Teaching Autism and Special Education by Nikki

Teaching Autism
  • 4.5 (42)
  • Education
  • Updated Biweekly

Hi, I’m Nikki —a passionate special educator, autism specialist, and founder of Teaching Autism. With over a decade of experience creating hands-on, engaging resources for educators worldwide, I’m here to make your teaching journey easier, more effective, and a lot more fun! With each episode, I’ll bring you practical tips, creative strategies, and inspiring insights to help you thrive in your autism and special education classroom. From tackling behavior challenges to creating meaningful lesson plans, we’ll dive deep into what works—and what doesn’t—in the world of special education. You’ll find: ✅ Real-world strategies you can use tomorrow. ✅ Expert advice for creating inclusive, student-centered classrooms. ✅ Honest conversations about the joys and challenges of teaching. ✅ Plenty of laughs, relatable moments, and inspiration to keep you going. Whether you’re a seasoned educator, new to special education, or simply looking to level up your teaching game, this podcast is your go-to resource for empowering yourself and your students. Join me on this journey, and let’s build better classrooms together! Hit “subscribe” and tune in to each episode to fill your teaching toolbox with fresh ideas, tools, and motivation. Let’s make teaching less stressful and a whole lot more impactful!

  1. 14h ago

    The Function Of "I Don't Care"

    The Function of “I Don’t Care” Have you ever tried to give a student feedback, only to be met with a shrug, an eye roll, and “I don’t care”? In this episode, we’re looking beyond the words to explore what “I don’t care” might actually be communicating - because often, it’s not about a lack of caring at all. We’ll chat about: Why “I don’t care” can be protective language How anxiety, embarrassment, and fear of failure can hide behind dismissiveness The connection between shame and defensive responses Why caring publicly can feel vulnerable, especially for older students How emotional overload can make it harder to communicate what’s really going on What to avoid saying in the moment How to respond calmly without creating a power struggle Sometimes “I don’t care” really means “This matters more than I know how to handle.” So instead of reacting to the words themselves, try asking: “What might this student be protecting right now?” Because when we respond to the emotion underneath the words, we create space for regulation, connection, and a much more productive conversation later.

  2. Oct 2

    PDA Profiles in the Classroom

    PDA Profiles in the Classroom Have you ever worked with a student who seems to resist even the smallest everyday demands - sometimes even things they actually want to do? In this episode, we’re talking about PDA profiles in the classroom and how anxiety, autonomy, and nervous system responses can contribute to extreme demand avoidance. We’ll chat about: What a PDA profile can look like in autistic students Why everyday demands can sometimes trigger such intense reactions The connection between demand avoidance, anxiety, and autonomy Why traditional behavior strategies and power struggles can make things worse Ways to reduce the pressure around everyday classroom demands How choice, collaboration, and flexible language can support students Why not every student who avoids demands has a PDA profile Supporting a demand-avoidant student doesn’t mean removing every expectation or letting them do whatever they want. Sometimes, the most helpful shift is moving away from “How do I make them comply?” and instead asking: “How can I lower the threat and increase their sense of autonomy in this moment?”

  3. Sep 25

    Rejection Sensitivity and Explosive Reactions

    Rejection Sensitivity and Explosive Reactions Have you ever given what felt like a tiny piece of feedback, only for a student to have a huge emotional reaction? In this episode, we’re talking about rejection sensitivity - an intense emotional response to perceived criticism, rejection, or failure that can sometimes lead to tears, anger, defensiveness, shutdown, or refusal. We’ll chat about: What rejection sensitivity can look like in neurodivergent students Why seemingly small corrections can feel so much bigger How repeated experiences of being corrected can shape a student’s response to feedback Why explosive reactions aren’t necessarily about manipulation or control What not to say when a student is already overwhelmed Simple ways to deliver feedback more safely and effectively How we can gradually build resilience around mistakes and correction Understanding rejection sensitivity doesn’t mean avoiding feedback or excusing unsafe behavior. It means recognizing that sometimes when we say, “Let’s try that again,” a student may hear something completely different. And understanding that difference can help us respond with care, steadiness, and connection instead of conflict.

  4. Sep 18

    Why Behavior Changes With Substitute Teachers

    Why Behavior Changes With Substitute Teachers Ever noticed how even your most regulated students can seem completely different when there’s a substitute teacher in the classroom? In this episode, we’re talking about why behavior can change when a familiar teacher is absent - and why it often has much more to do with predictability, regulation, and nervous system safety than simply “testing the sub.” We’ll chat about: Why predictability can be so important for autistic students How a change in teacher can increase stress and uncertainty The role familiar adults can play in co-regulation Why “testing boundaries” may actually be a student gathering information about a new adult How masking and regulation can change on substitute days Simple ways to prepare students and make substitute days feel more predictable What substitute teachers can do to support regulation When a student behaves differently with a substitute teacher, instead of immediately assuming defiance, consider what changed in their environment. Because sometimes behavior isn’t about the person standing in front of them. It’s about the familiar pattern that suddenly changed.

  5. Sep 11

    The After-School Restraint Collapse

    The After-School Restraint Collapse Have you ever heard, “They’re perfect at school… but the second they get home, they completely fall apart”? In this episode, we’re talking about after-school restraint collapse - when a child spends the day holding it together, masking, managing sensory input, following expectations, and regulating their emotions, only to release everything once they reach a safe space. We’ll chat about: What after-school restraint collapse can look like Why a child can appear completely “fine” at school but struggle at home The huge amount of energy that masking and constant self-regulation can require Why parents and teachers can see two very different sides of the same child How schools can reduce the build-up of stress throughout the day Simple ways parents can support decompression after school Instead of measuring how well a child is coping by how calm they appear at school, we need to consider how much effort that calm might be taking. Because sometimes the meltdown at the end of the day isn’t about one tiny thing going wrong. It’s the nervous system finally saying, “I can stop holding it together now.”

  6. Sep 4

    Micro-Stressors That Build to Meltdowns

    Micro-Stressors That Build to Meltdowns Sometimes a meltdown can feel like it came completely out of nowhere - but often, there’s been a whole day of tiny stressors quietly building in the background. In this episode, we’re talking about micro-stressors: the small sensory, social, emotional, and environmental demands that can gradually fill a student’s “stress bucket” until their nervous system reaches overload. We’ll chat about: What micro-stressors can look like in the classroom Why autistic students may experience them more intensely The “final straw” effect and why the last trigger often isn’t the real cause Early signs that a student’s stress bucket is filling Simple ways to build regulation and decompression into the school day Why breaks should be preventative - not something students have to earn Instead of asking “What caused that meltdown?”, this episode encourages us to ask: “What filled the bucket today?” A simple shift that can help us move from reacting to meltdowns to proactively supporting regulation in a neuro-affirming way.

  7. Aug 21

    Behavior That Looks Manipulative But Isn’t

    Have you ever heard someone say, “They know exactly what they’re doing,” “They’re playing us,” or “They’re just being manipulative”? The word manipulative gets thrown around pretty quickly in schools and special education settings. But once we give a student that label, it can completely change the way we see - and respond to - their behavior. In this episode of Teaching Autism and Special Education, we’re looking at behavior that can look manipulative from the outside, but may actually be a response to distress, dysregulation, communication difficulties, or a missing skill. We’ll talk about situations like crying when work is presented, escalating after being told no, and behaving completely differently depending on which adult is around. While these behaviors can sometimes look calculated, there’s often much more happening underneath the surface. We’ll also explore the nervous system side of behavior and how fight, flight, freeze, and fawn responses can easily be mistaken for intentional control or avoidance. In This Episode, We Talk About: Why labeling a student as “manipulative” can be harmful What true manipulation actually requires Why crying to escape a difficult task doesn’t necessarily mean a student is manipulating you Why students may behave differently with different members of staff What can really be happening when a student escalates after hearing “no” How frustration tolerance and emotional regulation affect behavior The role of fight, flight, freeze, and fawn responses The important difference between reinforcement and manipulation How children naturally learn patterns based on what happens after a behavior Why we should look for the missing skill instead of assigning negative intent Practical ways to teach replacement communication and regulation skills How to maintain boundaries without turning behavior into a power struggle One of the biggest takeaways from this episode is that reinforcement does not automatically equal manipulation. A child can learn that a particular behavior results in escape, attention, or relief without sitting there and deliberately planning how to control the adults around them. Instead of asking, “How are they trying to manipulate me?” we can ask: What skill might be missing here? Do they need support with communication? Emotional regulation? Frustration tolerance? Executive functioning? Asking for help or requesting a break? Changing that question can completely change our response. You can still hold boundaries. You can still say no. You can still have expectations and protect the needs of everyone in your classroom. But we can do all of those things without villainizing the child. The next time you hear behavior described as manipulative, ask yourself: Is this strategy… or survival? That one question might change how an entire team responds to a student.

  8. Aug 13

    The Nervous System Behind Escalation

    Why can a student seem completely fine one minute and suddenly become overwhelmed the next? In this episode of Teaching Autism and Special Education with Nikki, we’re looking at what’s actually happening in the brain and body during escalation and why understanding the nervous system can completely change the way we respond to behavior. Escalation is often a stress response. Sensory overload, difficult demands, unexpected changes, social pressure, fatigue, hunger, and lots of other small stressors can build throughout the day until a student reaches their tipping point. In This Episode, We Talk About: What happens in the brain and body during escalation Fight, flight, freeze, and fawn responses Why escalation is often cumulative Early warning signs of dysregulation Why reasoning and lecturing don’t work at the peak What students need from us during escalation How our own regulation can influence the situation What to consider when escalation happens frequently Escalation is information. It tells us that, in that moment, a student’s capacity was exceeded. Instead of asking, “How do I stop this behavior?”, try asking: “What did their nervous system just detect?” That can change the way we understand and respond to escalation.

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About

Hi, I’m Nikki —a passionate special educator, autism specialist, and founder of Teaching Autism. With over a decade of experience creating hands-on, engaging resources for educators worldwide, I’m here to make your teaching journey easier, more effective, and a lot more fun! With each episode, I’ll bring you practical tips, creative strategies, and inspiring insights to help you thrive in your autism and special education classroom. From tackling behavior challenges to creating meaningful lesson plans, we’ll dive deep into what works—and what doesn’t—in the world of special education. You’ll find: ✅ Real-world strategies you can use tomorrow. ✅ Expert advice for creating inclusive, student-centered classrooms. ✅ Honest conversations about the joys and challenges of teaching. ✅ Plenty of laughs, relatable moments, and inspiration to keep you going. Whether you’re a seasoned educator, new to special education, or simply looking to level up your teaching game, this podcast is your go-to resource for empowering yourself and your students. Join me on this journey, and let’s build better classrooms together! Hit “subscribe” and tune in to each episode to fill your teaching toolbox with fresh ideas, tools, and motivation. Let’s make teaching less stressful and a whole lot more impactful!

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