When school ends for the summer, adults may wonder how to continue to support Autistic children. They may wonder how to help them keep learning and developing and thriving?

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.