Non Linear Learning - Rethinking Education for Neurodivergent Learners

210. 5 Myths We Still Believe About Non-Speakers (with David Kaufer)

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

209. The Data Trap: Why "Proving Readiness" Is Costing Non-Speakers Years of Education

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 r

208. The Eighth Sense: Understanding Behaviour, Communication, and Meltdowns with Dr. Dana Johnson

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

207. Where there is deficit, there is also great strength - with Mark Talaga

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.

206. What the IEP Is Not Telling You - A Special Ed Insider Breaks It Down (with Dr. Diana Fannon)

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 insid

205. Why the Smartest Brains Are Also the Most Dysregulated | Dr. Andrew Hill

What if your autistic / non-speaking learner's most overwhelming traits e.g., sensory sensitivity, pattern obsession, emotional upheavals are the exact same featu

204. Do Support Groups Actually Work? The Hard Truth About Finding Your People - with Sara Intonato

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

203. Your student with Down Syndrome belongs in a mainstream Physics Class

Most special education systems operate on this premise: Students with disabilities must master small foundational skills before they are allowed access to academic conten

202. Inflammation, Energy, and Learning: A Functional Medicine Lens with Dr. Kendall Stewart

Dr. Vaish Sarathy speaks with Dr. Kendall Stewart (former surgeon turned functional medicine + genomics clinician) about the biochemistry of learning: how inflammation, m

201. Is School Costing Your Child Too Much? A Homeschooling Conversation

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 w

200. Five "Helpful" Parenting Tips That Limit Autistic Learning

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 le

199 Evidence, Rage, and Relief: A Mom–Son Team on Finding Spelled Communication

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

198 How Understanding Apraxia changes your child's Education - with Dana Johnson

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 t

197 Beyond Burnout: GABA Support, Mitochondria, and Realistic Help for Parents of Autistic Kids

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 l

196 Oxytocin, Autism, and how Autism Research works

In this episode, psychiatrist and researcher Dr. Eric Strobl joins Dr. Vaish Sarathy to talk about a new re-analysis of the SOARS-B trial on oxytocin and autism.   While

195 What's Your Excuse? Lessons on Problem-Solving, Asking for Help, and Doing the Next Thing

This may be the most heartfelt episode I've ever recorded. In this deeply human conversation, Maxwell Ivey: The Blind Blogger, and I talk about what it means to keep movi

194 Every Skill Can Be Built: Inside Non Linear Education with Daria Kotenko

In this special episode, NLE student and mom of a non-speaking speller, Daria Kotenko, interviews me about the ideas behind Non Linear Education: why "readiness" is a m

193 The Myth of Readiness: Why Waiting Holds Our Kids Back

How long have you been waiting for your child to be ready? Ready to sit still, focus, or "start learning"? In this episode, Dr. Vaish Sarathy dismantles one of the mo

192 The Cost of Low Expectations (and the #1 Shift to Break Free)

The biggest barrier in your child's education isn't Autism, Down syndrome, or even learning disabilities. It's low expectations. When a 12-year-old is handed board book

191. When Compliance Fails: Dr. Robin Harwick on Democratic Education for Neurodivergent Teens

In this episode of Non Linear Learning, Dr. Vaish Sarathy speaks with Dr. Robin Harwick, founder of The Pearl Remote Democratic High School, a groundbreaking online schoo