When autistic voices lead teams change follows at school and home Part 1
Autism Support That Actually Works Together: Multidisciplinary Care, Student Voice, and Real-World Coordination
What does true collaboration for autistic kids look like—and how do we keep their voices at the center?
In this conversation, I sit down with Leila Farshidi to unpack what happens when schools, clinics, and families stop working in silos. We talk about the real gap between theory and day-to-day care, why feeding and sensory needs get missed, and how value-based care could change the “minutes on a paper” mindset in IEPs.
You’ll discover why learner preferences should be assessed as carefully as skills, what weekly coordination can do that yearly meetings can’t, and how automation may finally reduce the load on families. We also ask the hard questions: When do we invite autistic students into decisions about their own support? And what happens to access when training quality varies so widely?
I reveal the simple shift I wish schools made right now—and Leila shares the system she’s building to make it easier. There’s more in part two, including disparities across communities and what parents still need after diagnosis.
About the Guest
Leila Farshchian is a disabilities care provider with 30 years’ experience focused on Autism Spectrum Disorder. She leads a 70-provider practice in Northern New Jersey, founded ABA Toolbox (becoming Circathera: Circle of Care), and serves as Chair of Education and UN representative for the International Health Awareness Network—Global Schoolhouse, working to close the digital divide in care and education.
If this episode helps, share it with a parent, educator, or clinician. Subscribe so you don’t miss part two. I’d love your questions for our next conversation—send them my way.
Keywords: Autism Spectrum, IEP, ABA, occupational therapy, speech therapy, feeding challenges, sensory needs, value-based care, multidisciplinary team, ARFID, caregiver support
#Autism #Neurodiversity #IEP #SpecialEducation #Caregivers
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