The Autism Little Learners Podcast

In this episode, we gently shift how we understand one of the most common challenges in classrooms and therapy spaces: low engagement. When a child walks away, refuses, shuts down, or pushes materials aside, it can feel confusing and frustrating, especially when you're trying to help them learn.
But what if disengagement isn't defiance?
This episode explores why forcing engagement through prompting, token systems, and increased demands often backfires, especially for autistic children whose nervous systems may already be overwhelmed. We walk through how traditional compliance-based approaches can unintentionally increase dysregulation and reduce trust, even when they are well-intentioned.
Instead of focusing on how to get a child to participate, we reframe the question toward understanding what the child is communicating and what support they may need. You'll learn how to recognize disengagement as meaningful information, why regulation must come before learning, and how to shift toward connection-based strategies that actually support engagement over time.
In This Episode, You'll Learn
• Why disengagement is not defiance, but communication
• What low engagement can look like across different children
• Why increasing demands often leads to more resistance
• How the nervous system responds to pressure (fight, flight, freeze)
• What the "compliance trap" looks like in real classrooms
• Why token boards and first-then systems can increase stress
• The importance of presuming competence in every interaction
• How ignoring communication can lead to escalation
• Why regulation must come before participation
• How deep interests can support meaningful engagement
Key Takeaways
• Disengagement is information, not a behavior problem
• Pressure increases dysregulation, not participation
• Fight, flight, and freeze are nervous system responses, not choices
• Compliance-based strategies can unintentionally reduce trust
• Communication should be honored in all forms
• Regulation is a prerequisite for learning, not something to earn
• Children would engage if they could, something is getting in the way
• Deep interests provide a natural pathway into connection and learning
• Small shifts in adult response can change the entire interaction
• Connection builds engagement, not control
When we stop trying to force engagement, we begin to understand it, and that's where meaningful learning starts.
Try This
• Pause instead of immediately prompting or redirecting
• Ask what the child might be communicating in the moment
• Observe signs of dysregulation before increasing demands
• Lower the expectation to make the task feel doable
• Replace questions with simple comments to reduce pressure
• Sit beside the child and focus on connection, not performance
• Follow the child's lead during play or interaction
• Bring the child's deep interest into the activity instead of withholding it
Often the most supportive shift is moving from control to curiosity. When we meet a child where they are, rather than pulling them toward compliance, engagement begins to grow in a way that feels safe, meaningful, and sustainable.
Related Resources & Links
Autism Little Learners Membership  www.autismlittlelearners.com/pod
Child Interest Survey
3 Strategies To Foster Engagement In Autistic Preschoolers
Play Based Learning, Engagement and Deep Interests

In this episode, we explore a powerful shift in how we understand one of the most recognizable traits in autistic children: their deep interests. If you've ever watched a child return to the same topic, object, or activity again and again with intense focus, you may have wondered whether it's something to redirect or expand.
But what if the interest isn't the problem?
This episode walks through why many educators and autistic adults are moving away from the term "special interests" and toward "deep interests," and why that language shift matters. We explore how deep interests are connected to monotropism, a different style of attention where focus goes deep instead of wide, and how that impacts learning, regulation, and engagement.
Instead of viewing these interests as limiting or rigid, we'll reframe them as powerful entry points for connection, communication, and meaningful learning. You'll walk away with a clearer understanding of what deep interests are, why they matter, and how to begin noticing and supporting them in real classroom and therapy settings.
In This Episode, You'll Learn
• Why many professionals are shifting from "special interests" to "deep interests"
• What monotropism is and how it shapes attention and learning
• How deep interests support regulation and nervous system stability
• Why deep focus is not a deficit, but a different processing style
• How interests naturally expand over time when they are respected
• The connection between flow states and learning in autistic children
• Why removing an interest can disrupt regulation and engagement
• How to begin identifying a child's deep interest through observation
• The role families play in understanding a child's interests
• Why unusual interests still hold meaning and value
Key Takeaways
• Deep interests are not a behavior to manage, they are a pathway to connection
• Monotropic attention allows children to focus deeply rather than broadly
• Interests often support regulation, not just engagement
• Flow states provide intrinsic motivation without external rewards
• Respecting interests supports communication and trust
• Interests tend to expand naturally when they are honored
• Removing an interest can unintentionally remove a regulation tool
• The topic of the interest is less important than the relationship to it
• Language shapes perception, and perception shapes support
• Joy, focus, and regulation are valid and meaningful outcomes
When we shift from redirecting interests to understanding them, we create space for deeper connection, stronger regulation, and more meaningful learning.
Try This
• Notice what the child returns to again and again
• Observe what brings visible joy, calm, or focus
• Watch what they choose during unstructured time
• Ask families what their child talks about or seeks out at home
• Follow the interest during play instead of redirecting away from it
• Use the interest as a starting point for interaction and communication
• Pause before labeling an interest as "too much" or "fixated"
• Replace correction with curiosity in the moment
Often the most supportive shift is not changing the child's behavior, but changing how we see it. Deep interests are not something to move children away from. They are often the clearest path into connection, regulation, and learning.
Related Resources & Links
Autism Little Learners Membership www.autismlittlelearners.com/pod
Child Interest Survey

In this episode, we continue the play series by talking about the gentle bridge from exploratory play into functional play. If a child loves dumping toys, spinning wheels, dropping objects, or lining things up, it can be tempting to rush toward "using the toy the right way."
But functional play grows best when it feels safe, connected, and joyful. This episode explores how to support the shift from sensory-driven exploratory play into one-step and early multi-step functional play without turning it into a power struggle.
Instead of forcing imitation or moving too quickly into adult-led teaching, we'll walk through how to build from what the child already loves by using regulation, connection, and one small expansion at a time.
This conversation is especially helpful for educators, therapists, and caregivers supporting autistic children who are ready for the next layer of play but still need the sensory and emotional safety of familiar patterns.
In This Episode, You'll Learn
• What functional play looks like in practical, classroom-friendly terms
• Why cause and effect is often the first bridge out of exploratory play
• Why rushing the shift into functional play can create stress and resistance
• The simple framework: Regulate → Connect → Expand
• How to expand dumping, spinning, and "put in" play patterns
• Readiness signs that tell you a child may be ready for one-step play
• Why building multiple one-step actions makes pretend play easier later
• How to keep functional play playful instead of turning it into drill work
• Why goals should guide exposure rather than create performance pressure
• How small expansions support long-term sequencing and symbolic play
Key Takeaways
• Functional play is the next natural layer after exploratory play
• Cause-and-effect toys and routines often create the safest bridge
• Regulation and connection need to come before expansion
• One small variation is more effective than pushing a full new skill
• Readiness cues help us know when the stretch is safe
• One-step actions become the building blocks for multi-step and pretend play
• Joy and emotional safety keep the brain open for learning
• Development unfolds in layers and cannot be rushed
When we focus on small bridges instead of big leaps, play expands in a way that feels safe and sustainable.
Try This
• Identify one exploratory play pattern the child already loves
• Join the action before offering a new idea
• Add one simple cause-and-effect variation
• Model one clear one-step action like push, drop, or press
• Pause and wait without adding pressure
• Track which one-step actions the child enjoys repeating
Sometimes the most meaningful progress comes from one tiny bridge built on something the child already trusts.
Related Resources & Links
Autism Little Learners Membership www.autismlittlelearners.com/pod
Play and Learn
Functional Play and Autism
Play-Based Learning for Autistic Children
Honoring Diverse Styles of Play
Fine Motor and Sensory Bins
Gently Expanding Autistic Play: Tips For Parents and Educators
Visual Support Starter Set 
Visual Supports Facebook Group
Functional play is not about replacing exploratory play. It is about building on the sensory and emotional safety that exploratory play already provides. When we honor the stage and expand gently, new layers of learning unfold naturally.

In this episode, we continue the play series with an important reframe for educators, therapists, and caregivers: Exploratory play is not a problem to fix. It is a stage to understand. When a child dumps toys, spins wheels, mouths objects, drops items, or repeats the same action over and over, it can be easy for adults to feel pressure to stop it.
But what if the behavior isn't the problem?
This episode explores why exploratory play is a foundational stage of development, especially for young autistic children, and how repetitive sensory-driven play often supports regulation, motor planning, focused attention, and early cause-and-effect learning.
Instead of rushing children into more "functional" play, we'll walk through how to understand the sensory and developmental purpose behind exploratory play and how to gently shape it into the next stage without removing what already feels safe.
This conversation is especially helpful for classrooms and therapy spaces where dumping, dropping, spinning, and repetitive object play can feel chaotic but are actually providing important information to the child's nervous system.
In This Episode, You'll Learn
• Why exploratory play is a real developmental stage, not a behavior problem
• What children are learning when they dump, spin, drop, or mouth objects
• Why autistic children may remain in this stage longer
• The difference between safe boundaries and eliminating play entirely
• Why adult anxiety around "stuck" can lead to premature redirection
• How exploratory play naturally becomes functional play through cause and effect
• Why repetitive play often supports nervous system regulation
• Supportive classroom shifts that make exploratory play feel safer and more intentional
• How to expand exploratory play without taking away the joy
Key Takeaways
• Exploratory play is sensory-driven learning
• Repetition helps the nervous system gather information and build predictability
• Dumping, spinning, dropping, and mouthing are forms of information gathering
• Regulation often needs to come before more complex play can emerge
• Boundaries can shape play safely without removing the sensory experience
• Cause-and-effect routines create a natural bridge into functional play
• Classroom environments feel calmer when exploratory play is planned for
• The goal is to respect the stage, not rush past it
When we stop trying to "fix" exploratory play, we make space for regulation, connection, and authentic development.
Try This
• Observe what sensory pattern the child is repeating
• Ask what need the repetitive action might be meeting
• Create safe dumping, dropping, or spinning spaces in the classroom
• Add one small cause-and-effect variation like a ramp, tube, or drop zone
• Use boundaries that shape safety without removing the experience
• Plan sensory-rich play intentionally into the classroom day
Often the most supportive shift is moving from correction to curiosity. Exploratory play is not something children need to be rushed out of. It is a sensory-rich stage that supports regulation, learning, and development. When we respect it as the foundation it is, the next stage of play unfolds much more naturally.
Related Resources & Links
Autism Little Learners Membership www.autismlittlelearners.com/pod
Play and Learn
Functional Play and Autism
Sensory Play and Autism
Play-Based Learning for Autistic Children
Honoring Diverse Styles of Play

In this episode, we continue the play series with one of the most common questions educators and caregivers ask: How do I help expand play without taking over? It can be tempting to jump in quickly when a child is lining up cars, spinning wheels, dumping toys, or repeating the same action over and over.
But meaningful play growth does not come from control. It comes from connection. This episode explores how to gently widen play skills while still honoring autistic play as meaningful, sensory-rich, and deeply connected to regulation.
Instead of redirecting repetitive or exploratory play too quickly, Tara walks through how to observe first, join gently, and add one small playful variation that keeps the child in the driver's seat. This conversation is especially helpful for educators, therapists, and parents supporting autistic children who are moving from exploratory play into functional and early pretend play.
In This Episode, You'll Learn
• Why exploratory play is a real and important developmental stage
• The difference between expanding play and taking over play
• How to use Observe, Wait, Listen before stepping in
• Why joining repetitive play builds connection and trust
• How to add one small variation without disrupting regulation
• Ways to move from dumping and dropping into functional cause-and-effect play
• How to layer actions to support more flexible play
• Why repetitive play often serves emotional safety and predictability
• How pretend play grows naturally from functional play
• Why exposure matters more than enforcement
Key Takeaways
• Exploratory play lays the foundation for communication, regulation, and cognition
• Expansion works best when adults observe before stepping in
• Joining first communicates safety and respect
• One small playful variation is more effective than a full adult-led storyline
• Cause-and-effect routines create a natural bridge into functional play
• Pretend play develops more easily when earlier stages are honored
• Regulation cues help us know when the stretch is too big
• The goal is to widen possibilities, not control outcomes
When we expand from the child's existing play pattern, we support flexibility without disrupting joy.
Try This
• Observe the child's current play pattern before adding anything
• Join the play by imitating their action first
• Add one small variation like a sound effect, pause, or simple cause-and-effect moment
• Expand one action into a second step, like car down ramp → crash
• Think in layers by expanding toys, actions, and then combinations
• Watch regulation cues to decide whether to keep stretching or step back
Sometimes one small shift is all it takes to open the door to deeper connection and more flexible play.
Related Resources & Links
Autism Little Learners Membership www.autismlittlelearners.com/pod
Play and Learn
Functional Play and Autism
Sensory Play and Autism
Play-Based Learning for Autistic Children
Honoring Diverse Styles of Play
Expanding play is not about changing how autistic children play. It is about honoring what already feels safe and joyful, then gently widening what feels possible one small step at a ti