In this episode of Autonome, host Fran Kenton, Founder and Creator of Autonome, sits down with Nicole Tyo, Director of Special Education at South Western City Schools in Ohio. Nicole oversees services for students ages 3 to 22, leading comprehensive systems that integrate IDEA compliance, inclusive practices, mental health supports, and proactive wellbeing.
Fran and Nicole explore what it truly takes to move special education from compliance-driven systems to impact-driven leadership. Nicole shares how her mother’s work in an ED classroom first inspired her career, and how her own experience being identified as dyslexic shaped her belief that students must be both supported and pushed toward their potential. Throughout the conversation, Nicole highlights the importance of social-emotional learning, transition planning, and consistent adult mindset as essential drivers of student success.
Whether you lead special education, student services, or a full district, this conversation provides actionable ideas for building environments where students are seen, heard, supported, and challenged to reach their full potential.
Key Moments
05:55 "Embracing Challenges and Growth"
06:38 Why students need to be supported and pushed
08:10 Launching multisensory literacy initiatives districtwide
09:28 Building Employability Through Targeted Programs
11:15 Handling Frustrated Customers Poorly
15:02 Tier 1 PBIS and universal SEL programming
16:46 Mindset Communication Transforms Student Behavior
18:17 "Challenges of a Large District"
23:00 Inclusive Education and Social Skills
Why You’ll Love This Episode
This episode offers a thoughtful systems-level look at how special education can evolve beyond compliance into meaningful student impact. Nicole shares practical strategies for embedding social-emotional learning into transition programming, expanding mental health supports through community partnerships, and strengthening universal Tier 1 systems.
You will also hear a powerful leadership lesson about mindset. Nicole emphasizes that behavior is communication, and that adults must regulate themselves first in order to help students regulate. Her practical de-escalation strategies and districtwide partnership models provide clear examples of how to create consistent, student-centered systems across a large organization.
Connect with Fran Kenton and Autonome
About Autonome
Autonome is the podcast where district leaders share practical, scalable ways to build students’ foundational life skills—wellbeing, identity and purpose, relationships, and executive function—so they can manage life today and be ready for what’s next.
If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to Autonome for more conversations with leaders shaping the future of student success.