Turn Autism Around
Dr. Mary Barbera
If you're a parent with a child diagnosed with Level 1, 2, or Level 3 autism or worried about speech delays, tantrums, autism signs, hitting, potty training struggles, picky eating, meltdowns, sensory issues, or toddler behavior that feels confusing or overwhelming, you're in the right place: www.marybarbera.com
Hosted by Dr. Mary Barbera — RN, doctoral-level Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA-D), best-selling author, and creator of widely used online programs for toddlers and preschoolers — this bi-weekly podcast breaks down complex child development topics into simple, actionable steps any parent or professional can use immediately.
Every other week, Mary shares her proven 4-step approach to help children (with and without autism or ADHD) make measurable progress at home, school, and in the community. Episodes cover highly searched topics such as:
🗣️ Speech & Language Development
How to get your toddler to talk
What to do when your toddler isn't talking
Late talking, first words, echolalia, scripting, and vocal stimming
Strategies to build interaction, joint attention, and social engagement
😭 Behavior & Tantrums
How to stop hitting, biting, throwing, and daily meltdowns
What causes tantrums and how to reduce them
Simple behavior plans any parent can use
Emotional regulation for toddlers and preschoolers
🧠 Autism, ADHD & Early Signs
Early signs of autism in toddlers
What to do if you suspect autism — or if someone told you to "wait and see"
Screening vs. diagnosis
Sensory processing disorder, hyperlexia, giftedness vs. autism traits
Navigating early intervention, speech therapy, OT, or ABA therapy
👶 Daily Life Skills
Potty training for toddlers with speech delays or autism
Picky eating and feeding challenges
Sleep issues and bedtime routines
Safety, wandering, transitions, and managing hard outings
Preparing for doctor, dentist, or haircut visits
👨👩👦 Parent Coaching & Real-Life Stories
Real parent success stories (like toddlers going from 0 words to hundreds)
How to create calm, confident routines at home
Reducing stress for the whole family
Mindset support for overwhelmed parents
This show is designed to help parents, but is also widely followed by behavior analysts, speech-language pathologists (SLPs), occupational therapists, teachers, pediatricians, nurses, and early-intervention professionals who want child-friendly, research-backed strategies that work in real homes.
Whether you're dealing with a diagnosis of autism or a late talker with frequent tantrums, sensory challenges, or early signs of autism… or you simply want a clear, compassionate, step-by-step plan to help your child thrive — this podcast is here to guide you.
Subscribe and learn how to improve talking, reduce problem behaviors, and help your child gain confidence, independence, and skills — starting today.
Hosted by Dr. Mary Barbera — RN, doctoral-level Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA-D), best-selling author, and creator of widely used online programs for toddlers and preschoolers — this bi-weekly podcast breaks down complex child development topics into simple, actionable steps any parent or professional can use immediately.
Every other week, Mary shares her proven 4-step approach to help children (with and without autism or ADHD) make measurable progress at home, school, and in the community. Episodes cover highly searched topics such as:
🗣️ Speech & Language Development
How to get your toddler to talk
What to do when your toddler isn't talking
Late talking, first words, echolalia, scripting, and vocal stimming
Strategies to build interaction, joint attention, and social engagement
😭 Behavior & Tantrums
How to stop hitting, biting, throwing, and daily meltdowns
What causes tantrums and how to reduce them
Simple behavior plans any parent can use
Emotional regulation for toddlers and preschoolers
🧠 Autism, ADHD & Early Signs
Early signs of autism in toddlers
What to do if you suspect autism — or if someone told you to "wait and see"
Screening vs. diagnosis
Sensory processing disorder, hyperlexia, giftedness vs. autism traits
Navigating early intervention, speech therapy, OT, or ABA therapy
👶 Daily Life Skills
Potty training for toddlers with speech delays or autism
Picky eating and feeding challenges
Sleep issues and bedtime routines
Safety, wandering, transitions, and managing hard outings
Preparing for doctor, dentist, or haircut visits
👨👩👦 Parent Coaching & Real-Life Stories
Real parent success stories (like toddlers going from 0 words to hundreds)
How to create calm, confident routines at home
Reducing stress for the whole family
Mindset support for overwhelmed parents
This show is designed to help parents, but is also widely followed by behavior analysts, speech-language pathologists (SLPs), occupational therapists, teachers, pediatricians, nurses, and early-intervention professionals who want child-friendly, research-backed strategies that work in real homes.
Whether you're dealing with a diagnosis of autism or a late talker with frequent tantrums, sensory challenges, or early signs of autism… or you simply want a clear, compassionate, step-by-step plan to help your child thrive — this podcast is here to guide you.
Subscribe and learn how to improve talking, reduce problem behaviors, and help your child gain confidence, independence, and skills — starting today.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Nov 24, 2020 • 44min
#099: Autism in Black Families: Interview with Maria Davis-Pierre from Autism in Black
For Black families, stigma and bias play an outsized role in the diagnosis and treatment of autism, and Maria Davis-Pierre wants to change that by opening up the conversation in Black communities and with health professionals.
Nov 17, 2020 • 26min
#098: What Manners to Teach Kids with Autism
There are three common mistakes parents and professionals make when teaching a child with autism manners. It can feel natural to prompt a child with "Say 'Thank you!'", but for a child with autism, the timing of when manners are taught matters just as much as the language ability of the child and the prompts that are used to elicit language.
Nov 10, 2020 • 48min
#097: Autism and Employment Opportunities | Interview with Ann Marie Sullivan
Everyone feels useful and productive through a job, but for the autism community, where nearly 80% of them are unemployed, it can be hard to break through that barrier and enjoy that feeling. Ann Marie Sullivan's company Spectrum Works seeks to be that bridge between unemployment and productive employment for the autism community.
Nov 5, 2020 • 25min
#000: In Home ABA Therapy vs. ABA School: Which is Better?
Deciding on whether an in-home ABA program or a school-based ABA program is the best course of action can be a difficult decision for any family to navigate, especially since the decision can impact the entire family. I'm going to explain some of the considerations you'll need to take into account as you make this decision for your child with autism.
Nov 3, 2020 • 32min
#096: My Story with Epilepsy, Autism, and Depression with Rachel Barcellona
As the reigning Miss Tampa and the runner-up to Miss Florida, Rachel Barcellona has created a platform for herself to positively share about her own journey with autism. But as a child, Rachel often felt like an alien from outer space who was sent to visit an Earth middle school. She shares her beautiful story about how she's used beauty pageants to become a confident ambassador for her community.
Oct 27, 2020 • 57min
#095: Dr. Keith Williams: Tackling Selective Eating in Children with Autism
How long should you go hiding spinach in brownies just to get a picky eater to eat some kind of vegetable? How much milk or juice should a child consume in a day? At some point, baked goods cannot be the only way your child eats a fruit or vegetable and a quart of juice a day isn't optimal for many reasons, but making that transition into healthy eating for children with autism is a careful process.
Oct 20, 2020 • 28min
#094: Mistakes to Avoid when Increasing Language Skills in Children with Autism
When a child with autism begins to speak for the first time, it can be tempting for parents or professionals to rush ahead and teach them adjectives, verbs, and phrases as fast as they can. Building the speech foundation for a child with autism must be done carefully over time, so today I want to lay out some common mistakes you should avoid because they actually disrupt speech patterns.
Oct 13, 2020 • 39min
#093: Autism Detection: A Summary of Dr. Ami Klin's Autism Work
One in 54 children is on the autism spectrum today, and nearly one in six has some kind of developmental delay. Ami Klin wants policymakers to stop treating autism as a genetic disease and instead recognize it as a public health crisis. I want to introduce you to some of Ami Klin's groundbreaking research about how children on the autism spectrum can be identified and treated from a very young age.
Oct 6, 2020 • 1h 5min
#092: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Training (ACT) | Interview with Dr. Jonathan Tarbox
Under stressful circumstances, or even under regular circumstances, wanting to escape real life by diving into too much social media, movies, or even substance abuse can cause harm to relationships, jobs, and self-development. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy was created from behavior analyses by behavior analysts as a way to help you reground yourself in your daily life.
Sep 29, 2020 • 54min
#091: COVID-19's Implications on Free Appropriate Public Education with Gary Mayerson
It is undeniable that COVID-19 has had an impact on public education, but how exactly does that impact IEPs and school resources for children with autism? Gary Mayerson talks about the CARES Act and other recent policies and their ripple effect on the free access to public education guaranteed to every American child.
