Advertise on podcast: Non Linear Learning - Rethinking Education for Neurodivergent Learners

Your child isn't choosing to melt down. By the time behavior shows up, the brain has already decided, and the thinking brain is out of the room. Dr. Lisa Riegel explains why schools most often miss this, and what to do instead.   Tune in to learn:   Why context comes before any behavior plan Harold and Bob: a simple brain story any child can learn Why sending a child to the principal keeps the behavior going What intellectual safety means, and why endless "pre-academic" classrooms fail it   About Lisa: Dr. Lisa Riegel is an educator, researcher, and author of NeuroWell and Aspirations to Operations. She has spent two decades helping schools apply brain science.

Why spelled communication is not a guessing game:   Dr. Vaish Sarathy speaks with David Kaufer, founder of Communicators for Communication Rights and host of The Lighter Side of the Spectrum, about motor-based typing, the realities of apraxia, and why presumed incompetence blocks education.   Access to communication is the foundation for age-appropriate, intellectually rich education.   David shares the journey with his son Stone, including school resistance, the harmful use of the message passing test, and how access to supported spelling changed Stone's educational path.   They also discuss trauma, regulation, the role of communication partners, and why family persistence matters.   4:05 — Why Message passing tests don't work 25:28 — Non-speaking doesn't mean non-thinking 25:55 — Behavior and Non Speakers 26:45 — The Myths! 29:44 — Why AAC on Ipads don't always work for everyone     "We don't force neurotypical people to pass lie detector tests before they take a test."

We don't make a neurotypical kid prove they can read before we hand them a book. We just teach them to read.   But for non-speaking and minimally speaking learners, the rules flip. Sit in the chair first. Imitate first. Get it right four days in a row before we'll believe you got it right the first time. Lisa Mihalich Quinn and Erin Buchanan of Reach Every Voice call this the data trap and they're here to tell you why the data your child's team is collecting might not mean what you think it means.   Tune in to this episode to learn: Why "proficiency is not a prerequisite" - and what your child's team should be giving them access to right now, not after they demonstrate readiness The real difference between adapting and modifying curriculum, and why modification can quietly cap your child's academic ceiling for years Why "the data shows" is often a trap that hides more than it reveals - and what questions to ask instead   About the guests: Lisa Mihalich Quinn and Erin Buchanan lead Reach Every Voice, a multidisciplinary practice supporting non-speaking learners and learners with communication access needs through in-person and virtual instruction, group programming, and grant-funded initiatives.   To kickstart Academic Learning for your non speaking or minimally speaking child (and to learn from Dr. Vaish Sarathy), check out www.studio.com/vaish - an Academic Training App for parents.

You've talked to 10 therapists. Tried 20 strategies. And your child still goes from calm to crisis in 30 seconds - for reasons no-one understands. Understanding a body requires that we understand the sensory information coming in. And Dr. Dana Johnson - OT, PhD, and founder of the Spellers Center - tells us that there are not 5 but 8 senses. Dana joins Non Linear Learning for the 3rd time to talk about interoception: the eighth sense, the one almost nobody gets taught, and the one that might explain what's been happening in front of you all along. Listen along to learn: Why your child's meltdown appears so sudden Why self-injury can be the body trying to feel itself, not defiance Why "tell me how you feel" is an impossible question for someone who's never reliably felt anything to name Why professionals push back on all of this — and what actually shifts a paradigm 🔗 Dana's YouTube: The Autism Plus Apraxia Doctor 🔗 Dana's Substack Did you know - you can now have Dr. Vaish Sarathy's teaching and personalized training in your pocket - Sign up for the Non Linear Learning Personalized Coach at www.studio.com/vaish

We talk a lot about what our students can't do. But something that educators have found over the years is that there is a scatter to the skills we see in our students. The wildly uneven profile that we see could actually be a blessing. Mark Talaga, counselor, speaker, and founder of the Center for Identity Potential, joins the podcast to talk about asynchronous development in gifted and twice-exceptional learners. And here's what hit me: we're working the same problem from opposite ends. Where there is a sharp strength, there is often a significant deficit, but the opposite is true as well! This conversation got under my skin in the best way. Tune in to this episode to learn:   What "asynchrony" actually means in gifted and disabled learners  Why IQ tests fail kids on both ends of the bell curve  Why labels are meaningless in education  Why nurturing a spike / sharp interest (even if it seems "irrelevant") is critical. You can find Mark Talaga's podcast, Hopelessly Gifted, on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or visit centerforidentitypotential.com.

The IEP meeting is supposed to be about your child. Have you noticed that it often feels like it's about everyone else's comfort?  Dr. Diana Fannon spent 24 years inside public school systems as a bilingual school psychologist and director of special education. She now works with families. And in this podcast, she shares with us a few red and green flags of special education.    🎙️ Tune in to this episode to learn: 👇 Why "inclusive" school districts still often segregate kids with disabilities - and the one red flag that tells you immediately The difference between a goal written for your child vs. a goal written for the teacher's comfort Where in the IEP you can actually write instructions for the teacher not just the student Why Universal Design for Learning saves teacher time instead of adding to it etc. The "system" unfortunately was not built to find your child's intelligence. That's our job. Follow for more! Find Dr. Fannon at disabilityedpros.com and on Instagram @disabilityedpros.

What if your autistic / non-speaking learner's most overwhelming traits e.g., sensory sensitivity, pattern obsession, emotional upheavals are the exact same features that make their brain extraordinary? Dr. Andrew Hill is a cognitive neuroscientist, founder of Peak Brain Institute, and author of Gifted and Tortured. He has spent decades mapping real human brains and has worked with CEOs, athletes and people with disabilities.  In this episode, we talk about what the neuroscience of dysregulation actually looks like, why standard IQ tests are built to miss your child, and what parents of non-speaking and autistic learners can do right now to support regulation and reveal the intelligence that's already there. What we cover: Why gifted brains and dysregulated brains are often the same brain — and what that means for your child Brain mapping (quantitative EEG): what it measures, what it reveals, and how to access it affordably Why IQ tests fail non-speaking autistic learners and kids with Down syndrome — and the three physiological factors that actually predict intelligence Neurofeedback for autistic and non-speaking kids: how it works and why it requires almost no active participation The single most important thing you can do for your child's regulation (hint: it starts the night before) and more… Resources mentioned: Get Dr. Hill's Book here: giftedandtortured.com Peak Brain Institute (brain mapping + neurofeedback): peakbraininstitute.com Work with Vaish: Non Linear Education — teaching, courses, and support for parents of autistic and non-speaking learners:Non Linear Education RPM lessons and consultation: drvaishsarathy.com/rpm

Do support groups actually help, or do they reinforce the very mindset that keeps parents stuck? In this episode, I sit down with Sara Intonato to unpack this difficult question. Both of us (and probably you) have lived the same reality: Hypervigilance, burnout,  the constant demand of raising a non-speaking child. When we went looking for help, what we found in traditional support spaces was not growth or even help.  Unfortunately we found: cycles of venting without direction low expectations presented as acceptance and a normalization of hopelessness This is a hard but beautiful conversation, that digs deep and lets us find out what really helps.  We talk about: A simple 1-minute regulation tool you can use in crisis The HALT framework (Hungry, Angry/Anxious, Lonely, Tired) How to think about self-care when even 5 minutes feels impossible Sara introduces a different model: community with leadership, structure, and high expectations. Effort is great, but our kids need our regulated presence more! If you've ever felt unsupported in "support" spaces, listen to this episode now.   Links: Find more about Sara here. Sara's free podcast mini-series Autism Changemakers Dr. Vaish Sarathy: Get on the waitlist for Non Linear Education here.

Most special education systems operate on this premise: Students with disabilities must master small foundational skills before they are allowed access to academic content.   In practice, this often means students spend years repeating the same goals - decoding, counting, basic worksheets - while their peers move forward into real subjects like science, history, and mathematics.   But what happens when a student with significant disabilities is simply included in a high school physics class?   In this episode of Non Linear Learning, I speak with Sruthi Muralidharan, a high school physics teacher who is testing that question in a public school classroom.   Sruthi teaches general education physics where students with significant cognitive disabilities - including students with Down syndrome - participate alongside their peers in labs, engineering activities, and scientific investigations.   Her work challenges several assumptions that dominate special education today. Sruthi did not begin her career in education. She holds an MS in Physics and a PhD in Electrical Engineering and spent more than ten years working in the semiconductor industry.   In This Episode We discuss: • Why mastery-based IEP goals often keep students repeating the same material year after year • The limitations of self-contained special education classrooms • What happens when students with significant disabilities join general education science classes • Why educators often confuse communication challenges with cognitive limitations • How inclusive classrooms can actually improve regulation and engagement • Why the burden of proving intelligence should never fall on the child   About Our Guest   Sruthi Muralidharan is a high school physics teacher and advocate for inclusive education. She previously worked for more than a decade in the semiconductor industry and holds an MS in Physics and a PhD in Electrical Engineering. Links & Resources Sruthi's Substack on lesson modification and inclusive teaching Vaish's course on making academics possible: Non Linear Education If You Enjoyed This Episode • Share it with a parent, teacher, or school leader • Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

Dr. Vaish Sarathy speaks with Dr. Kendall Stewart (former surgeon turned functional medicine + genomics clinician) about the biochemistry of learning: how inflammation, metabolic factors, neurotransmitter balance, and genetics can influence regulation, sensory stability, and why some kids respond to interventions while others don't. What we cover: Why progress can look like "good days/bad days" when inflammation fluctuates Nutrigenomics vs exome sequencing vs pharmacogenetics (and why personalization matters) A parent-friendly clinical framework: inflammation → autophagy/insulin tendencies → neurotrophic factors → glutamate/GABA → methylation Sensory stability (vestibular/visual) and why eye contact can reduce listening for some learners Microbiome basics: inflammation load, butyrate, absorption/biofilms Resources Dr. Kendall Stewart: www.drkendalstewart.com Non Linear Education (NLE): https://www.drvaishsarathy.com/nonlineareducation Medical disclaimer (important): This episode is for educational purposes only and does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your qualified clinician for medical decisions—especially for children and complex conditions.

Homeschooling sometimes begins when parents realize the education system is not serving their child.  In this episode of Non Linear Learning, Dr. Vaish Sarathy speaks with Victoria Lenormand, a former detective turned holistic health practitioner and homeschooling parent, about what it takes to trust a child's internal compass and let go of conventional definitions of success. Victoria brings an evidence-based perspective to homeschooling. Trained to observe patterns and follow facts, she applied that same mindset to her son's learning and recognized that a linear schooling model was taking enormous energy just to maintain — without supporting his identity or growth. Together, Vaish and Victoria explore: How to build the mindset needed for homeschooling The 3 factors learning is built around when done right.  How to interpret stubbornness or "wilfulness" in a way that works for your child, and  Why the energy cost of education is critical information for parents This conversation is for parents considering homeschooling, questioning traditional schooling, or feeling the constant friction between who their child is and what school expects. As we reflect in the episode: "When something in education takes enormous energy just to maintain, it's worth asking whether it's actually working." Resources Victoria Lenormand's parent community: https://www.geminidirections.co.uk You can find Vaish at www.instagram.com/drvaishsarathy

Parents of Autistic children and children with Down syndrome are often given advice that sounds compassionate, reasonable, and supportive. But much of it slowly limits learning, flexibility, autonomy, and long-term growth. In this milestone Episode 200 of Non Linear Learning, Dr. Vaish Sarathy challenges 5 common pieces of parenting and education advice that unintentionally lower expectations and shift focus away from real learning. In this episode, you'll learn why Dr. Vaish challenges: • Strict routines and rigid structure — and how too much predictability reduces tolerance for learning and change • Traditional support groups — and how shared grief can quietly stall progress ... and more  This episode is for parents who: • Have been told academics can wait • Feel uneasy about advice that sounds kind but feels limiting • Want age-appropriate, intellectually rich education for their child Resources Learn how to teach real academics non-linearly, without waiting for "readiness," inside Non Linear Education.

When 8-year-old non-speaking autistic Rafael found text-based communication, he didn't just start "answering questions." He started telling the truth about his body, his anxiety, and the frustration of being misunderstood.   If you've ever looked at your non-speaking child and thought, "I know there's more in there… I just don't know how to reach it," this conversation is for you.   Today I'm joined by Daria and her 8-year-old autistic, non-speaking son Rafael, co-creators of Spelling the Tea on Autism on Substack and Instagram. After discovering text-based communication, they realized how deeply Rafael had been misunderstood - and started documenting both his words and the science that helps explain them.   Inside the episode, we talk about: Rafael's "goner mindset" before communication and what typing changed about his sense of the future. How apraxia creates a gap between intention and movement and why that gap gets mislabeled as "low IQ," "behavior," or "non-compliance." The concept of an "interference score" for food! How Rafael would redesign first in schools for non-speakers. Why regulation, communication, and learning are inseparable… and why independence in cognition does not mean independence in motor and sensory systems.   This is a humbling, practical, and very human reminder that: We can't keep separating "behavior," "sensory," and "cognitive" boxes. Research on autism that excludes non-speakers cannot be our only compass. And most importantly: sitting still is not a pre-requisite for real thinking or rigorous education.   You can find Daria and Rafael at https://www.instagram.com/spelling_the_tea_on_autism/ and https://spellingthetea.substack.com/   You can find Dr. Vaish Sarathy at https://www.instagram.com/drvaishsarathy/ Check out her 6 foundational tips on education at https://www.drvaishsarathy.com/nonlinearlearning

I first spoke with Dana Johnson nearly 4 years ago, and that conversation completely changed how I saw vision and learning. I call it my "ocular motor awakening" when I truly understood that vision has three components, and only one of them is corrected by glasses. Dana is the co-creator of the Spellers Method and the founder of multiple centers dedicated to helping non-speaking individuals communicate and learn with purpose. As both an occupational therapist (OT) and a Spellers Method practitioner, she brings a unique approach to supporting individuals with autism, apraxia, dyspraxia, and sensory-motor differences. In this episode, we talk about the power of purposeful motor skills, breaking down barriers for non-speakers, and what real communication means. Key Takeaways: Vision isn't just about eyesight it's about how the brain processes what we see. Apraxia is a motor planning challenge, not a cognitive one. Communication is possible when we focus on purposeful motor skills. What does right support look like? Get in Touch: 👉 Learn more about Dana Johnson's work at Spellers Method Tampa 👉 Connect with Dr. Vaish Sarathy on Instagram: @drvaishsarathy

If you're parenting an Autistic child and living in a state of constant alert (sensory overwhelm, dysregulation, sleepless nights, meltdowns, and the never-ending to-do list), this episode gives you a concrete biochemical map for how to get back to baseline. In today's conversation,I'm joined by Dr. Scott Sherr board certified internal medicine physician, certified practitioner of Health Optimization Medicine, and COO of Troscriptions, a company making physician formulated, precision-dosed buccal troches for focus, stress, sleep, and immune function. We talk about: What is the "sympathetic spiral of doom." What GABA deficiency actually looks like (and why calming down isn't as simple as "go meditate"). Why mitochondrial dysfunction and chronic inflammation show up so strongly in autistic and disabled kids and how supporting cellular energy can actualy reduce hyper-excitability. The real problem with giving kids 10–20 supplements at once. How targeted support can help caregivers feel better now, while they work the longer game of diet, lifestyle, and environment. Links Mentioned Dr. Scott Sherr's clinical practice: https://drscottsherr.com Troscriptions Products: https://troscriptions.com (Please work with a practitioner before using any product with a child.) If you found this episode helpful: Please share it with a caregiver who feels stuck in stress, burnout, or dysregulation. And grab my free guide: Gut Health Toolkit