A Toxic Mix? Neurodivergent Students and Public Schools. Episode One: Students in Crisis

Autism and Anxiety: the Role of Interoception

Interoception, the ability to recognize  bodily signals like heart rate, hunger, temperature..., is often a significant  source of  stress and anxiety in autistic youth.   They may struggle to control the overload their body is experiencing by being unable to recognize the physical symptoms they are experiencing, leading to a potential crisis when the build up becomes too much. Or, an autistic youth may go without eating or drinking anything for an entire school day.  A student may wear clothes that are inappropriate to the weather, seeming not to recognize heat and cold.   Or, some may experience both depending on the situation and stimulus.  The study that I used for this episode explores the issue and presents effective ways to lessen to impact of interoceptive weaknesses. Here are links to resources used in the episode: file:///Users/davidpoeschl/Desktop/ASD%20and%20anxiety/Autism%20and%20Anxiety%20-%20Autism%20Research%20Institute.html https://www.google.com/search?q=Experiences+of+interoception+and+anxiety+in+autistic+adolescents+%E2%80%93+CRAE&oq=Experiences+of+interoception+and+anxiety+in+autistic+adolescents+%E2%80%93+CRAE&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIHCAEQIRiPAjIHCAIQIRiPAtIBCDE0ODVqMGo3qAIAsAIA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8 Thanks to  soundimage.org for the free access to the AI generated music used in this podcast (https://soundimage.org/)

Quick Listen (5 minutes or less): Positive Behavior Support - A (Very) Brief and Concise Description

Positive Behavior Support. Maybe you've read all sort of definitions and descriptions, but what it actually is seems still  vague. In under 5 minutes, you will get a clear and understandable description. If you then want to learn more, I have a longer version in an earlier episode, and an hour long YouTube video of a training I do for my employer (Matrix Parents) in Marin County California. Here is a link to the YouRTube video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WBTCmuTWD4 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WBTCmuTWD4] Thanks to  soundimage.org for the free access to the AI generated music used in this podcast (https://soundimage.org/)

Quick Listen (5 Minutes or Less): The Critical Importance of Accurate IEP Meeting Notes

IEP Meeting notes; a part of the IEP process that is often overlooked, or does not reflect what the IEP team agreed to. IEP meeting notes allow parties not on the IEP team to understand and effectively implement the special program program. In any dispute between parents and school districts,  the notes help mediators and others who are analyzing the IEP to, again, understand the itent of the IEP team. With this episode, I am providing a link to a writing by a prominent California law firm that represents district in disputes with parents.   Parents can use those recommendations as a guide to what should be in notes, and how they should be memorialized. Here is a link the law firm's note recommendations: Lozano Smith: essentials of note taking: https://www.lozanosmith.com/docs/resources/IEP_Note_Taking.pdf Thanks to  soundimage.org for the free access to the AI generated music used in this podcast (https://soundimage.org/)

A Toxic Mix? Neurodivergent Students and Public Schools. Episode One: Students in Crisis

It has been clear for years that the school system in the United States is not welcoming to neurodivergent (ND) students.  School is an intensely intimidating and frightening place for many ND kids. As the percentage of identified ND students grow (the percentage of the total student population in California is currently 20%) the number of children damaged by the school system grows as well. Research is clear as to both the inappropriate structure of schools, and the long-term emotional damage it does to these kids. In this episode, I summarize a research article that condemns the current school structure as we know it. As the researcher/author writes, “Mainstream schools…are not currently safe spaces for ND children. Whether it is possible, with significant policy change, political will, and considerable investment, to transform mainstream schools into smaller, sensory-sensitive, nurturing, flexible, and truly inclusive places for ND children to be, is an open question.”  Many thanks to the researcher/author of the study, Dr. Sinead Mullally (sinead.mullally@ncl.ac.uk w: www.ncl.ac.uk/psychology/people/profile/sineadmullally.html) Research article that underpins the “popular” articlehttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37810599/ [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37810599/] “Popular” article related to above (and used for the podcast script) https://researchfeatures.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Sinead-Mullally.pdf [https://researchfeatures.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Sinead-Mullally.pdf] Universal Design for Learning (UDL)(https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/special-education-parents-library-of-useful-information/id1833954970?i=1000722533052 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/special-education-parents-library-of-useful-information/id1833954970?i=1000722533052]) High School Students with High Functioning Autism; Obstacles and Optimism https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/special-education-parents-library-of-useful-information/id1833954970?i=1000727360172 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/special-education-parents-library-of-useful-information/id1833954970?i=1000727360172] Autistic College Students Who Succeed at Competitive Colleges and Universities; What's the Secret?https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/special-education-parents-library-of-useful-information/id1833954970?i=1000745302991 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/special-education-parents-library-of-useful-information/id1833954970?i=1000745302991] Thanks to  soundimage.org for the free access to the AI generated music used in this podcast (https://soundimage.org/)

Autistic College Students Who Succeed at Competitive Colleges and Universities; What's the Secret?

Many autistic people are twice exceptional learners (2eASD).  This means they have an area of unique talent or intellectual strength along with an identifiable disability. The rates of high school failure are elevated for this population, but some are able to not only attend, but to succeed at highly competitive colleges and universities.   What is the secret to their success?  It probably won't come as a surprise that a lot of it depends on nurturing the special interest or interests that a large majority of 2eASD individuals have.   Supports that are provided when the concentration is on an interest area help both the student and the adults in their life to be working in a more positive environment where the student is intrinsically motivated. This extends to non-preferred classes and activities as the student knows the less interesting academic areas are needed to help meet their goal, college success. Here is a link to the article used for this episode: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12189878/ [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12189878/] Thanks to  soundimage.org for the free access to the AI generated music used in this podcast (https://soundimage.org/)