Have you ever read a book that completely validated everything you already believed... before you even had the words to say it? That's exactly what happened to me with Uniquely Human by Dr. Barry Prizant. And in this episode, I'm breaking down the part that changed how I think about this work.

In this solo episode, I'm sharing one of my favorite sections from Dr. Barry Prizant's Uniquely Human: the traits and instincts of people who just "get it" when supporting autistic individuals. If you've ever been told you have a natural way with kids, wondered what actually makes someone great at this work, or wanted language to describe that thing you already do intuitively, this episode is going to feel like a full-body exhale. Dr. Prizant's list is seven traits deep, and I have a lot of thoughts and stories on every single one.

I also talk about why these qualities have nothing to do with your degrees or years of experience, share a story about walking a stranger into his classroom that the security team still hasn't fully forgiven me for, and introduce my Responsiveness and Control Map for the very first time.

What You'll Learn:

Why "getting it" has absolutely nothing to do with your formal training or resume
The seven traits Dr. Barry Prizant identified in people who naturally connect with autistic individuals
What empathy actually looks like in practice (and why it can wear you out if you don't have boundaries around it)
The "human factor" and why not every behavior needs to be explained by autism
How sensitivity becomes a superpower for reading subtle cues from the kids we support
Why shared control is the thing most adults in this field were never taught to offer
The role of humor in reducing escalation (yes, even in hard moments)
How trust-building changes everything about a child's willingness to let you in
Why we expect flexibility from autistic kids that most adults couldn't manage themselves
The importance of listening to autistic adults, even and especially when it challenges something we've believed
A first look at the Responsiveness and Control Map and how it defines the child-led sweet spot

Resources Mentioned:

The Child-Led Collective membership: https://jointhechildledcollective.com
Uniquely Human: A Different Way of Seeing Autism by Dr. Barry Prizant: https://barryprizant.com/uniquely-human/
Dr. Barry Prizant's website: https://www.barryprizant.com

Next Steps:

Send Nicole a DM with your thoughts on this episode: https://www.instagram.com/thechildledslp
Tag someone in your life who just "gets it"
Join The Child-Led Collective: https://jointhechildledcollective.com

Learn More: https://www.childled.org