The Autism Little Learners Podcast

In today's episode of The Autism Little Learners Podcast, I'm diving into one of the most meaningful parts of working with autistic preschoolers: connection. When we lead with compassion, honor sensory needs, and truly celebrate each child's unique way of being, we create the emotional safety that helps them learn, communicate, and thrive.

I'm sharing why stepping out of "teacher mode," validating autistic play, and tapping into deep interests are essential for forming authentic relationships. If you're ready for simple, practical strategies that build trust, reduce overwhelm, and create joyful, neuroaffirming classrooms and homes, this episode is for you.

• Building authentic connection creates a sense of emotional safety for autistic children.

• Sensory and regulation needs must be supported before meaningful connection can occur.

• A calm, steady adult presence helps children co-regulate and learn what regulation feels like.

• Stepping out of "teacher mode" makes connection more natural and less overwhelming.

• Autistic play is meaningful, valid, and should be honored rather than redirected.

• Deep interests are powerful bridges for building trust, engagement, and communication.

• Leading with compassion instead of compliance helps children feel seen, respected, and safe.

• Joyful, neuroaffirming environments increase engagement and support learning.

• Presuming competence communicates respect for all forms of communication and autonomy.

• Prioritizing connection has long-term positive effects on confidence, engagement, and overall development.

This week, we're bringing you an encore episode featuring Sarah Habib, founder of The Calm Caterpillar — and it's one worth revisiting. Sarah's work has made a powerful impact on classrooms and families across the country, helping children (both neurodivergent and neurotypical) learn to regulate big emotions with simple, practical tools.

In our conversation, Sarah shares how her calm corner kits, sensory supports, and breathing tools have transformed daily routines, reduced classroom disruptions, and created emotionally supportive spaces where kids can thrive. You'll also hear the incredible story of her work in Uvalde, Texas, and how she supported guidance counselors in building trauma-informed calm spaces for students.

Whether you missed this episode the first time or you're listening again to soak up more ideas, this encore is filled with actionable, compassionate strategies for creating neurodiversity-affirming environments.

Welcome back to the Autism Little Learners Podcast! Today, we're talking about something that often gets overlooked when we think about AAC and autism—teaching and honoring protests.

So often, AAC is used mostly for requesting items. But communication is about so much more. Autistic children need to know how to use their AAC systems for autism to say no, stop, don't like, all done, or help.

In this episode, I'll share why honoring protest is essential, what the difference is between acknowledging and honoring protests, and how modeling protest words on AAC for autistic kids builds trust, reduces frustration, and empowers children with self-advocacy.

I'll also walk you through the 8 Steps to Honor Protests—a simple framework you can start using right away in your classroom, therapy sessions, or at home.

So let's dive in and discover why protest isn't just communication—it's empowerment.

Takeaways:

AAC and autism go hand in hand—AAC should be used for more than requesting; it's for all communication.

Protest is valid communication, not misbehavior.

Honoring protests means changing, pausing, or stopping an activity when possible.

Acknowledging protests means validating and empathizing, even if you can't change what's happening.

AAC systems for autism should always include words for no, stop, don't like, all done, and different.

Modeling protest words daily helps children learn how to set boundaries and self-advocate.

Honoring protests builds trust and prevents escalation into meltdowns or shutdowns.

Following the 8 Steps to Honor Protests shifts teams and families from compliance to connection.

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Transitions happen all day long—moving from playtime to circle time, heading to lunch, or wrapping up to go home. For many autistic children, these changes can feel overwhelming, confusing, or even distressing. But with the right understanding and tools, we can make transitions smoother and more predictable.

In this episode, I'm diving into why transitions can be hard for autistic kids and sharing practical, compassionate strategies to support them. You'll learn how to ease anxiety, build predictability, and create routines that work for both you and your students or child.

Whether you're an educator, therapist, or parent, this episode will help you see transitions through an autistic lens—and give you ideas you can use right away to make them more successful.

Takeaways:

• Predictable routines help autistic children feel safe and secure.

• Transitions can cause anxiety due to uncertainty or sensory overwhelm.

• Executive functioning differences make shifting attention harder.

• Emotional attachments to activities can make ending them distressing.

• Monotropism explains deep focus—and how it can be both a challenge and a strength.

• Visual schedules and countdown tools (like a star chart or all-done bucket) create structure and comfort.

• Empathy, validation, and preparation go a long way.

• Video modeling can make transitions more concrete and successful.

In this special episode of The Autism Little Learners Podcast, I'm celebrating 10 years of Sesame Workshop's Autism Initiative and the creation of the beloved character, Julia! I had the absolute joy of sitting down with Kama Einhorn and Dr. Abigail Bucuvalas from Sesame Workshop to talk about the incredible impact of authentic representation, inclusion, and collaboration with the autism community.

We dive into how Julia was created to truly reflect the experiences of autistic children and families, the thoughtful research that goes into every Sesame Workshop project, and the global reach of their work. You'll also hear about puppeteer Stacey Gordon—whose personal connection to autism brings such authenticity to Julia's voice—and some exciting new projects on the horizon that continue to celebrate acceptance, understanding, and belonging for all children.

• Sesame Workshop's Autism Initiative has been making an impact for a decade.

• Julia was created to reflect the experiences of autistic children and promote understanding.

• Collaboration with autistic individuals, families, and experts is central to Sesame Workshop's process.

• Representation in media helps normalize conversations about autism and inclusion.

• Puppeteer Stacey Gordon brings personal insight and authenticity to Julia's character.

• Every piece of content is research-based and tested before release.

• The team continually evolves to ensure portrayals of autism are authentic and neurodiversity-affirming.

• Julia's story continues to grow — showing her friendships, family life, and even her communication with an AAC device.

• Free, bilingual resources are available for families at SesameWorkshop.org/Autism.

• The Autism Initiative has had a global impact, expanding to shows like Sisimpur in Bangladesh.

Before we jump in, I'd love to tell you a bit more about today's guests, Kama and Abby.

Kama Einhorn As Senior Director of Content Design for Sesame Workshop's Global Education group, Kama Einhorn develops multimedia resources for children, parents, and providers. Before joining the Workshop in 2004, she wrote and edited early childhood teaching resources for Scholastic. Kama holds a master's degree in education from the University of California at Berkeley.

Dr. Abigail Bucuvalas Dr. Abigail Bucuvalas is the Senior Director of Curriculum and Programs in the Global Education Department at Sesame Workshop. In this role, she leads the processes for curriculum development and program design, collaborates on monitoring and evaluation, and develops new project concepts within the areas of nature, health, and social norms and inclusion. Previously, she led education activities for LEGO Foundation-funded work in development and crisis-affected settings, managed educational content and partnerships for the Nigerian co-production of Sesame Street, and directed a professional development project for teachers in Ghana. Before joining Sesame Workshop, Abigail collaborated on health research in the U.S. and abroad, funded by the American Cancer Society and the National Institutes of Health. She holds an Ed.D. in Health Education and an Ed.M. in International Educational Development from Teachers College, Columbia University, and an A.B. in Psychology from Harvard University.