Wild Seeds SLP

Website

Wild Seeds SLP Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Wild Seeds SLP, Speech Pathologist, Victoria, BC.

Aryn Franklin from Wild Seeds - Speech, Language, & Supported Learning Service; Neurodiversity-Affirming Therapist and Educator for Supporting Autistic Children

Hey educators and educational assistants! Do you find yourself constantly thinking about how to support the diverse lear...
04/13/2026

Hey educators and educational assistants! Do you find yourself constantly thinking about how to support the diverse learning needs of the students in your classroom?

Feeling a little unsteady about where exactly to start when it comes to using strategies that will support your autistic students to learn and grow? Well, you’re not alone.

Here’s the thing: The way we are supporting autistic learners is shifting from former outdated models - we are now understanding more about how autistic kids think, learn, interact, and experience the world differently. Using this knowledge is how we affirm their natural way of being and move towards creating more inclusive learning spaces. We are entering into a new era of affirming care!

Come join me for a FREE live masterclass on ‘Autistic Communication Supports in the Classroom’ and learn how to start creating a supportive communication environment for your students without feeling totally out of your depth (trust me, you can do this!)

In just ONE session, you’ll discover:
✅ How our understanding of autism is evolving—and what that means for shifting our practices in the classroom
✅ The deeper reasons behind the communication challenges & behaviors you’re seeing
✅ The ‘secret sauce’ to meaningful communication growth (and a small but mighty shift that will make big impact)
✅ The unique language processing style of autistic students (this is a total “aha!” moment!)
✅ Practical first steps to try in the classroom

The best part? It’s 100% FREE (because I believe every educator deserves to be equipped with this information).

And for those who want to go deeper, there’s a VIP ticket option — with unlimited replay access, exclusive access to the masterclass notes + visuals, and an extra special bonus resource.

I’m going LIVE on Zoom:
** April 19 @ 1pm PST **
and I want to see you there!

A replay of the event will be made available for a limited time only.

Head over to the registration page to reserve your FREE spot:
https://www.wildseedsslp.courses/communicationmasterclass-2026

Our understanding of autism support is evolving — are you ready to shift with it?

I thought I was the one supporting him...but turns out, it sometimes goes the other way around. This is the story of how...
03/07/2026

I thought I was the one supporting him...
but turns out, it sometimes goes the other way around.

This is the story of how my autistic client helped me through an anxious moment.

This feels vulnerable to share.
But the lesson in this story matters more than my need to be seen as someone who has it all together.
Lately, I’ve been dealing with some big feelings. In particular, Worry and Anxiety have been making themselves very cozy in my body and mind. But I have a feeling I am not alone in that in this current moment in time.

On this particular day a few weeks ago, my emotions felt especially loud. There was a big part of me that wanted to stay under the covers and scroll my phone all day. Yaaah… I know… not exactly my finest coping strategy.

But I had clients to see. And deep down I knew that showing up would probably be the very thing that would be helpful for me.
So I gathered myself and headed out the door.

My first session was with a student I see at his home. We typically start our time together by exploring whatever toys I’ve brought for the day, or by him showing me what his current interest is (lately it’s been trains and elaborate train tracks).

But that day, he had a different plan.
Before I could even take off my boots, he declared,
“Want Aryn do red momo! Outside!” [translation: "let’s go play with the red mower outside in the yard”]

Boots on. Decision made.
Out we went to the front lawn, which was full of yardwork tools. The real deal kind too. Not the plastic kind. A real mower. A real w**d wacker. A real leaf blower. But without any power.

And we have played this game before. Usually he leads the way while I narrate and follow along beside him. We build the script together. So I thought I knew how this was going to go.
But this day was different.

On this day, he decided it was my turn to use the tools.
Put on the ear muffs.
Pretend the mower is out of gas.
Fill it up with our very convincing stick “ gas hose”.
Pretend to pull the rip cord. At least twice.
Push the mower up and down the lawn.
Do not miss the edges.
When it runs out of “gas”, start again.
Follow the order. Over and over.
Again and again.
Switch tools.
Follow the order.
Over and over.
Again and again.
Repeat.

He sat casually on the rock wall, supervising me. A 6 year old with his legs crossed and everything. Taking his job very seriously.
Making sure I did not skip a single step.
Calling out instructions when I looked like I might abandon the task.

Keep going. That was the message.

And here is the part that caught me off guard:
After a while, I noticed my anxiety had softened.
My chest felt less tight.
My thoughts were quieter.

Fresh air.
Grass and mud under my boots
Sun on my face (we are very lucky here in Victoria).
Grass and mud under my boots.
Heavy work.
Repetition.
Shared rhythm.
And suddenly I had a realization.

He was showing me what works for him.
He was walking me through the exact kind of sensory and regulating input that helps his own system settle. He knew the sequence. He knew the order. He knew that repetition mattered.
He was not just playing.
He was intuitively teaching.

I think sometimes, as supportive adults, we rush to interpret. We rush to manage. We rush to redirect.
But what if we slowed down long enough to notice that these kids often know, very intuitively, what their bodies need?
Yes, we still support this area. We still scaffold. We still expand their toolbox.

But this work is relational and so is regulation. It moves between us.
We are always impacting each other, whether we realize it or not.
Sometimes we are the anchor.
Sometimes we are the one being steadied.
And that day, he supported me.

So if you are feeling your own worry or big feelings creeping in lately, I invite you to take the guidance of my little friend:
Find something repetitive.
Find something grounding.
Maybe even something a little heavy to move around.
Let yourself get absorbed in the rhythm of it.
And then check in with your body after.
You might be surprised by what shifts.
I know I was.
And I am carrying the wisdom of the red mower with me.

________________________________
And if you made it this far, thank you.
I would truly love to know, what lesson has an autistic student taught you lately?
I can’t wait to read your answers.

02/09/2026

The conundrum of autistic support...

We want to deeply show up in support of our autistic learners
But we can only support to the level of our own capacity.
We can't give more when we don't have enough to give.

What if we reimagine how neuro-inclusive learning spaces could look? And have support for the supporters built in.

There are lots of ways this could look.
And if you want a gentle starting point, I've got a resource for you. Let me know below if you want more info about it.

(Or want to know where my sweater is from 🙊)

You know those moments where a kid’s meltdown leaves you wondering, “What am I missing here?” 👇It was IEP season again, ...
10/12/2025

You know those moments where a kid’s meltdown leaves you wondering, “What am I missing here?” 👇

It was IEP season again, and I was chatting with a teacher about goals for students in their class.

They told me about one student (bright, curious, autistic) who’d been having more frequent outbursts lately.

Yelling at peers during centers.
Growling and hiding under desks when asked to join the group.
Covering their ears and screaming when things got too loud.

The teacher sighed and said,
“I just want them to be able to tell me what’s wrong instead of yelling. To use their words so I can help.”

I could feel the care behind it — that wish to understand, to connect.

The teacher’s heart was in exactly the right place.
And it’s such a beautiful goal.
To help a child have more ways to express what’s hard.

Now here’s something that I know is going to sound strange, but it’s true:
Communication doesn’t begin with words.

Before words, there’s safety.
Before problem-solving, there’s regulation.
Before expression, there’s connection.

When we start looking for those foundations — the clues beneath the behaviour — everything starts to change.

And with it our approach shifts from a focus on ‘teaching’ communication, to a space of helping a child reach it.

That’s what I’ll be exploring in my upcoming free Masterclass (that I'm hosting again!): “Autistic Communication Supports in the Classroom”

It’s for educators, EAs, and inclusion teachers who want to understand autistic communication at a deeper level.

Happening online next Sunday (Oct 19th).

💛 So if that speaks to you (or someone you know), you can save your (virtual) seat here:

www.wildseedsslp.courses/communicationmasterclass

Would love to have you there!

Address

Victoria, BC

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Wild Seeds SLP posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Sponsored

Share

Category