In this insightful episode, we sit down with educator, writer, and advocate Meghan Ashburn to explore how we can better support autistic students—both in and out of the classroom. Meghan shares her journey from teacher to autism advocate and how listening to autistic voices reshaped her entire approach.

We dive into:

• Why general education teachers are crucial allies for autistic students

• How schools can become more neuro-affirming and inclusive spaces

• The importance of centering autistic perspectives in both parenting and education

• Shifting away from behavior-focused strategies to more compassionate, neurodiversity-affirming support

📚 Resources Mentioned:

• Beyond Behaviors by Dr. Mona Delahooke

• Uniquely Human by Barry M. Prizant

• The Reason I Jump by Naoki Higashida

• Meghan’s website: Not an Autism Mom

• The Au-some Book Club – a community for learning alongside autistic voices

📝 Read Meghan's Articles:

• "Gen Ed Teachers Hold the Key" – a powerful call to action for inclusive education

• "Make the School Library More Accessible to Autistic & Disabled Kids"
  

In this episode of Regulated & Relational, Julie Beem and Ginger Healy discuss the concept of self-compassion, drawing insights from Dr. Kristin Neff's work. Dr. Neff, a researcher in the field, defines self-compassion as treating yourself with the same kindness you'd offer a close friend. She breaks it into three elements: mindfulness (being aware of struggles), connection (understanding we're not alone in challenges), and kindness to self (responding with warmth instead of self-criticism).

Julie shares her own struggles with self-compassion and how it can be difficult to confront pain, often either ignoring it or fighting it. Self-compassion, according to Dr. Neff, allows people to pause, acknowledge the difficulty, and respond with care.

Dr. Neff emphasizes that self-compassion isn’t just a feel-good idea; it literally rewires the brain by activating the parasympathetic nervous system and increasing emotional regulation. It improves mental and physical health, supports decision-making, reduces stress, and enhances resilience.

Julie and Ginger also provide five practical ways to incorporate more self-compassion into daily life, including mindfulness, self-care, journaling, connection with loved ones, and positive self-talk.

Supporting Resources

Dr. Kristin Neff

https://self-compassion.org/

Dr. Neff’s books

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=dr+kristen+neff&crid=218H6KXMNYTJ&sprefix=dr+kristin+neff%2Caps%2C145&ref=nb_sb_noss_1

Join Ginger and Julie as they wrap up the season by talking about brain lessons.

A little basic brain knowledge can go a long way in understanding behaviors and supporting children in your home or the classroom. Understanding brain development enables us to respond compassionately and helps children—and adults—thrive.

Brains grow from the bottom up and the inside out. Although babies are born with brain structures in place, the development and activation of areas of the brain happen sequentially - from the bottom up and inside out.

Brain development occurs sequentially, from the bottom up and inside out. Neural growth depends on environmental experiences, relationships, and developmental readiness—stages cannot be skipped. Chronic stress and trauma can disrupt this process, wiring the brain to expect stress and react to it intensely. However, due to neuroplasticity, the brain can adapt, heal, and reorganize itself, offering hope for those affected by trauma.

Building resilience involves managing stress through deep breathing, meditation, proper sleep, hydration, nutrition, and healthy relationships. Caregivers play a vital role by offering responsive, nurturing care that supports neural tuning (strengthening) and pruning (removing unused connections). These processes help children learn trust, self-regulation, and efficient learning. Storytelling also fosters brain development by soothing stress responses and enhancing connection.

Supporting Resources

Dr. Wendy Suzuki

https://www.wendysuzuki.com/

Good Anxiety

https://a.co/d/7jsv01N

Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett

https://lisafeldmanbarrett.com/

7 ½ lessons on the brain book

https://a.co/d/fq0zTlx

Dr. Bessel Van der kolk -Trauma Research Institute

https://traumaresearchfoundation.org/programs/faculty/bessel-van-der-kolk/

Jessica Sinarski- Light up the Learning Brain

https://a.co/d/fR1gXhb