The Autism Helper Podcast

Executive function is one of those terms we hear all the time, but what does it actually look like in the classroom? In this episode, Dr. Nicole Tibbits breaks down executive function in plain language and shows where it shows up in everyday classroom moments that often go unlabeled. We talk about how EF demands differ for our students compared to their neurotypical peers, why a student might be able to do something one day and not the next, and how to tell the difference between true noncompliance and an executive function breakdown. Dr. Tibbits also shares practical, low-lift strategies you can try tomorrow with no new materials, ways to make abstract concepts like time and planning concrete, and how emotional regulation fits into the bigger EF picture. You'll walk away with a fresh perspective and one key mindset shift that can change how you see and support your students.
Dr. Nicole Tibbits, PsyD, is a clinical psychologist at the Child Psychology Center in Carlsbad, CA, specializing in autism, ADHD, learning differences, and executive function support for kids, teens, and their families. Follow Dr. Tibbits on Instagram @dr.nicoletibbits
Episode Transcription.
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If your class fell apart this week and September felt fine, you're not doing anything wrong - this is the week it always happens. Novelty wears off around week four or five, students start testing the real limits, and it feels like everything you built collapsed. But the spike isn't failure. It's the predictable next phase, and it's information about where the gaps are.
In this episode, I walk through what to do instead of starting over: expecting the spike so you don't take it personally, reteaching your routines instead of scrapping them, fixing the one time of day where behavior slips most, refreshing stale reinforcement, and holding steady. Don't restart - reteach. The teachers who hold steady through October have the calmest rooms in December.
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Interested in our Year-Long Curriculum Access Subscription? Learn more about it here: https://theautismhelper.com/tah-curriculum-access/
Join the waitlist for our Professional Development Membership: https://shop.theautismhelper.com/pages/membership-waitlist
Want more information about The Autism Helper Courses? Visit: https://theautismhelper.com/courses/
Looking for a specific product or resource? Find it in our new Autism Helper Store! https://shop.theautismhelper.com/
Or visit The Autism Helper store on TpT: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/The-Autism-Helper
Stay up to date on all things Autism Helper by downloading our new, FREE app! Available on both the App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/the-autism-helper/id1557724340 & Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mightybell.theautismhelper&hl=en_US&gl=US
Get all updates from The Autism Helper Podcast by clicking subscribe above. Head over to theautismhelper.com for more info. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest @theautismhelper.

Our Sponsors:
* Check out Factor and use my code factormeals.com/sasha50off for a great deal: https://www.factor75.com
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In this episode, we're talking about prompt fading and why the start of the school year is the perfect time to plan for it. Those first weeks are naturally full of support, but the prompts we add in August can quietly become the prompts students depend on all year. We'll do a quick refresher on the prompt hierarchy and share five practical steps to take this month: picking priority routines, finding baselines, writing a simple fade plan, getting your whole team using the same prompt language, and building in wait time. We'll also cover the common pitfalls that stall progress, like hovering and repeated verbal prompts. You'll leave with one small challenge to start building independence this week.
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Interested in our Year-Long Curriculum Access Subscription? Learn more about it here: https://theautismhelper.com/tah-curriculum-access/
Join the waitlist for our Professional Development Membership: https://shop.theautismhelper.com/pages/membership-waitlist
Want more information about The Autism Helper Courses? Visit: https://theautismhelper.com/courses/
Looking for a specific product or resource? Find it in our new Autism Helper Store! https://shop.theautismhelper.com/
Or visit The Autism Helper store on TpT: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/The-Autism-Helper
Stay up to date on all things Autism Helper by downloading our new, FREE app! Available on both the App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/the-autism-helper/id1557724340 & Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mightybell.theautismhelper&hl=en_US&gl=US
Get all updates from The Autism Helper Podcast by clicking subscribe above. Head over to theautismhelper.com for more info. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest @theautismhelper.

Our Sponsors:
* Check out Factor and use my code factormeals.com/sasha50off for a great deal: https://www.factor75.com
* Check out Talkiatry and use my code talkiatry.com/SASHA for a great deal: https://www.talkiatry.com

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Sometimes the off-task behavior, the wandering, the "he just won't listen" moment isn't defiance at all - it's confusion. When a direction is unclear, students don't know what we expect, so they fill the gap with something else, and we read that as a behavior problem. Before long, we're in a power struggle over a direction the student never understood. The fix usually isn't a bigger consequence - it's a clearer direction.
In this episode, I break down how to give verbal directions that are clear, concrete, and focused on what to do instead of what not to do: waiting until you have a student's attention, keeping directions positive and specific, not stacking too many at once, avoiding phrasing directions as questions when the task isn't optional, repeating purposefully instead of rewording, giving real wait time, and offering a quick "why" to earn buy-in.
Before your next consequence, ask yourself: was that direction clear, positive, singular - and did I give it time to land? Sometimes the most powerful thing we can change isn't the student. It's the sentence.
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Interested in our Year-Long Curriculum Access Subscription? Learn more about it here: https://theautismhelper.com/tah-curriculum-access/
Join the waitlist for our Professional Development Membership: https://shop.theautismhelper.com/pages/membership-waitlist
Want more information about The Autism Helper Courses? Visit: https://theautismhelper.com/courses/
Looking for a specific product or resource? Find it in our new Autism Helper Store! https://shop.theautismhelper.com/
Or visit The Autism Helper store on TpT: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/The-Autism-Helper
Stay up to date on all things Autism Helper by downloading our new, FREE app! Available on both the App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/the-autism-helper/id1557724340 & Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mightybell.theautismhelper&hl=en_US&gl=US
Get all updates from The Autism Helper Podcast by clicking subscribe above. Head over to theautismhelper.com for more info. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest @theautismhelper.

Our Sponsors:
* Check out Factor and use my code factormeals.com/sasha50off for a great deal: https://www.factor75.com
* Check out Talkiatry and use my code talkiatry.com/SASHA for a great deal: https://www.talkiatry.com

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When is the last time your data actually changed a decision you made? In this episode, we're getting honest about the difference between data collection and data use - and how compliance culture has turned one of our most important tools into busywork. We talk about what meaningful data systems look like, why collecting less is often more effective, and how to build a practice where data actually drives instruction instead of just filling binders.
Cooper, Heron & Heward (2020). Applied behavior analysis (3rd ed.). Pearson.
Stecker et al. (2005). Using curriculum-based measurement to improve student achievement. Psychology in the Schools.
Come join the conversation! Find us on Instagram at @theautismhelper and TikTok at @theautismhelper - drop your hot take in the comments and let us know where you land on this one.
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Interested in our Year-Long Curriculum Access Subscription? Learn more about it here: https://theautismhelper.com/tah-curriculum-access/
Join the waitlist for our Professional Development Membership: https://shop.theautismhelper.com/pages/membership-waitlist
Want more information about The Autism Helper Courses? Visit: https://theautismhelper.com/courses/
Looking for a specific product or resource? Find it in our new Autism Helper Store! https://shop.theautismhelper.com/
Or visit The Autism Helper store on TpT: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/The-Autism-Helper
Stay up to date on all things Autism Helper by downloading our new, FREE app! Available on both the App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/the-autism-helper/id1557724340 & Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mightybell.theautismhelper&hl=en_US&gl=US
Get all updates from The Autism Helper Podcast by clicking subscribe above. Head over to theautismhelper.com for more info. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest @theautismhelper.

Our Sponsors:
* Check out Factor and use my code factormeals.com/sasha50off for a great deal: https://www.factor75.com
* Check out Talkiatry and use my code talkiatry.com/SASHA for a great deal: https://www.talkiatry.com

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy