Autism & Speech Delays Made Easy Dr. Mary Barbera

In this rebroadcast, Dr. Mary Barbera discusses how to use techniques from Miss Rachel's popular YouTube channel, "Miss Rachel Songs for Littles," to support children with speech delays or autism. Miss Rachel's videos, which employ video modeling and proven speech therapy methods, offer valuable resources for language development. While screen time should be limited, using educational content like Miss Rachel's can be beneficial. Creating personalized videos can also help to enhance speech skills.

Dr. Mary Barbera interviews Dr. Erin Michaud, an expert in autism research, discussing early detection and intervention for developmental delays and autism. They cover topics such as recognizing early markers like eye contact and cooing, the importance of parent training, and tailored interventions such as speech and behavioral therapy. Dr. Michaud also highlights the differences between developmental delays and autism, emphasizing early action and continuous support to improve outcomes.

Struggling with picky eating in your child? You’re not alone. In this episode, Dr. Mary Barbera discusses the common causes of picky eating, the link between autism and selective eating, and the potential for serious issues like failure to thrive. Learn seven practical tips to address picky eating, including conducting assessments, creating an easy-medium-hard food list, stopping snacking between meals, introducing nutrient-dense foods, maintaining a consistent feeding schedule, and gradually introducing new foods. 

In this classic rebroadcast, Dr. Mary Barbera goes over six strategies based on Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) to manage toddler tantrums and enhance communication. There are three preventative measures focused on positive reinforcement, one-word repetition, and structured interactions to reduce tantrum occurrences. There are also three reactive strategies emphasizing safety, stopping attention, and planned ignoring to handle tantrums effectively. Using these tools to create a positive learning environment and minimize attention to negative behavior, parents and educators can foster better communication and reduce tantrums in kids.

Dr. Mary Barbera covers how to enhance speech therapy goals for children with delays. Learn from real-life experiences, including insight from Lucas’s speech therapy journey. Avoid common pitfalls like generic goal banks and ensure goals are tailored to each child’s unique needs, strategies for toddlers, emphasizing realistic milestones and parental involvement. Use these tips and see how therapy sessions become more effective and empowering for children's development.

Dr. Mary Barbera discusses contrasting methods of gentle parenting and Positive Toddler Parenting™ in addressing toddler behavior, focusing on the response to hitting. While gentle parenting emphasizes empathy and teaching moments, Positive Toddler Parenting™ advocates for immediate intervention and minimal acknowledgment of negative emotions during the incident.Both approaches aim to nurture emotionally intelligent children, yet differ in their strategies for managing challenging behaviors.