In this episode Melanie is sharing all of the new and exciting things that have been happening. Melanie discusses her new job, future episode ideas, and the weird world of starting a new job virtually during Covid-19. Enjoy!





Today, Melanie is going to cover part 2 of trauma informed approaches, and why is it important to educate ourselves about the impacts of trauma on our students. If you haven't listened to Part 1 of this series about trauma informed approaches, it is recommended that you go back and listen to that episode before enjoying Part 2. Melanie is also going to be covering more about compassion fatigue and what we can do to avoid it. Enjoy!

In this episode Melanie is going to be talking about trauma and how it impacts a student’s behavior at school. She is going to be talking about how trauma affects the brain and how educators can be more aware and informed about how trauma impacts students. You will really love this episode and it will give you a perspective that you might never have considered. Enjoy!

In this episode Melanie is going to be sharing some lessons learned from her first virtual IEP meeting. If you are a teacher or a parent there are tips and strategies for both groups! . I hope this episode is helpful as we all try to figure out this new normal of virtual IEP meetings!



In this episode Melanie is sharing how distance learning has been going for her and some of the emotions that have come up over these past couple of weeks. She is opening up to you all in hopes that if you are feeling how she is feeling then you know you’re not alone. There have been ups and downs and she will be sharing how she has been getting through those feelings.



Today's episode is from the Extraordinary Moms Podcast hosted by my beautiful sister in-law! In this episode we dive into why Autism is my passion and we also touch on next steps for parents who are unsure if their child might be on the Autism Spectrum. I love this episode and it was such a blast to be apart of Jessica's amazing podcast.

This episode goes into how to set up your environment at home to ensure your student is being productive. I also touch on this amazing opportunity to encourage your student to be independent and in charge of their own learning. In addition to this, I am also celebrating all the families who working so hard to partner with their student's teacher on this new learning adventure! Enjoy!

In today's episode we are celebrating my friend Christopher! Christopher has Autism and today we are chatting with his mom Cynthia about their family's journey with Autism. Cynthia also gives some great advice on what kind of resources are out there for families who have children with Autism, as well as how to be a great advocate for your own child . I promise you will enjoy this conversation!

In this episode Melanie shares a couple of strategies to make distance learning easier for parents of students with Autism. She talks about the importance of a daily visual schedule and how to add reinforcement into your day to get the most from your child while at the same time keeping it fun and light. I really hope this is helpful in this time of uncertainty. Please enjoy!

In today’s episode Melanie will be talking about how to handle chaos and uncertainty around your children. Melanie shares about her experience at school when she had to tell her students that school will be closed for a few weeks and how that impacted her students. She will also talk about how to have discussions with your children at home and how to maintain calm energy during chaotic times. Please enjoy and stay healthy!



In this episode we are going to be focusing on how to provide voice and choice to your students. Providing choice to your students or children at home can avoid potential power struggles. This is an easy strategy to add to your classroom or home routine. Melanie also talks about how to incorporate playlists into the classroom and you can find two different examples of playlists under the resources tab .

I am so excited to have our first guest on the podcast! Her name is Sarah Roddy and she is a 4th grade general education teacher. We talk about inclusion, technology, and how giving choices can help avoid the power struggle. We share an amazing story celebrating autism and a specific student's social success!

Teaching a new skill takes a lot of practice! Video modeling is an effective way of teaching new routines and skills because you can show the video as many times as you need until the skill is apart of your routine. Click on the link above to get started with video modeling!

Going new places or trying new things can be overwhelming! In this episode, Melanie gives some great tips and tricks to make new adventures not so scary. Take some notes and start getting out there in your community!


Episode 3

Parents and teachers: Do you want that awesome expected behavior to happen more often? Meanie talks about the amazing things you can do with the token economy in this episode! You will not want to miss it!


Episode 2

In this episode, Melanie shares the importance of building meaningful relationships with students as well as strategies for creating a positive classroom environment.


Episode 1

In this episode Melanie will be sharing a little more about herself and the experiences that have lead her to where she is today. Enjoy getting to know a little bit more about our host!