De Facto Leaders

In this episode, I share my thoughts on two popular shows: "Love on the Spectrum" and "Atypical". *Please note: This episode is marked "explicit" because I discuss certain topics that may not be suitable for young children. Being someone who's spent a lot of time working with autistic people (as well as someone who doesn't identify as neurotypical), I procrastinated in watching these shows. I think I was afraid I'd hate what I saw, and that I'd be cringing the whole time. I finally sat down to watch them, and I wanted to share my thoughts on both of these shows, including: ✅What both shows got wrong when it comes to raising autism acceptance. ✅Where a lot of social skills interventions for autistic individuals fall short. ✅Why "curing" or "fixing" autism is not the point of intervention. ✅Which of these two shows I'll continue to watch and why. ✅How to help autistic people live functional, healthy lives. In this episode, I mentioned the Time Tracking Journal, which is a SIMPLE tool that will help you get through daily routines (like homework) with ease, WITHOUT bribery, arguments, or constant hand-holding. The Time Tracking Journal walks you through a strategy you can do in just 10-15 minutes a day that will help kids get tasks done effectively and efficiently, and critical thinking skills and self-confidence at the same time. You can learn how to get instant access here: https://drkarenspeech.lpages.co/time-tracking-journal-37-1/ The De Facto Leaders podcast was formerly the “Are they 18 yet?®” podcast. As of November 2022, the name of the show has changed, and we’ve shifted from a focus on parenting to a focus on supporting clinicians and educators to design effective services for kids (but parents are still welcome to listen). Episodes published before November 24, 2022 will still contain some of our old branding. 

Show Notes

In this episode, I share my thoughts on two popular shows: "Love on the Spectrum" and "Atypical".

*Please note: This episode is marked "explicit" because I discuss certain topics that may not be suitable for young children.


Being someone who's spent a lot of time working with autistic people (as well as someone who doesn't identify as neurotypical), I procrastinated in watching these shows.

I think I was afraid I'd hate what I saw, and that I'd be cringing the whole time.

I finally sat down to watch them, and I wanted to share my thoughts on both of these shows, including:

✅What both shows got wrong when it comes to raising autism acceptance.

✅Where a lot of
social skills interventions for autistic individuals fall short.
 
✅Why
"curing" or "fixing" autism is not the point of intervention.
 
✅Which of these two shows
I'll continue to watch and why.

✅How to help autistic people
live functional, healthy lives.

In this episode, I mentioned the Time Tracking Journal, which is a SIMPLE tool that will help you get through daily routines (like homework) with ease, WITHOUT bribery, arguments, or constant hand-holding.

The Time Tracking Journal walks you through a strategy you can do in just 10-15 minutes a day that will help kids get tasks done effectively and efficiently, and critical thinking skills and self-confidence at the same time. You can learn how to get instant access here: https://drkarenspeech.lpages.co/time-tracking-journal-37-1/

The De Facto Leaders podcast was formerly the “Are they 18 yet?®” podcast. As of November 2022, the name of the show has changed, and we’ve shifted from a focus on parenting to a focus on supporting clinicians and educators to design effective services for kids (but parents are still welcome to listen). Episodes published before November 24, 2022 will still contain some of our old branding. 

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. 

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:
  • Simplify and streamline technology
  • Save teachers’ time
  • Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
  • Improve student performance on state assessments
🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

Creators & Guests

RM
Editor
Rose Anne Miguel

What is De Facto Leaders?

On the De Facto Leaders podcast, host Dr. Karen Dudek-Brannan helps pediatric therapists and educators become better leaders, so they can make a bigger impact with their services. With over 15 years of experience supporting school-age kids with diverse learning needs, Dr. Karen shares up-to-date evidence-based practices, her own experiences and guest interviews designed to help clinicians, teachers, and aspiring school leaders feel more confident in the way they serve their students and clients. She’ll cover a range of topics designed to help you support students' emotional and academic growth and set kids up for success in adulthood, including how to support language, literacy, executive functioning, and how to help IEP teams working together to support kids across the day. Whether you want to learn more effective strategies for your therapy session or classroom, be a more influential leader on your team, or find creative ways to use your skills to advance in your career, Dr. Karen has you covered.