NeuroInclusive Consulting

06/01/2026

Love everything about this! Let's come up with a more name for . What are your thoughts?

05/20/2026

Unspoken social rules can be confusing.

For many neurodivergent kids and adults, social communication like tone, timing, facial expressions, body language, and “reading the room” can all involve hidden expectations.

Sometimes what looks like rudeness, distraction, disinterest, or “not getting it” is actually a difference in communication style or a person trying to process several layers of information at once.

Instead of judging someone as rude, we can pause and ask:
-What may be the reason for this behavior?
- Is there an unspoken social rule or dynamic happening here that is being missed?
-Am I managing social expectations by Neurotypical standards?

Inclusion means understanding that socializing might look different, but leading with kindness and understanding can help shift the narrative.

Check out www.neuroinclusiveconsult.com for more.

05/12/2026

Here’s the thing: asking someone to give eye contact to prove they are listening, respectful, or engaged is maddening.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve walked into classrooms and programs and heard someone say, “He won’t even look at me when I ask him a question,” as if lack of eye contact is a moral failing.

Let’s stop demanding eye contact.

For many neurodivergent people, including those with ADHD, autism, learning disabilities, sensory differences, and more, eye contact can actually make it harder to focus.

Looking away, moving, or fidgeting can be regulating. And when someone feels regulated, they are often better able to listen, process, and participate.

Lack of eye contact does not automatically mean something is wrong.

Sometimes it simply means:
Looking away helps me listen.

05/10/2026

This!

Am I "bashing" ABA?

No. "Bashing" is a dismissive term used to minimize the argument.

The criticism of ABA, including the reseach, methods, encroachment on other professions and billing practices is well-documented. The voices of autistic people speaking out against ABA are loud.

I recently posted this response to another ABA debate about the attempts of ABA practitioners to shift away from their history and foundational theory and be more neuroaffirming:

"The question is, CAN ABA be neuro-affirming? Many critics, including people with lived experience and those who have been trained in ABA (myself included) say NO. ABA is operant conditioning. The PEOPLE can certainly strive to be more neuroaffirming, but the THEORY is the problem. The theory was created in a lab on lab animals. When ABA practitioners become more neuroaffirming, focus on sensory processing and regulation, and work on ADLs, why would they not just refer to an Occupational Therapist? OTs are masters or doctoral level clinicians with advanced training in these areas, so why stay with minimally trained RBTs or BCBAs with no training in sensory processing? It's because ABA is paid for.

That's it.

The more ABA tries to evolve and do better, the more they abandon their theory and encroach on OT and SLP. But they still bill for ABA because of their credentials, not because they are providing ABA. The criticism is not of the people who work in ABA. The criticism is of the foundational theory, the history, the research and the methods still used today.

The solution to protect children is to remove the RBT billing codes so only BCBAs with training in autism are allowed to work with autistic children. Then, doctors need to stop automatically recommending ABA, instead recommending OT and SLP FIRST. If progress is stagnated, THEN a behavioral approach could be recommended. Also, the 20-40 hours a week needs to be eliminated. A 2025 RCT showed that both OT and ABA were effective in meeting goals identified by families. The intervention was 30 hours TOTAL, not 30 hours a week. Remove RBTs and remove the obnoxious 20-40 hours a week and the criticism will lessen because fewer kids will be hurt. But, if those recommendations are implemented, the industry fails because private equity loses its gravy train. ABA is about money, not kids, so its time to take away the credit card."

There are evidence-based alternatives to ABA. We talk about them all the time on this page. I understand why ABA practitioners feel that I am "bashing" them. They spent time and money on their training and it's their livelihood. Being defensive is a natural reaction. Their bias is clear. But, how many kids have to be hurt? How many autistic voices have to speak out? How much billing fraud has to occur? How much questionable research has to be published before we finally acknowledge that ABA is not the "gold standard" they claim to be. There is no "new ABA" like they claim there is, and no, operant conditioning cannot be neuro-affirming.

It's not "bashing". It criticism that the industry deserves and an uncomfortable yet crucial conversation that needs to happen.

Parents deserve true informed consent.

Picture: A cute quokka, native to Australia, to make this stand out on your feed.

05/02/2026

Love these infographics from on Autism in girls! Because so many are overlooked or seen as not “Autistic enough.”

But Autistic girls:
-Tend to mask more
-Often want friendships but are confused by social dynamics
-Often fall through the cracks or are misdiagnosed

When so much of what we know about Autism is based on male populations, this makes sense. But when we know better, we can help identify and support the girls too. 💗

05/01/2026

This is powerful!

04/30/2026

April is Autism Acceptance Month and I'm writing this post on the last day (on purpose)...

Read why here in my latest blog post...

https://www.neuroinclusiveconsult.com/post/post-from-autism-awareness-to-acceptance-to-action

I’m writing this on the last day of Autism Acceptance Month, on purpose. Not because autism acceptance only matters in April, but because this is usually the moment when the graphics start to disappear, the hashtags slow down, and everyone moves on to the next awareness month. And honestly, that.....

04/29/2026

Neurodiversity is the idea that brains don’t all work the same way, and they were never supposed to. 💗

💭Some brains process language differently.
💭Some brains need more movement.
💭Some feel sensory input more intensely.
💭Some communicate, focus, regulate, or learn in ways that may not match the expectations around them.

That does not mean they are broken. It means the environment and supports matter.

When we understand neurodiversity, we stop asking kids, staff, students, patients, or community members to do all the adapting alone.

We start asking better questions:

What support would make this easier?
What expectation is creating friction?
What strength are we missing?
What would belonging look like here?

That is the work of neuroinclusion.

And it is work we can build together.

Learn more or connect with me at www.NeuroInclusiveConsult.com

04/25/2026

Parenting neurodivergent kids is not about finding the perfect consequence, script, or reward system.

It’s about building the right balance of connection, clarity, and skill-building support.

So many children are not trying to be difficult. They are overwhelmed, stuck, anxious, impulsive, exhausted, or missing the skills they need in that moment.

Authoritative parenting gives us a helpful framework:

💗Warm connection.
💗Clear limits.
💗Consistent expectations.
💗Room for repair.
💗Support for lagging skills.

You can validate your child’s feelings and still hold a boundary.

You can be compassionate and still have expectations.

You can step back from shame and move toward teaching, scaffolding, and connection.

I made this quick guide as a simple reminder for parents and caregivers who are trying to support their kids with more calm, clarity, and compassion.