episode, we'll talk about what it really means to give children access to AAC before expecting them to perform with it. We'll also look at some of the things that can make adults wonder whether AAC is "working" — like repeatedly pushing the same button, not responding after we model, or even pushing the device away — and what might happen when we replace judgment with curiosity.
In this episode, we talk about:
Why children do not have to prove they're "ready" for AAC

How outdated ideas about AAC readiness have influenced the way we support children

Why access needs to come before performance

What research tells us about using AAC as an early communication intervention

Why AAC does not prevent spoken language development

Why children who use some spoken words may still benefit from AAC

Why communication should be multimodal — including speech, gestures, signs, pictures, core boards, devices, typing, and more

What it might mean when a child repeatedly pushes buttons or explores their AAC device

Why AAC "babbling" can be an important part of learning

What we can consider when a child pushes their AAC away

Why honoring "no" and "not right now" is part of supporting autonomy and communication

How presuming competence changes the way we respond to unexpected communication

One simple way to remove a barrier to communication access this week

I also share a story about a three-year-old AAC user I worked with who surprised me one day by telling me, "This is boring." 😂
It was a powerful reminder that when a child communicates something we aren't expecting, our job isn't to immediately dismiss it as accidental. Sometimes we need to stop, stay curious, and believe them.
Because a child not knowing how to use something they haven't had meaningful opportunities to learn is not evidence that they're incapable of learning it.
Our kids shouldn't have to prove they're ready for communication.
Access is where learning begins.
Related Resources & Links
3 Ways To Make AAC Work In Busy Classrooms  (free guide)
Autism Little Learners AAC Resources
Donaldson, A. L., corbin, e., Zisk, A. H., & Eddy, B. (2023). Promotion of Communication Access, Choice, and Agency for Autistic Students. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 54(1), 140–155.