SLP 297: Navigating Social Meltdowns: Understanding Triggers and Solutions for Neurodiverse Children (AS, ADHD, ODD, PDA etc)

Join Sue for an upcoming Live Virtual Workshop where you will learn from Sue practical tips & strategies to make a difference. ✅ Behavior is Communication: Every action tells us something important. ✅ Environment Shapes Outcomes: Autism plus environment equals behavior outcome. ✅ Transitions Trigger Challenges: Most behaviors occur during transition times. ✅ Visual Supports Essential: Keep visuals going especially during transitions. ✅ Connection Before Correction: Build relationships to transform challenging behaviors. ✅ Executive Functioning Matters: Floor dropping indicates overwhelm, not defiance. ✅ Sensory Needs Drive Behavior: Clicking, vocalizing help students stay regulated. Read more about this podcast in the show notes found via the link below suelarkey.com.au/educators-guide-to-supporting-neurodiverse-students Join the Facebook group specifically for this podcast www.facebook.com/groups/suelarkeypodcastcommunity/ Join my Neurodiversity Network suelarkey.com.au/neurodiversity-network/ Follow my Instagram account for regular tips www.instagram.com/sue.larkey/ To learn more about teaching or understanding ASD, please visit my website below. elearning.suelarkey.com.au

Join Sue for an upcoming Live Virtual Workshop where you will learn from Sue practical tips & strategies to make a difference. ✅ Begin With End in Mind: Always consider ultimate independence goals. ✅ Strategy Plus Action Equals Success: Combine planning with implementation. ✅ 50/50 Approach: Teachers provide strategies, students take responsibility. ✅ Model Before Expecting: Demonstrate strategies yourself before teaching students. ✅ Timers Build Independence: Visual timers help students manage time. ✅ Reward Strategy Use: Acknowledge when students independently use tools. ✅ Consistency Across Settings: Home and school must use same approaches. Read more about this podcast in the show notes found via the link below suelarkey.com.au/behaviour-plans-for-neurodiverse-students Join the Facebook group specifically for this podcast www.facebook.com/groups/suelarkeypodcastcommunity/ Join my Neurodiversity Network suelarkey.com.au/neurodiversity-network/ Follow my Instagram account for regular tips www.instagram.com/sue.larkey/ To learn more about teaching or understanding ASD, please visit my website below. elearning.suelarkey.com.au

Join Sue for an upcoming Live Virtual Workshop where you will learn from Sue practical tips & strategies to make a difference. In this episode, we will discuss: ✅ Schedules must include time to prevent anxiety and rushing. ✅ Physical engagement with schedules improves absorption and understanding. ✅ Digital timers make time accessible for autistic individuals. ✅ Breaking tasks into visual chunks reduces overwhelm significantly. ✅ Schedules decrease prompts, questions, and teacher dependency dramatically. ✅ Five-minute warnings help ADHD students produce best work. ✅ Pause buttons on timers help manage procrastination effectively. Read more about this podcast in the show notes found via the link below suelarkey.com.au/schedules-for-neurodiverse-children Join the Facebook group specifically for this podcast www.facebook.com/groups/suelarkeypodcastcommunity/ Join my Neurodiversity Network suelarkey.com.au/neurodiversity-network/ Follow my Instagram account for regular tips www.instagram.com/sue.larkey/ To learn more about teaching or understanding ASD, please visit my website below. elearning.suelarkey.com.au

Join Sue for an upcoming Live Virtual Workshop where you will learn from Sue practical tips & strategies to make a difference. In this episode, we will discuss: ✅ 4% of students receive suspensions, many in early years. ✅ Neurodiverse children are three years behind developmentally in regulation. ✅ Current behavior systems don't work for neurodiverse students. ✅ Emotional regulation should be taught like reading recovery programs. ✅ Mind blindness prevents understanding of others' emotions completely. ✅ Executive functioning includes impulse control and emotional regulation skills. ✅ Calm classrooms require teaching children to self-regulate emotions. Read more about this podcast in the show notes found via the link below suelarkey.com.au/emotional-regulation-challenges-in-school Join the Facebook group specifically for this podcast www.facebook.com/groups/suelarkeypodcastcommunity/ Join my Neurodiversity Network suelarkey.com.au/neurodiversity-network/ Follow my Instagram account for regular tips www.instagram.com/sue.larkey/ To learn more about teaching or understanding ASD, please visit my website below. elearning.suelarkey.com.au

Join Sue for an upcoming Live Virtual Workshop where you will learn from Sue practical tips & strategies to make a difference. In this episode, we will discuss: ✅ Children need sense of belonging in classroom environments. ✅ All students should embrace their own unique differences. ✅ Emotional literacy requires teaching like reading literacy does. ✅ Many children cannot recognize their own emotions properly. ✅ Self-regulation toolkits help students manage different feelings. ✅ Fair means everyone gets what they need individually. ✅ Neurodiversity acceptance prevents diagnosis shame and whispered labels. Read more about this podcast in the show notes found via the link below suelarkey.com.au/helping-neurodiverse-children-with-emotional-regulation Join the Facebook group specifically for this podcast www.facebook.com/groups/suelarkeypodcastcommunity/ Join my Neurodiversity Network suelarkey.com.au/neurodiversity-network/ Follow my Instagram account for regular tips www.instagram.com/sue.larkey/ To learn more about teaching or understanding ASD, please visit my website below. elearning.suelarkey.com.au

Join Sue for an upcoming Live Virtual Workshop where you will learn from Sue practical tips & strategies to make a difference. In this episode, we will discuss: ✅ Interoception helps children recognize internal body signals like hunger. ✅ Neurodiverse children often don't know when they're thirsty. ✅ Many students can't identify emotions without explicit teaching. ✅ HALT method addresses hungry, angry, lonely, tired states. ✅ Regular routines prevent meltdowns from unmet basic needs. ✅ Devices often replace natural emotion regulation in children. ✅ Loneliness frequently causes sick bay visits in schools. Read more about this podcast in the show notes found via the link below suelarkey.com.au/what-is-interoception Join the Facebook group specifically for this podcast www.facebook.com/groups/suelarkeypodcastcommunity/ Join my Neurodiversity Network suelarkey.com.au/neurodiversity-network/ Follow my Instagram account for regular tips www.instagram.com/sue.larkey/ To learn more about teaching or understanding ASD, please visit my website below. elearning.suelarkey.com.au

Join Sue for an upcoming Live Virtual Workshop where you will learn from Sue practical tips & strategies to make a difference. In this episode, we will discuss: ✅ Neurodiverse kids struggle joining evolving peer groups. ✅ Proactively create lunchtime clubs to foster social connections. ✅ Use shared interests like Lego and gardening. ✅ Clearly define club name, schedule, location, and size. ✅ Teacher aides and older peers facilitate club membership. ✅ Clubs reduce playground behavior issues and anxiety. ✅ Hands-on activities teach social skills and emotional regulation. Read more about this podcast in the show notes found via the link below suelarkey.com.au/playground-plans Join the Facebook group specifically for this podcast www.facebook.com/groups/suelarkeypodcastcommunity/ Join my Neurodiversity Network suelarkey.com.au/neurodiversity-network/ Follow my Instagram account for regular tips www.instagram.com/sue.larkey/ To learn more about teaching or understanding ASD, please visit my website below. elearning.suelarkey.com.au

Join Sue for an upcoming Live Virtual Workshop where you will learn from Sue practical tips & strategies to make a difference. In this episode, we will discuss: ✅ Social meltdowns stem from exclusion, misunderstanding, and social anxiety. ✅ Differentiating meltdowns from tantrums guides appropriate responses. ✅ Mind blindness impairs perspective-taking and interpreting social cues. ✅ Sensory overload heightens emotional overwhelm in social settings. ✅ Teaching social knowledge through scripts builds peer interaction skills. ✅ Proactive accommodations prevent meltdowns in classrooms and playgrounds. ✅ Device reliance undermines self-regulation and emotional resilience. Read more about this podcast in the show notes found via the link below suelarkey.com.au/what-are-social-meltdowns Join the Facebook group specifically for this podcast www.facebook.com/groups/suelarkeypodcastcommunity/ Join my Neurodiversity Network suelarkey.com.au/neurodiversity-network/ Follow my Instagram account for regular tips www.instagram.com/sue.larkey/ To learn more about teaching or understanding ASD, please visit my website below. elearning.suelarkey.com.au

Join Sue for an upcoming Live Virtual Workshop where you will learn from Sue practical tips & strategies to make a difference. In this episode, we will discuss: ✅ Digital timers reduce anxiety and help manage transitions. ✅ Portable digital schedules support daily routines visually and clearly. ✅ Visual aids like timers improve children's independence and behavior. ✅ Sensory tools and tokens effectively reward and motivate students. ✅ Books and workbooks teach emotional regulation and anger management. ✅ Specific resources support neurodiverse girls in understanding their experiences. ✅ Practical OT-inspired activities address writing difficulties and dysgraphia. Read more about this podcast in the show notes found via the link below suelarkey.com.au/best-resources-for-you Join the Facebook group specifically for this podcast www.facebook.com/groups/suelarkeypodcastcommunity/ Join my Neurodiversity Network suelarkey.com.au/neurodiversity-network/ Follow my Instagram account for regular tips www.instagram.com/sue.larkey/ To learn more about teaching or understanding ASD, please visit my website below. elearning.suelarkey.com.au

Join Sue for an upcoming Live Virtual Workshop where you will learn from Sue practical tips & strategies to make a difference. In this episode, we will discuss: ✅ Autism classified into three levels, though spectrum is broader. ✅ Level 1 mirrors high-functioning autism, formerly called Asperger’s. ✅ ODD involves persistent defiance toward authority figures. ✅ PDA denotes extreme demand avoidance, not an official diagnosis. ✅ ADHD shows inattention, autism lacks social understanding. ✅ Quiet autistic children can struggle unnoticed, causing meltdowns later. ✅ Collaborative empathy essential for accurate interpretation and support. Read more about this podcast in the show notes found via the link below suelarkey.com.au/understanding-neurodiverse-acronyms Join the Facebook group specifically for this podcast www.facebook.com/groups/suelarkeypodcastcommunity/ Join my Neurodiversity Network suelarkey.com.au/neurodiversity-network/ Follow my Instagram account for regular tips www.instagram.com/sue.larkey/ To learn more about teaching or understanding ASD, please visit my website below. elearning.suelarkey.com.au