In this very special podcast episode, I interview Jonathan Chase (Autistic Advocate, writer, presenter, and consultant) about his experiences with medical and dental appointments. He shares his experiences and some excellent ideas with the audience. The intense sensory experience is and has been overwhelming to say the least. You can find more about Jonathan Chase at his website: jonathanchase.net

Barb and Pam read The Autistic Brain by Temple Grandin. We share our thoughts on the book and both agree that Temple Grandin is still amazing and worth not only reading but checking out her work online on youtube, her site, etc! Temple Grandin's website:  http://www.templegrandin.com/ Book we read: The Autistic Brain  by Temple Grandin, 2013

Book From Surviving to Thriving: Classroom Accommodations for Students on the Autism Spectrum By Jonathan Chase Self-published and available on Amazon The author His website: jonathanchase.net His TEDX Talk: Music as a window into the autistic mind Interview with Jonathan on this Synergy Autism Podcast - Episode #7 Summary of our thoughts on the book Behavior Babble listeners will enjoy this quick and informative read from advocate, author, and mentor with Autism, Jonathan Chase. Jonathan’s focus on classroom accommodations is thorough, contains specific recommendations, and is rooted in a larger context of why a student with Autism might need one type of support or another.  Barb and Pam noticed a consistent theme of supporting students to have choices and agency in their own learning. Whether you are starting the school year off or jumping in midstream, it is never too late to support young people through classroom accommodations that could make life easie

Here, Synergy Autism Center's owner, Barbara Avila shares the essential nature of regulation for curiosity and learning to thrive. A child who is curious is learning, growing, and thriving. They are active and engaged in exploring the world and trying to figure out how things and people around them work. They imitate. They follow. They experiment. They fail and recover. They take risks and experience accidents. They gaze to their caregivers to determine safety or confirm their curiosity. They engage with the world. They are intrigued by the unexpected and the unpredictable within their developmental schema.  Co-Regulation Leads to Regulation  In order for a child to be curious, their internal state must be ready for new learning. A newborn is not ready for a whole lot of stimulation without getting overwhelmed and dysregulated, for example. However, as a child gets older, their system learns to be slightly stressed and to re-regulate to accommodate the new info

In this episode of Behavior Babble with Barb and Pam, we dive into the book Parenting with Love & Logic by Foster Cline, M.D. and Jim Fay, 1990, 2006. There are some excellent words of wisdom and useful strategies in this book. In summary, "using enforceable thinking words, giving choices, displaying no anger - these are the ingredients for establishing firm limits with our kids." (pg 77). We discuss our take on these and other tools from this book and conclude with the fact that in order for parents to be able to "display no anger," let alone offer these options in a clear, consistent manner, they must be taking care of themselves first and foremost. Barb shared the TILT podcast she enjoyed recently when Dr. Rita Eichenstein was interviewed. She discussed the importance of professionals realizing that children have parents who are going through their own developmental processes that need support and guidance, too! Check out that podcast by clicking HE

This episode of Behavior Babble continues our book review theme. Join Barb and Pam as we talk about Dr. Stuart Shankar's book: Self Reg. We found this book an absolute essential for any family's home bookshelf. Enjoy our review!

This episode of Behavior Babble continues our book review theme. Join Barb and Pam as we talk about Dr. Thomas Phelan's book 1-2-3 Magic. We found the parenting strategies within this book to be comprehensive yet simple. Enjoy our review! https://soundcloud.com/synergyautismpodcast/123magicbb or find us in iTunes under Synergy Autism Podcast

Behavior Babble continues with part 2 our book review of "10 Days to a Less Defiant Child" by Jeffrey Bernstein. Barb and Pam review the last chapters of the book and reflect on how the book has been helpful in their support of parents. From garnering support in the extended family to working with school and other professionals, Bernstein and 10 Days has great tips, tricks, and reminders to help families support their defiant child.

The series, "Behavior Babble with Barb and Pam" continues! For this episode, we decided to read a popular best seller about behavior and give our two cents. Maybe this will help you pick it up or not? The book we chose was Ten Days To A Less Defiant Child  by Dr. Jeffery Bernstein.