Chelsea's Vocation

09/09/2026

“It’s not your fault — but it is your responsibility.” 🤯
That line from Jonathan Domsky may change how you think about autism, ADHD, and behavior.
If this hits, listen to this episode and send it to a parent who needs the reminder.

What matters most isn’t blaming the child or excusing the behavior.
It’s asking: What is this nervous system experiencing?
What support would actually help right now?
What self-regulation approaches might prevent dysregulation?

Autism is not a character flaw. It’s a different neurology.
And with the right support, what looks like “bad behavior” can become information, self-awareness, and growth.

That’s the shift. Not punishment. Not denial.
Understanding + responsibility.

🤔 What do you think? Have you heard this framed as explanation vs. excuse before?

09/03/2026

Our next workshop is for the educators, and it's one you won't want to miss!

With more students struggling in general education today means that more educators are struggling with the lack of systemic support they are receiving. Due to that loss of systemic support, the overwhelm then snowballs: managing day to day, lesson planning, teaching content, then soon enough your overall ability to emotionally regulate starts to become much more difficult and your prep hour feels like 15 minutes. The worst part, when educators struggle, so do students. Is there a way to lesson plan and respond to varying needs AND feel less overwhelmed? YES, and our October workshop is here to teach you how!

Making Gen Ed Work for More Kids with IEPs was designed with you in mind; a workshop brought to you by someone who has both been in the shoes of a struggling student with disabilities whose teachers did not know how to support them, and now as a disabled educator who has served more than 1000 students with IEPs because they identified gaps in their own learning as they earned their Masters in Teaching. In this workshop, you will learn from one of the very best special educators in the country, Mash Makhlyagina, how to:

1. Identify common barriers to effective inclusion within general education settings and how these challenges impact both students and educators.

2. Apply planning strategies that reduce overwhelm and increase flexibility when responding to diverse learning needs.

3. Develop a sustainable mindset for inclusion that balances student support with educator capacity and well-being.

And more!

A steady and equitable work-life balance is waiting for you! Join our October workshop by clicking the link below: https://autismsocietywi.org/event/virtual-workshop-making-gen-ed-work-for-more-kids-with-ieps/

08/21/2026

What a great opportunity for our !

🌟 Join Us at the Autism Resources Fair for Preschool Children! 🌟

Families of preschool-aged children are invited to join Children’s Wisconsin Center for Child Development for an afternoon filled with helpful information, resources, and opportunities to connect with your community. 💙

📅 Monday, September 14
⏰ 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM
📍 Children’s Wisconsin Center for Child Development
1250 N 113th St., Suite 200, Wauwatosa, WI

Meet with Children’s Wisconsin team members and community partners to learn more about resources available to support your child and family, including:

✨ Family guidance
✨ Financial resources
✨ Therapies
✨ Recreational opportunities
✨ Safety resources
✨ And more!

🔗 Please register here: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=KmVjmQqrG0-ZSrSeg9kPDqq8l9T3_SBHi7mTCxAkiE1UNkc0N1RZSEJOMVVJMU9DMDVIRkpDT1EwTy4u&route=shorturl

💙 Autism United of Wisconsin will be there! Stop by our table to meet our team, learn about our programs and support groups, and discover resources available to families in our community.

Come connect, ask questions, and discover resources that can support your family’s journey! 🌟

08/12/2026

As summer winds down, many families are beginning to think about the return to school. A new school year often brings exciting opportunities to learn, grow, and make new connections- but it can also bring uncertainty. New teachers, new routines, different expectations, and changes in daily schedules can feel overwhelming, especially for Autistic students who thrive on predictability.

The good news is that preparing for the school year doesn’t have to begin on the first day of school. A little planning and practice ahead of time can help build confidence, reduce anxiety, and create a smoother start for everyone.

To help support your family, we’ve gathered a few practical strategies along with free resources that can help make back-to-school season a little easier.

https://autismsocietywi.org/back-to-school-toolkit-helping-your-child-prepare-for-a-new-school-year/

08/12/2026

See those bowls stacked in the picture? Add one more and put them on a cupboard shelf. Now imagine your neurodivergent loved one was trying to slide the stack of bowls out to remove one, and the whole stack comes crashing to the tile floor, but not without hitting the granite countertop first. Pieces of sharp stoneware and glaze shards everywhere. And this all within earshot of your parents and grandparents.

Mom (Chelsea) gasps in horror, but not because of the loud crash and the big mess (which are already a sensory nightmare for her son), but because she sees he’s standing in bare feet in the midst of a hundred hazards.

He’s shocked, embarrassed, and desperately wants to escape. He also wants to minimize the elder generations’ big reactions, because he has no capacity to manage them.

Now is not the time for scolding or questions. (It never is with an adult, really.) Now is the time for soothing and safety.

Mom has shoes on, picks up the large pieces and tosses them in the trash, and makes sure he gets to a safe place in the kitchen before fetching the broom and dustpan. Dad gets the vacuum. All the while, we’re saying, “It’s okay, buddy. It was an accident. We just need to make sure you’re OK.”

But what he hears, whether it’s his own brain telling him or he’s remembering other similar instances and the feedback he’s gotten, is more like:
“What’s wrong with you?”
“You’re clumsy.”
“Be more careful!”

And he still doesn’t have the bowl he wanted. Or the cup he needed to take his medicine. Or his medicine. And he still just wants to escape. So his big feelings just come out like anger as he talks to mom.

Keeping that tone of voice reassuring and calming is the only thing that’s keeping him from going over the edge of dysregulation. This is how we co-regulate.

08/06/2026

Chelsea was so excited to help lay a foundation of understanding of children for the staff at the Fred Astaire Dance Studios - New Berlin, who are currently registering new students!

There were lots of questions as we considered sensory perceptive differences, co-regulation, and stress responses. "What if" isn't a simple "if then", because every person is different and coping capacity may fluctuate. So while a box of sensory toys might help one student, it may distract another.

It's always great when a loved one knows just what their student might need and brings it along. It's also great when they know how to set up their student to be successful. Maybe the best time to get that dance lesson isn't right after school or before dinner.

"Shouldn't parents know that?" one instructor asked. "Ideally, yes," Chelsea replied. "And I used to take my kids to the grocery store for a 'quick visit' after I picked them up from school and wonder why it turned into a disaster. We do better when we know better."

That's pretty much why Chelsea started her ...
🥹 For the parents who want to know better.
🧐 For the educators who'd like to dive deeper.
👩‍⚕️ For the healthcare professionals seeking to build trust.
🙋 For the grandparents who are afraid to ask.

Catch up on the episodes you've missed before new ones are released starting next month. See link in comments ⬇ or search Chelsea's Vocation wherever you stream your content.

07/13/2026

How’s your summer going? It’s already halfway over. 😮 Are you making memories with your autistic loved one? If you’re like us, there’s the way you plan for your day to go, and then what actually happens.

Chelsea’s son Justus had a plan for today’s theme park adventure:
1️⃣ Have lunch from a favorite restaurant outside of the park (because he needs gluten-free options … and familiarity).
2️⃣ Spend time in a waterpark.
3️⃣ Ride two very specific rollercoasters.

🟢 lunch
🟡 waterpark (because lines and crying children and too much sun/not enough sunscreen and crowds and anxiety and decision fatigue and sensory overload and no capacity for problem solving) … so
🛑 before rollercoasters.

Sobbing into a towel. Sunglasses to hide crying eyes. Headphones to get out to the parking lot. We needed a hard reset.

We retreated to a cool car to bring down our respective core temps, recharge our phone batteries, and replenish our grace wells.

Thankfully, the reset was beneficial enough to get those last two coasters in. 😮‍💨

Here’s hoping your summer memories are good ones - even if the “good” is less “success” and more “learn”. Let’s celebrate your successes and multiply your learnings by sharing in the comments! 😎

07/06/2026

July is as good a month as any to recognize ableist perceptions in yourself if you are a neurotypical caregiver of a neurodivergent child.

It’s OK to feel conflicted when you see your child struggle. But the pride you take in your child should include every part of them. And for your child, that might include disability.

“Disability” is not a bad word. It does not need a euphemism. It does need acceptance. 

This July, we are celebrating Disability Pride Month! Disability Pride is about reclaiming narratives, honoring our diverse community, and celebrating the unique perspectives and strengths of Autistic individuals.

Pride isn't about ignoring the challenges, it’s about demanding acceptance, accessibility, and a world where every individual is connected to the support they need to live fully.

We are proud today, this month, and every single day.♾️

06/18/2026

Chelsea has her flag out in celebration of her grown children today, but she does her best to be an every day! 🌈♾️

What does June 18 mean to you? 💛

06/10/2026

Summer Break/ing News about the