Kristine Dickson and Sarah Morrow continue their conversation about ABA and neurodiversity, exploring assent, masking, stimming, individualized goals, and the tension between affirming care and the realities of insurance and standardized assessments. At the heart of the episode is a bigger question: how do we support people in building meaningful skills without asking them to change simply because they experience the world differently?

Kristine and Sarah explore how the neurodiversity-affirming movement is influencing ABA for the better. From differences versus disorders and the realities of diagnosis and insurance to stimming, eye contact, and individualized goals, they discuss what it means to listen to the people receiving services and build care around what actually matters to each individual.

Discover practical early intervention strategies parents can use at home to build communication, independence, self-care, safety, and everyday skills.

Early intervention can happen through the ordinary moments children experience every day. In this episode of Acorns to Oaks, Kristine Dixon and Sarah Morrow discuss practical ways families can encourage engagement, communication, social development, problem solving, and learning through play, exploration, and meaningful interaction.

RBTs and behavior therapists do some of the most important work in ABA—but meaningful support takes more than appreciation. Explore how better supervision, healthy boundaries, thoughtful scheduling, and livable wages can help prevent burnout and create stronger care for clients and families.

RBTs and behavior therapists do some of the most important work in ABA—but meaningful support takes more than appreciation. Explore how better supervision, healthy boundaries, thoughtful scheduling, and livable wages can help prevent burnout and create stronger care for clients and families.

How can parents stay calm during big emotions without giving up an important boundary? Christine Dixon and Sarah Morrow share practical strategies for emotional regulation, waiting, meaningful choices, proactive support, and building independence through small, achievable steps.

How can parents stay calm during big emotions without giving up an important boundary? Christine Dixon and Sarah Morrow share practical strategies for emotional regulation, waiting, meaningful choices, proactive support, and building independence through small, achievable steps.

Christine and Sarah answer common parent questions about developmental milestones, early intervention, confidence, independence, emotional outbursts, natural consequences, and creating supportive household rules.

Sarah and Kristine continue their discussion of medically complex autism, exploring compassionate feeding support, communication access, hospital preparation, sleep, emergency planning, quality of life, and the importance of collaboration among families, ABA providers, schools, nurses, and medical professionals.

Kristine Dixon and Sarah Morrow discuss how ABA care changes when autistic and neurodivergent children also have complex medical needs, including epilepsy, medication changes, sensory sensitivities, hospitalizations, pain, and care coordination.

Self-care in clinical work can sound soft or optional, but this episode frames it differently. Sarah and Kristine talk about self-care as part of being able to show up safely, professionally, and effectively for families. The episode also names the importance of boundaries, including moments when providers need to respond directly to inappropriate or unsafe behavior.

Kristine and Sarah talk honestly about the realities of being a behavior analyst, from cancellations and insurance barriers to treatment integrity, emotional boundaries, and why the work is still worth it.

Kristine and Sarah discuss some of the most debated questions in ABA, including masking, social skills, extinction, forced feeding, financial incentives, and what truly ethical, trauma-informed care should look like.

Kristine and Sarah discuss five of the most common concerns about ABA, including conformity, coercion, consent, compliance, neurodiversity, and stimming, through the lens of autonomy, safety, family values, and ethical care.

In this episode of Acorns to Oaks, Kristine and Sarah explore why video games and screens can be so powerful for children and families. They discuss internet gaming disorder, reinforcement schedules, the emotional difficulty of turning off highly engaging games, and the role technology now plays in childhood.

Friendship is not something most people are directly taught. Yet social connection plays a critical role in emotional well-being, mental health, confidence, and quality of life.

In this episode of Acorns to Oaks, Kristine and Sarah explore the importance of social skills for autistic children, teens, and adults through the lens of the UCLA PEERS® program developed by Dr. Elizabeth Laugeson and Dr. Fred Frankel.

Families seeking ABA therapy in California often face a confusing maze of insurance approvals, denials, deductibles, and funding systems. In this episode, Kristine Dixon, Sarah Morrow, and COO Kevin Jackson break down how ABA funding actually works from private insurance and Medi-Cal to Regional Centers while openly discussing the real challenges families encounter when trying to access care.

Kristine and Sarah discuss compassionate food expansion, picky eating, sensory concerns, comfort foods, and how families can help children build healthier relationships with food one small step at a time.

Feeding challenges in children, especially those with autism, are far more complex than “just getting them to eat.” In this episode of Acorns to Oaks, Christine and Sarah explore the science, psychology, and real-world experiences behind food aversion, selective eating, and feeding therapy.

They unpack why outdated methods like force-feeding and “just make them eat it” can actually cause long-term harm, including trauma and disordered eating patterns. Instead, they advocate for a more compassionate, interdisciplinary approach that considers sensory input, autonomy, family dynamics, and developmental stages.

From early warning signs in infancy to the emotional toll on parents, this conversation highlights why feeding is one of the most misunderstood challenges in child development—and what we can do better.