Today’s episode is not a traditional podcast. This is a question-and-answer session following the fall keynote speech I delivered, focused exclusively on supporting autistic students in K-12 school settings.

This episode captures my responses to educators, social workers, and school staff as they asked practical, real-world questions about how to better support autistic kids in their classrooms. While you may hear parts of the audience, the focus is on my answers and how I approach advocacy, regulation, boundaries, and collaboration within school systems.

We discuss how to advocate for students, navigate difficult conversations with administrators, set professional boundaries, and support autistic students in regulating throughout the school day. This episode also offers a clear look at how I show up in my clinical role, which is more structured, intentional, and focused than our usual podcast conversations.

If you are an educator, clinician, school social worker, or anyone working with autistic children, this episode is for you. If you are looking for practical, affirming guidance grounded in lived experience and clinical practice, you will find significant value here.

You will not see my face in this recording, only a view from the audience, but I wanted to share this to give a realistic picture of what it is like to sit with me in a professional and clinical setting.

If autism focused content in school settings is not what you are looking for right now, feel free to skip this episode. We have a new season of recordings starting later this week, with many new guests and returning favorites.

Please continue to comment, tag, and share who you want us to interview next. You can leave suggestions in the comments or send a message directly.

Thank you for listening and supporting the podcast.

Thanks for checking out Different Spectrums! 🎙️ We're a podcast led by licensed therapists and neurodivergent individuals who explore emotions in movies and shows. Our mission is to normalize mental health challenges and promote understanding.

Join your founders and hosts, Dr. Nazeer Zerka and Spencer Srnec, as we process key scenes to help you better understand your emotions and perhaps find some validation in them.

Episode Breakdown:

0:00 Attention

0:59 Intro

2:31 Q and A

We’d love to hear your ideas for future episodes and connect with you on social media. You can find all our links here: https://linktr.ee/different_spectrums

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