Autism-Talk

Few things feel more discouraging during toilet training than this moment: “We were finally making progress… and now it feels like we’re going backward.” Accidents return after weeks of success. A child who was sitting willingly now refuses. Or everything falls apart after an illness, vacation, or school change. For parents of autistic children, toilet training regression can feel confusing and exhausting — especially when you don’t know why it’s happening or what you’re supp

Many families reach this frustrating point in toilet training: “They can do it at home… but not at school.” “The teacher says they aren’t ready yet.” “We’re doing everything right — why isn’t it carrying over?” Grab your free coloring book potty training social story Why autistic children may be toilet trained at home but struggle with toilet training at school. When toilet training works in one setting but falls apart in another, it can feel discouraging and confusing. Pare

Table of Contents Why Should I Teach My Child to Ask for a Break Before a Meltdown? Why Doesn’t Teaching It During a Meltdown Work? How Do I Teach My Autistic Child to Ask for a Break or Help? What Tools Help Children Request a Break Independently? Can Non-Verbal Children Learn to Request a Break? How Do I Know If It’s Working? Helping a child learn to request a break before a meltdown is powerful skill teach autistic children. Helping a child learn to request a break or ask

Table of Contents Why Toilet Training Sometimes Happens Later in Autism How Toilet Training Is Different for Older Autistic Children Common Challenges With Later Toilet Training What Helps When Toilet Training Happens Later Is It Ever Too Late to Toilet Train? When a Structured Plan Can Help Frequently Asked Questions Many parents never expected to be here. Toilet training an older autistic child is still possible with the right support and timing. Maybe toilet training didn’

“ Emotional dysregulation in autistic children often builds quietly over time —long before it becomes obvious. It feels like it comes out of nowhere. One minute my child is fine, and the next they’re melting down.” If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Many parents describe meltdowns as sudden and unpredictable. In reality, emotional dysregulation in autistic children often builds quietly over time —long before it becomes obvious. Meltdowns are usually the result of stre

Visual supports may seem simple, but for many autistic children, they offer structure when emotions feel overwhelming. For many autistic children, visual supports help with emotional regulation in autism because they make emotions, body signals, and coping strategies more concrete, predictable, and easier to understand. When feelings are big, language often isn’t enough. Visuals give children something steady to return to. Grab your free taking turns social story here. In th

Time to Read: 7–8 minutes When an autistic child gets mad , it can feel like it comes out of nowhere—over the wrong cup, a change in plans, or something you didn’t even notice. Big reactions to small moments can leave parents, teachers, and therapists feeling unsure of what to do next. This isn’t about “bad behavior.” It’s about a nervous system that’s overwhelmed and a child who doesn’t yet have the tools to explain what their body is telling them. In my last post, I shared

Time to Read: 7–8 minutes Helping an autistic preschooler manage big emotions isn’t about “fixing behavior.” It’s about supporting them in understanding their body’s messages and learning what they can do—step by step—to feel better when things feel overwhelming. Many families come looking for coping skills for autistic preschoolers because their child experiences emotions intensely, struggles to identify what they’re feeling, or doesn’t yet have the language to ask for help

What is the Spellers movie about? Time to Read: ~7 minutes TL;DR Summary Spelling to Communicate (S2C) is inspiring hope for non-speaking autistic individuals—but evidence is still limited. The technique raises new questions about whether autism may be more of a motor planning challenge than a cognitive one. Ethical communication requires independent authorship —not facilitator control. Research is urgently needed to confirm whether this is a real breakthrough or another c

Reading time: ~8–10 minutes Audience: Parents & early-childhood educators (PreK–2) Keywords: how to help autistic child wait patiently, waiting worksheets for autism, waiting visuals, preschool social skills, autism social skills, preschool SEL TL;DR (Quick Wins) Learning to wait is a skill , not a character trait. Start with seconds , not minutes; build trust with tiny wins. Use visuals , a calm timer , and gentle language so waiting feels safe. Practice in playful, low-

If you’ve ever searched for a “No Biting” social story for your autistic child or students, you’re not alone. Biting, hitting, and other challenging behaviors can be stressful for everyone involved, and it’s natural to want them to stop. But here’s the thing: social stories work best when they teach new skills , not when they simply tell a child what not to do. In this post, we’ll look at why “No Biting” isn’t the social story you need—and how writing a positive, skill-based

PECS is a structured, low-tech way to teach communication. TL;DR: Quick Takeaways PECS = Picture Exchange Communication System , a structured, low-tech way to teach communication. Stands out because it includes a step-by-step teaching protocol Helps kids learn foundational communication skills Low cost, portable, and useful across settings Can support later skills in both language and academics . Table of Contents A Brief History of PECS What Makes PECS Unique? The Teachi

TL;DR Teaching children to share isn't about forcing them to give away their favorite toy. It's about creating enjoyable opportunities to practice sharing time, materials, and experiences with others. In this article, you'll discover fun sharing games, art activities, pretend play ideas, and practical strategies that help preschool and kindergarten children build sharing skills through positive, play-based experiences. Table of Contents Why Sharing Can Be Challenging for Youn

Meta Description: Discover fun waiting activities for preschool, kindergarten, and autistic children. Learn research-backed strategies, games, pretend play ideas, and classroom activities that teach waiting through play. Waiting is one of the very first social skills children begin learning, but it is also one of the most challenging. Whether children are waiting for a favorite toy, standing in line for the playground, waiting for a snack, or waiting for their turn during a g

Time to Read: 8–10 minutes TL;DR Greeting others is one of the earliest social skills children learn. For many autistic children and other young learners, greetings benefit from direct teaching, visual supports, social stories, games, and repeated practice opportunities. In this article, you'll learn why greeting skills matter, how to teach greetings without requiring eye contact, and 10 fun greeting activities that can be used at home, in therapy, or in the classroom. Table

Many autistic and neurodiverse children need explicit teaching and repeated practice to answer personal information questions. Hands-on activities involving movement, pretend play, visuals, sensory experiences, and games are often much more effective than drill-style questioning alone.

Time to Read: About 10 minutes TL;DR Emotion games help preschoolers build foundational social skills like communication, coping skills, friendship, and flexible thinking. Many autistic preschoolers benefit from visual, play-based emotion activities instead of only flashcards or worksheets. Pretend play, movement, music, sensory activities, and visual supports can make emotional learning more meaningful. The goal is not just memorizing emotion faces — it is helping children c

Time to read: ~9 minutes Many autistic children want to be around other children. They may watch. Grab your free kindergarten readiness autism social skills checklist HERE They may stand nearby. They may follow what others are doing. But when it comes time to actually join in… that’s where things can feel hard. That can look like: wanting a toy but not knowing how to ask grabbing instead of requesting walking away instead of interacting getting upset during sharing or turn-ta

Many autistic children experience distress with small changes—such as shifts in routines, transitions, or expectations; this need for sameness and difficulty with change is a core feature considered in autism diagnosis. Grab your FREE autism kindergarten social skills checklist That can look like getting upset over the wrong cup, a different route to school, a substitute teacher, the swings being taken, the milk being gone, or being told it is time to stop one activity and do

TL;DR Social skills worksheets for autism preschool can be helpful when they are visual, simple, and developmentally appropriate. Many autistic children benefit from visual supports, which can make social ideas easier to understand and easier to remember later in real-life situations. Source: Autism Speaks — Visual Supports and Autism; Bateman et al., 2022, PMC A good worksheet for young children should not rely heavily on writing. Matching, tracing, drawing, coloring, gluing