The All Kinds of Minds podcast by Social Cipher is all about celebrating, exploring, and learning about the diverse experiences of neurodivergent students. Join us as we interview administrators, educators, counselors, and other professionals to discuss different ways to empower neurodivergent students and foster an inclusive, supportive learning environment. Whether you’re an educator, parent, or just passionate about neurodiversity, this podcast is your guide to understanding and embracing all kinds of minds!
Supporting Behavior and Communication IEP Goals: Practical Supports for Neurodivergent Students
Audio recording of our edWebinar where our presenters Duncan Scherer (Former Chief Schools Officer at Democracy Prep Public Schools) and Lucas Harrington, Psy.D. (Clinical Psychologist) discussed the following topics:
Key factors influencing communication and behavior challenges in neurodivergent students
Practical, neurodiversity-affirming strategies to support common behavior and communication goals, including tools that engage and empower students
How to collaborate with families and other professionals to ensure consistent support for communication and behavior goals in different setting
View the webinar for CE credit here https://home.edweb.net/webinar/specialed20250910/ (https://home.edweb.net/webinar/specialed20250910/ ). Download the IEP Success Toolkit https://www.socialcipher.com/sel-resources/iep-success-toolkit?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=webinarreplay&utm_content=iepsuccesstoolkit (https://www.socialcipher.com/sel-resources/iep-success-toolkit?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=webinarreplay&utm_content=iepsuccesstoolkit)
1 Sept 2025
What is AuDHD w/ Lucas Harrington, Psy.D.
In this episode of the All Kinds of Minds podcast, we speak with clinical psychologist Lucas Harrington, Psy.D., about AuDHD and how educators can better support AuDHD students.
Topics covered include:
What AuDHD is and how it differs from autism and ADHD alone
The strengths and challenges of AuDHD
Practical strategies from reducing overwhelm and supporting executive functioning in the classroom
The importance of flexibility to help AuDHD students thrive
In this episode of the All Kinds of Minds podcast, we speak with Amy Husk-Reed, an Educational Specialist, specializing in autism, and former educator, program specialist, and mentor in urban and rural schools.
Topics covered include:
How to set up safe, clear, and inclusive classroom environment
Budget-friendly ways to create calming spaces and classroom libraries
Balancing visual supports without overstimulating students
Creative ideas that foster student belonging
How administrators can better support teachers throughout the school year
Keep up with Amy’s work:
Virginia Department of Education Training and Technical Assistance Center website https://ttac.odu.edu/focus-areas/autism/ (https://ttac.odu.edu/focus-areas/autism/)
Resources mentioned:
I’m Determined One-Pager: Identity and Self-Awareness https://www.imdetermined.org/tool/one-pager/ (https://www.imdetermined.org/tool/one-pager/)
IRIS Center Book Ideas https://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/resources/books/ (https://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/resources/books/)
VSU Inclusion Project: How do I know I belong? https://inclusionproject.partnership.vcu.edu/resources/belonging/ (https://inclusionproject.partnership.vcu.edu/resources/belonging/)
Additional ideas for sense of belonging: https://ttac.odu.edu/autism/fostering-a-sense-of-belonging-and-community/ (https://ttac.odu.edu/autism/fostering-a-sense-of-belonging-and-community/)
5 May 2025
The Biggest Problems in Special Education (and what to do about them) w/ Mash
In this episode of the All Kinds of Minds podcast, we speak with Mash, an AuDHD special education advocate and former educator with experience working in traditional, charter, and alternative schools.
Topics covered include:
The biggest problems facing special education
The impact of inadequate teacher training and lack of support
How high turnover impacts students and what admin can do about it
The challenges neurodivergent educators face
What schools must change to better support neurodivergent educators and students with higher support needs
Stay connected with Mash:
Website: neurosupports.org
@neurosupports on IG, Facebook, and TikTok
7 Apr 2025
MTSS Interventions for Autistic Students (edWebinar sponsored by Social Cipher)
This special podcast episode is a recording of an edWebinar sponsored by Social Cipher. In this episode, Dr. Nathalie Henderson, Dr. Lucas Harrington, and Vanessa Castañeda Gill discuss Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) and how schools can ensure their interventions are neurodiversity-affirming.
Topic covered include:
Overview of MTSS tiers
Common behaviors of neurodivergent students
Pitfalls of not using neurodiversity-affirming interventions
Benefits of neurodiversity-affirming interventions
Interventions that support autistic students
Additional Resources:
Free MTSS Toolkit (https://www.socialcipher.com/page/mtss-interventions-for-neurodivergent-students?utm_source=webinar&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=selresource&utm_content=mtsspage)
Social Cipher Website (https://www.socialcipher.com/universal-support)
Ava free trial (https://ava.socialcipher.com/hub/signup)
3 Mar 2025
What Schools Can Learn From Homeschooling w/ Amy Bodkin
In this episode of the All Kinds of Minds podcast, we speak with Amy Bodkin, a homeschool consultant, former school psychologist, and autistic parent of two autistic children. Many families choose homeschooling after public schools fail to meet their children’s needs. Amy shares what she has learned from these families and how schools can use those insights to better support neurodivergent students.
Topics covered include:
Key differences in how public, private, and homeschool environments support neurodivergent students
The most common reasons neurodivergent students leave public schools for homeschooling
What homeschool families value most in education and how schools can apply these insights
How schools can offer more individualized support, even within systemic limitations
The benefits of multi-age learning and how schools can integrate similar practices
How schools can foster meaningful relationships between neurodivergent and neurotypical students
Stay connected to Amy:
Facebook: @AmyBodkinEdSFacebook Group:Special Needs Homeschooling the Neurodivergent Way (https://www.facebook.com/groups/specialneedshomeschoolingtheneurodivergentway)Instagram: @AmyBodkinEdSLinkedIn: Amy Bodkin EdSYouTube: AmyBodkinEdS
Book: Special Needs Kids are People Too: Seeing the Possibilities Through a Neurodiverse Lens (https://www.amazon.com/Special-Needs-Kids-People-Possibilities/dp/B0D3C4B2L9?crid=2DRSI6KOIMGX1&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.FTApZJKjSgq5zAV6hhHIygVO_vO_HOOJL0-2Sn6O50ornRJAszMUxFshSEm8aLNJcWIak8GPYhTLM5TwpOf0tZKoIaKRYF554ceyrJ0hZqDo-hdDoQ48ZGFZcnGh6oSNi1aH-25vLem4M3nAeF8okx0840bIDJYzDrCy0IvKR3xztqDH_as6RZ5kWg9dkcU-ar27JBCfKX9fzPqKh_65Ro_V4_foYXNNge9BDxuHsdFgNjvqliW1_I2osRt6IcPkhlWmJ0UqEVm8Ku07oRZwkNaRNlzYSByrGLnwiqHNirubSXDpeFQKccFzAZGKW3nMqMZRHhs_1YPkWBfXbJVc2yxQdVc_jMPxwcHYgJSffZzOgONZQHOA5H2IH9X0LmaihF2sMfhzpySlfSwuR0rxb_cIzd-I5IN1xHOzLoZYZWu1suAzYqNuG5qw0xVGrDe7.DbVgRdNrPfnZ3JCNSor-4It1SyfGUsrzKz5vaQs_4QM&dib_tag=se&keywords=special+needs+kids+are+people+too&qid=1737091930&sprefix=special+needs+kids+are+pe,aps,126&sr=8-1&linkCode=sl1&tag=amybodkin-20&linkId=5015100eeb65549a49fe70a2f24b41a4&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl)
Website: https://amybodkin.com (https://amybodkin.com/)
3 Feb 2025
Intersectionality: Understanding Neurodivergent Latina Students
In this episode of the All Kinds of Minds podcast, we are joined by Vanessa Castañeda Gill, the founder and CEO of Social Cipher.
Topics covered include:
- The intersection of neurodivergence, ethnicity, and gender from her perspective as an autistic Latina woman
- Challenges faced by neurodivergent students of color
- The importance of representation and supportive resources in school
Website: https://www.socialcipher.com/ (https://www.socialcipher.com/)
Vanessa's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessacastanedagill/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessacastanedagill/)
6 Jan 2025
Challenging Ableism in Schools w/ Dr. Christina Cipriano
In this episode of the All Kinds of Minds podcast, we speak with Dr. Christina Cipriano. She is the Director of the Education Collaboratory at Yale, an Associate Professor of Applied Developmental and Educational Psychology at the Yale Child Study Center, and the author of Be Unapologetically Impatient.
Topics covered in this episode:
- What does ableism look like in schools?
- The impact of ableism on neurodivergent students
- The role of educators in fostering inclusive, universally designed environments
- Steps schools and educators can take to address ableism and support all learners
- The importance of SEL in addressing ableism and promoting equity
Resources mentioned:
Dr. Cipriano’s book - Be Unapologetically Impatient: The Mindset Required to Change the Way We Do Things (https://christina-cipriano.presale.manuscripts.com/) (available Summer 2025)
Considering the “How” of SEL: A framework for the pedagogies of social and emotional learning (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2773233924000044)
Stay connected to Dr. Cipriano:
Website: Dr.Chriscip.com (http://Dr.Chriscip.com)
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinacipriano/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinacipriano/)
Instagram: @chriscip
Facebook: Christina Cipriano Curtis
2 Dec 2024
Empowering Neurodivergent Students with Universal Design Learning w/ Rene Sanchez
Rene Sanchez, Interim Superintendent, shares how Universal Design Learning empowers neurodivergent students by breaking down traditional barriers and fostering a sense of belonging in inclusive schools.
1 Nov 2024
Overcoming Barriers to Inclusion
In this episode of the All Kinds of Minds podcast, we speak with {insert district] Director of Special Education and CAPTAIN Regional Implementation Lead, Mark Pfaff. Topics covered include:
The role of administrators in supporting autistic students
Barriers to inclusion and how to overcome them
The importance of undergoing a mindset shift to better support autistic students
Resources mentioned:
Blossoming Autism: My Life With Autism and Sixteen Things I wish People Knew by Jillian Marie Schmeltzer
CAPTAIN.ca.gov
About our guest:
Mark Pfaff is a Director of Special Education and CAPTAIN (California Autism Professional Training and Information Network) Regional Implementation Lead in Tehama County, California. As an accomplished education specialist with 18 years of experience in education, Mark has dedicated his career to enhancing learning experiences for students with diverse needs. Mark's expertise lies in the implementation of the evidence-based practices through the CAPTAIN framework.
3 Oct 2024
Overlooking Autistic Girls in Schools
In this episode of All Kinds of Minds podcast, we speak with clinical psychologist Lucas Harrington, Psy.D., about why autistic girls are often overlooked or undiagnosed.
Topics covered include:
Reasons why autistic girls are underdiagnosed
How being overlooked can impact the school experience
Different ways schools can ensure autistic girls receive the support they need, even without an IEP
About our guest:
Lucas Harrington, Psy.D. is a clinical psychologist and published author whose personal experience as an autistic person with ADHD allows him to support autistic youth and their families from a place of deep understanding. His clinical interests include education, disruptive behavior, school avoidance, and emotional regulation. Dr. Harrington leverages his expertise to enhance Social Cipher’s SEL curriculum and ensure our resources are effective and neurodiversity-affirming.
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