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A fellow SLP told Nicole a story she has not been able to shake: a room full of autistic adults sitting in front of their dinner, food in plain sight, not eating. Not because they were not hungry, but because no one had told them they could start yet. In this episode, Nicole traces that moment all the way back to the kids on our caseloads right now and unpacks prompt dependence, what it really is, how we accidentally create it, and why autonomy (not independence) is the goal worth protecting.

KEY TOPICS + TIMESTAMPS

(00:00) Why this topic has been on Nicole's heart and deserves its own episode

(02:00) The story that started it all: autistic adults waiting for permission to eat

(04:30) Autistic kids become autistic adults, and adult services are scarce

(07:00) The pattern: adults who have the skills but wait for the green light

(10:00) What prompt dependence looks like in the kids we support today

(12:00) The AAC user who hovered his finger and waited for an adult's reaction

(15:00) Hand over hand prompting and why Nicole never uses it

(18:00) The hand under hand story and how a child became dependent on that too

(22:00) Autonomy is not the same as independence, and why autonomy comes first

(25:00) Preventing prompt dependence, step one: audit your own prompting

(28:00) What Nicole noticed when she watched her own session recordings

(31:00) Getting comfortable with silence and real wait time

(34:00) Less intrusive prompts: expectant looks, gestures, and body language

(37:00) Arranging the environment so communication happens on its own

(40:00) Having a plan to fade prompts (without turning it into a strict regimen)

(43:00) Redefining what a successful session actually looks like

(46:00) The second annual Child-Led Autism Summit and a warm goodbye

RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED

- The Child-Led Collective membership: childled.org/collective

- The Child-Led Autism Summit (free, virtual, August 10 through 13). Join the wait list or grab your free ticket from the show notes.

ABOUT NICOLE

Nicole Casey, MS, CCC-SLP, is the founder of The Child-Led SLP and creator of The Child-Led Collective, a membership community for SLPs, OTs, and special educators who want to practice with confidence using a child-led, neuroaffirming approach. She has spent more than 12 years working exclusively with autistic children and hosts the Let Them Lead podcast. Learn more at childled.org.