Kids Master Skills BLOG

The first few weeks of school often go smoothly. Everyone is fresh, polite, and hopeful. But for many Autistic students, that “honeymoon” depends on masking—suppressing natural regulation needs and social communication differences to blend in.

But as  I reflect on this now —both as a neuroaffirming OT and as an Autistic person—I see something different. I see a child whose nervous system is communicating . . . something.

When it comes to supporting autistic children, one question I am often asked by occupational therapists is this: “How do I work with an...