Episode #297: Supporting Functional Communication Skills with Ashley Whitaker

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

Today’s Guest:

Ashley Whitaker is a dually certified Speech-Language Pathologist and Board Certified Behavior Analyst who serves as the Director of Fusion at Lighthouse Autism Center. Ashley is passionate about functional communication, AAC, and strengthening collaboration between the fields of speech therapy and ABA. She has extensive experience supporting autistic learners with complex communication needs and mentoring interdisciplinary teams to create meaningful, individualized communication systems. Her work focuses on helping clinicians prioritize practical, functional language skills that improve quality of life for learners and families.

What’s Inside: