Episode #014: Autism Diagnosis and Intervention with Help Me Find My Voice Alumni- Deidra Darst (SLP)

Recently, Deidra Darst was able to take her son who has autism to get his first big haircut in four years in a salon. Using tips she learned in my Help Me Find My Voice course, Deidra’s son has really grown in his communication abilities. As a Speech Language Pathologist, Deidra has seen first hand how ABA techniques can blend or enhance the work she does with clients. You’re going to love hearing how BCBAs and SLPS can collaborate to help students find ways to share their voices.

In her work as an SLP, about half of Deidra’s caseload was students with autism. But it wasn’t until her own young son was diagnosed that she got a true window into what a parent was experiencing. She realized that 30 minutes of therapy a week just wasn’t enough, and she wanted to help parents take a more active role in therapy. Since then, she’s learned how to support parents better in her SLP practice, and she leads with the phrase, “If you have questions, ask”.

How can SLPs and BCBAs learn from each other? This idea of collaboration is one that Deidra and I really explore. What we’re doing is similar, but we’re calling it different names. And we miss out on the chance to collaborate positively when we can’t understand each other. Deidra and I talk about some techniques in each of our respective fields that can enhance the work each professional does for a child with autism.

Be sure and check out the Help Me Find My Voice course that helped launch Deidra’s success, and send her an email if you have any questions.

What’s Inside:

• Using vocabulary that parents and other professionals can understand and improve the chances that our goals are aligned and everyone’s headed in the same direction.
• Teletherapy has had a surprising benefit for therapists because it’s given them more contact and communication with parents.
• Deidra’s advice for parents and professionals working with autistic children.
• The hardest part of therapy is actually communicating with the team and making sure we’re all on the same page.

Today’s Guest:

Deidra Darst, MS, CCC-SLP is a pediatric speech language pathologist in West Virginia. Her son, Colin, was diagnosed with autism at the age of three. His diagnosis led to her passion for autism, AAC, family supports, and ABA.

Mentioned In This Episode

— DarstSLP@gmail.com
— Help Me Find My Voice Course
— Webinar – 5 Strategies to Help Your Students With Autism Engage and Communicate
— The SLP Mom
— The SLP Mom on Facebook
— The SLP Mom on Instagram
— CARES For Autism

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