“There is hope for all learners”: An interview with Paula Moraine on helping students take control of everyday functions

“I wanted to communicate that there is hope for all learners, that everyone can find a way to learn that is personal and successful. I wanted to share how to translate what a student is saying not just by listening to their words, but by listening to the essence of who they are as a learner. This is not something that can be communicated simply, and it is not a way of being that comes naturally to all teachers… Teaching is generally considered an activity that one does ‘to’ another. I think of teaching as something that I do ‘for’ that other person. The learning is theirs, the experience of change is theirs, and for me the main thrill is when that student starts finding his or her ‘voice’.”

From Anxiety to Meltdown – An Interview with Deborah Lipsky

“once people understand meltdown triggers and why they occur the enviroment can be modified to help reduce the number of meltdowns. And more compassion instead of critism can be offered to us because we feel awful afterwards; feelings of remorse and regret are common because we didn’t want it to occur. It isn’t like we have a “quota” of so many meltdowns we need to have in a day. It just happens due to overwhelming factors beyond our (the autistic person’s) control.”

Social Skills, Emotional Growth and Drama Therapy – An Interview with Dr Lee Chasen

“Drama and theatre has historically been portrayed as a mirror to the human condition, raising questions and reflecting aspects of how we understand and relate to ourselves and each other. By holding the mirror of drama up to the mirror of social skills building neuron activity, we illuminate previously obscured angles, empowering a practical as well as metaphorical peripheral vision of sorts.”