The ABA Speech Podcast- Easy Strategies for Speech Therapists, BCBAs, and RBTs

What are clinicians really asking when they want to feel more confident supporting autistic learners? I’m answering the five questions that show up most often in my inbox, DMs, course evaluations, and conversations with members of the ABA Speech Connection.
AAC is at the top of the list. I’m sharing why becoming comfortable with a learner’s device matters, what to consider during the AAC assessment process, and why vocabulary should be meaningful across the learner’s day. Our students deserve access to communication now, not after we feel perfectly prepared.
I’m also digging into SLP-BCBA collaboration and gestalt language processing. Curiosity, communication, and strong soft skills can make a huge difference when professionals approach treatment differently. We can stay grounded in evidence-based practice while listening to one another and keeping the learner at the center.
We’ll also look at joint attention, naturalistic intervention, and parent training. Whether we’re using books, music, and play or helping families understand communication goals, we need to know why we’re teaching a skill and how it will make a meaningful difference in everyday life.
#autism #speechtherapy
What’s Inside:
Getting started with AAC assessment, vocabulary, and implementation
Strengthening SLP-BCBA collaboration, especially around AAC and gestalt language processing
Building joint attention through naturalistic, functional intervention
Making parent training more meaningful by understanding communication goals and developmental milestones
Mentioned In This Episode:
Gestalt Super Pack
ASHA
Episode #121: Core Vocabulary and Typical Language Development with Allison Bean and Bethany Frick Semmler
Say It With Me by Rose Griffin
AAC Mastery for SLPs and BCBAs
Earn CEUs with a community of peers. Join the ABA Speech Connection
ABA Speech: Home

Selective mutism isn’t a choice, defiance, or simply being shy. It’s about being unable to speak when speaking is socially expected because anxiety can make communication feel incredibly difficult.
Chelsea Gamache brings such an important perspective to this topic, both as a BCBA and as someone diagnosed with selective mutism at age five. We talk about what selective mutism can actually look like, including whispering, using an altered voice, or communicating freely at home while being unable to speak at school or in the community.
One of my biggest takeaways is the importance of meeting learners where they are. We can use behavioral principles like positive reinforcement, gradual exposure, shaping, stimulus fading, and visual supports, but we also have to understand the anxiety component. Communication should never become something we pressure out of a learner.
#autism #speechtherapy
What’s Inside:
Why selective mutism is different from shyness, defiance, or choosing not to speak
How pressure to communicate can make people and environments feel unsafe
Using gradual exposure, reinforcement, shaping, and stimulus fading compassionately
Why collaboration, family involvement, and learner autonomy matter
Mentioned In This Episode:
Chelsea on TikTok
Outloud the Selective Mutism Podcast
SMART Center
I Am Brave
Child Mind Institute
Boston Child Study Center
Selective Mutism Association
Say It With Me by Rose Griffin
AAC Mastery for SLPs and BCBAs
Earn CEUs with a community of peers. Join the ABA Speech Connection

Functional communication is about more than getting a learner to request. It’s about helping them communicate what they want and need spontaneously, across people, places, and real-life situations.
Ashley Whitaker joins me to share practical clinical shifts that can make a big difference for autistic learners, especially those who are prompt dependent or seem stuck in their communication progress. We talk about why a simple prompt like “What do you want?” can unintentionally become a barrier to spontaneous communication, and how we can create a stronger connection between motivation and independent requesting.
We also dig into data collection and why tracking both prompted and spontaneous communication gives us valuable information about whether a learner needs more opportunities or a change in programming. Ashley shares practical ways to build communication opportunities throughout the day without making every interaction feel like a structured therapy trial.
Finally, we explore speech clarity and teaching functional communication before moments of escalation. When learners practice responses like “more time,” “all done,” or “no” outside of crisis situations, we can help them build communication skills they can actually access when they need them most.
#autism #speechtherapy
What’s Inside:
Reducing verbal prompts to encourage spontaneous communication
Using prompted and independent communication data to guide programming
Supporting speech clarity with slower, exaggerated vocal models
Practicing functional communication before escalation occurs
Mentioned In This Episode:
VB-MAPP
The Verbal Behavior Approach
Lighthouse Autism Center
Say It With Me by Rose Griffin
AAC Mastery for SLPs and BCBAs
Earn CEUs with a community of peers. Join the ABA Speech Connection
ABA Speech: Home

Mealtimes are full of natural opportunities for communication, connection, and friendship, but we may be overlooking just how valuable those moments can be.
Dr. Katherine Bateman joins me to explore Snack Talk, a simple visual communication support designed to help learners engage with peers during meals and snacks. We talk about using personalized questions and visual choices to make communication accessible across modalities, including speech, gestures, AAC, and other forms of communication.
What I love about Snack Talk is how practical it is. We can build visuals around what our learners genuinely enjoy, rotate topics to keep them meaningful, and use prompting to support engagement without making implementation complicated. Katie also shares how this approach can help educators become more intentional during typically unstructured times while creating opportunities for SLPs, BCBAs, teachers, and paraprofessionals to collaborate.
Ultimately, this is about more than answering social questions. It is about belonging, friendship, and giving learners meaningful ways to connect with the people around them.
#autism #speechtherapy
What’s Inside:
Why mealtimes are an underused opportunity for social communication
How Snack Talk supports different communication modalities
Ways to individualize visual supports around interests, culture, and preferences
Using Snack Talk to foster peer relationships and interdisciplinary collaboration
Mentioned In This Episode:
Visual Supports to Increase Conversation Engagement for Preschoolers With Autism Spectrum Disorder During Mealtimes
Snack Talk
Haring Center for Inclusive Education, University of Washington
Say It With Me by Rose Griffin
AAC Mastery for SLPs and BCBAs
Earn CEUs with a community of peers. Join the ABA Speech Connection
ABA Speech: Home

Have you ever picked up an assessment and thought, “This still isn’t giving me the information I need?”
That’s why I’m so excited to introduce you to the Meaningful Outcomes Treatment and Assessment Scale, or MOTAS. Dr. Anika Hoybjerg shares how she and co-creator Casey Barron developed a comprehensive assessment that keeps meaningful, individualized outcomes at the center.
What immediately stood out to me is how practical and approachable the MOTAS feels. It addresses areas like communication, flexibility, social behavior, transitions, personal care, leisure, self-awareness, and perspective taking. There is also an Early Learner version that incorporates developmental milestones and AAC considerations.
I especially love the LOOP interviews, which bring clients, caregivers, and other professionals directly into treatment planning. Instead of assuming what matters most, we can ask, prioritize, and continue checking whether our goals are actually meaningful. That collaboration can make such a difference in creating functional treatment plans that support independence and quality of life.
#autism #speechtherapy
What’s Inside:
How the MOTAS fills gaps Dr. Hoybjerg noticed in existing assessments
Using LOOP interviews to prioritize meaningful goals with clients and caregivers
How the MOTAS supports individualized, collaborative treatment planning
Who can use the MOTAS and why it was designed to be approachable for clinicians
Mentioned In This Episode:
Get the MOTAS
ABA Education Center
Say It With Me by Rose Griffin
AAC Mastery for SLPs and BCBAs
Earn CEUs with a community of peers. Join the ABA Speech Connection
ABA Speech: Home