Why Forced Transitions Dysregulate the Autistic Brain with Pete Wharmby

On this episode

About this episode

When autistic kids struggle, their difficulties are often treated as behavioral non-compliance or a lack of social desire, when it's often a direct mismatch with the learning environment. Adults routinely push these students into sensory-heavy spaces or force sudden task shifts, misunderstanding the neurological toll this takes on a differently wired nervous system. Pete Wharmby, an autistic author, former teacher, and late-diagnosed ADHDer, joins Emily Kircher-Morris to talk about what happens when schools and families learn to support rather than correct autistic ways of being. TAKEAWAYS Autistic behavior in schools is often pathologized and targeted for correction when it's likely a…