243. Feelings First; The Step We Often Skip (and Why It Matters)
Oct 16, 2025When your child is melting down, your instinct is to fix it.
To solve it. To make it stop. But here’s the truth—before you can teach regulation, you have to model it.
In this episode of the Not Your Average Autism Mom Podcast, Shannon dives deep into why emotional validation is the foundation for every behavioral strategy that actually works. She explains what “feelings first” really looks like in real life, shares real-life scenarios from Jordan (now 29), and offers concrete phrases and resets to help your child feel safe before you address behavior.
You’ll also hear about her upcoming book, When Life Doesn’t Go As Planned: Finding Strength, Surrender, and Acceptance Parenting an Autistic Child, coming in 2026 — written straight from her heart for moms just like you.
Because when we learn to see the feeling before the behavior, we begin to change everything — starting with ourselves.
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