In this episode of Teaching Autism & Special Education with Nikki, we’re talking about echolalia - and why it’s not something to stop, fix, or correct.

Because echolalia isn’t “random.”
It isn’t meaningless.
And it definitely isn’t bad behavior.

Echolalia is communication.

This episode breaks down what echolalia really is, why students use it, and how we can respond in a way that honors neurodivergent communication instead of shutting it down.

• What echolalia actually is (immediate and delayed)

• Why repeating language is part of how many autistic students learn

• How echolalia supports processing, regulation, and connection

• Why scripting often increases during excitement, stress, or overwhelm

• What echolalia can tell you about a student’s needs and emotions

• Common mistakes adults make when responding to echolalia

• How to respond in a neuro-affirming, respectful way

• Why “use your own words” does more harm than good

• How to model meaning without correcting or pressuring

• Using echolalia as a bridge to flexible communication

• How visuals and AAC can support scripted language

• Why scripting can be a form of self-regulation

• How to gently expand scripts without forcing spontaneous speech

• What real progress with echolalia actually looks like

• How to support families in understanding and embracing scripting

• Echolalia is language under construction

• Repetition is learning, not copying

• Communication doesn’t have to be spontaneous to be meaningful

• Scripts often carry intention, emotion, and need

• Responding with curiosity builds connection faster than correction

💛 Free resources to support communication

If you’re listening and thinking, “I love this, but I need visuals, AAC supports, and ready-to-use tools…”
I’ve got you covered.

I have a Free Resource Library with over 200 free SPED resources you can download and start using straight away.. adapted books, visuals, communication supports, task boxes, crafts, data sheets, and more.

You can access it completely free here.

No fluff. No catch. Just resources to support real communication in real classrooms.

In this episode of Teaching Autism & Special Education with Nikki, we’re talking about communication, and not just speech.

Because every student communicates.
Not every student uses words.

And that doesn’t make their communication any less valid.

This episode is all about teaching communication beyond words... supporting non-verbal and minimally verbal students through AAC, visuals, gestures, body language, and modeling. Because communication is connection, and every child deserves to be heard in the way that works for them.

• Why communication is more than spoken language

• What counts as communication (spoiler: a lot more than people think)

• Why speech shouldn’t be the only goal

• The pressure students feel when communication doesn’t feel safe

• What a total communication environment actually looks like

• How to support communication using gestures, visuals, signs, and AAC together

• Why AAC gives access to language, not dependence

• The importance of modeling AAC all day, not just during “speech time”

• How body language is often the first form of communication

• Why visuals reduce anxiety and increase understanding

• The power of modeling over prompting

• Why all communication attempts deserve celebration

• How to partner with families around AAC and alternative communication

• What to do when communication breaks down

• Why connection matters more than correctness

• Speech is one form of communication.. not the only one

• Functional communication is independence

• AAC doesn’t replace speech, it supports it

• If communication works, students will use it more

• Being understood is more important than being verbal

If you’ve ever worked with a student who communicates differently, through gestures, visuals, AAC, or behavior, this episode will help you shift your perspective and respond with confidence and compassion.

🎧 Listen in and let’s talk about how honoring all communication builds trust, autonomy, and real connection.

In this episode of Teaching Autism & Special Education with Nikki, we’re talking about something that so many of our students get told every day... “Sit still and focus.”

And honestly? For neurodivergent learners, that expectation just doesn’t make sense.

Movement isn’t a distraction.
It’s a need.

This episode breaks down why movement is essential for regulation and learning, how it supports focus instead of ruining it, and how you can build movement into your classroom in a way that feels structured, fun, and totally doable.

• Why “still = focused” is one of the biggest classroom myths

• How movement helps regulate the nervous system

• What movement actually does to the brain (hello dopamine and oxygen)

• Why rocking, fidgeting, pacing, and wiggling are forms of self-regulation

• What happens when movement needs aren’t met

• How to reframe movement as a learning tool instead of a behavior issue

• Why movement breaks are a regulation strategy, not a reward

• How to use short, predictable movement breaks throughout the day

• Everyday movement ideas that reset the room fast

• Why themed movement breaks work so well for engagement

• How to tie movement into classroom themes, seasons, and holidays

• Why movement should be predictable, not earned

• Teaching students to notice when their bodies need to move

• How structure actually makes movement less chaotic, not more

• Sitting still does not equal learning

• Movement helps brains organize and stay regulated

• When movement is built in, chaos goes down

• Predictable movement prevents sensory overload

• Movement supports attention, regulation, and confidence

If you’ve ever worried that letting students move will “undo” your classroom routines, this episode will help you see movement differently, as something that supports learning instead of competing with it.

🎧 Listen in and let’s talk about how movement, when used intentionally, helps students feel regulated, engaged, and ready to learn.