Tier 3 Montessori

03/13/2026

🎯 💯

03/12/2026

03/12/2026

Many of our families rely on Medicaid so this is great news for them since more providers and centers are accepting Medicaid 🫶
...and here is part of the response from Council of Autism Service Providers - CASP:
"These issues don’t invalidate ABA as an autism treatment. We have decades of scientific data proving it works. It’s certainly not “glorified daycare.” For children with autism, play and everyday activities are the most effective way to generalize skills like communication, social interaction, and following a schedule. The outcomes are transformative. Autistic children who receive ABA services are more likely to catch up to their peers, live independently as adults, and find employment success.

The correct treatment intensity—especially during the 0-6 developmental period—is critical to achieving those outcomes. Every patient has unique needs, and CASP’s ABA Practice Guidelines do not make a blanket recommendation of 40 hours per week. However, there’s a proven correlation between higher numbers of ABA hours and better outcomes for children with autism. Those who receive 30+ hours of ABA weekly are twice as likely to close cognitive development gaps compared to kids who receive less than 12 hours. They’re also three times more likely to achieve average everyday skills, such as successful communication and participating in homelife.

Children with autism need ABA. Done right, these services help them reach their potential. Every time a provider abuses the system, patients pay the price. We must work together as a community, with HHS OIG, and with states to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse—ensuring people with autism have access to quality, ethical care."

Read more here 👉 https://www.casproviders.org/news/casp-responds-to-wall-street-journal-articles?fbclid=IwY2xjawQgI0BleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFQSWpHWk93bWJkaUoyRmg0c3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHgcoCjco_y4Y4Oc3u_sFSZwVZCD6au9wnTccgHs6VVXNmCZdm_cIceV8p0tw_aem_P_4K_PcgWf2AsKRgw3KVjg

The business of providing therapy to children with autism has surged in recent years across the U.S., fueled by taxpayer-funded Medicaid payments.

Some companies have found lucrative opportunities to capitalize on the growing need for such care, sometimes outpacing regulators’ oversight, the Journal’s analysis found.

The number of companies offering such therapy—individualized treatments meant to help patients manage behavior and develop daily living and social skills—almost doubled between 2019 and 2023.

Direct payments from state Medicaid programs to autism therapy providers grew to $2.2 billion in 2023, from $660 million just four years earlier, according to the data. Private insurers administering Medicaid benefits paid hundreds of millions more.

That made applied behavior analysis, or ABA, as the therapy is called, the fastest-growing service in Medicaid, the state-run program for low-income and disabled people.

Federal taxpayers financed about 70% of Medicaid spending during that period. Entrepreneurs and investors, including some private-equity firms, have piled into the business.

🔗 Read more: https://on.wsj.com/3NhM3z2

03/12/2026

I love when people say "that doesn't happen" or "my charter school was great."

Ok, then why does the term "counseling out" even exist....and bring up way too many search results? Because it is happening, that's why.

Counseling Out: How Charter Schools Quietly Push Out Students with IEPs (And What to Do About It)

https://adayinourshoes.com/charter-school-special-education/

03/11/2026

Teachers, admin:
Is it time to reconsider your life’s purpose? 🤔

* The one time I walked a student to the support center asking for help; I said, in my strongest calm voice, “This is not ok.”

It took me years to figure out they thought I was talking about the child 🤦🏻‍♀️

Nope.
I was asking the school for help. I was the one who needed help supporting the student - I had never experienced or even been warned such violence and aggression could occur in the classroom.

Unpopular opinion but teachers really do need more training.

The school is focused on curriculum but the days are over where teachers can plan some cute activities and have it all go swimmingly.

I quit teaching that year.
I canceled the masters program I had been looking forward to, and instead went on a soul clearing family road trip from Austin to NYC through the Virginia mountains ⛰️
I listened to an audiobook that brought my life course back into focus: The Courage to Teach by Parker J. Palmer.

I went on to finish my Breathe for Change yoga, mindfulness, and SEL facilitator certification, study grief work for children, and ACT (Acceptance & Commitment Therapy/Training) and did some Dyslexia training.

It brought me back into the classroom, renewed and empowered with new skills. I finished the masters course the next year, and went on to complete my board supervision & certification in behavior analysis ✅

🎯 I’m here to help empower teachers to empower their students.

🔥 TEACHERS ARE EXPECTED TO BREAK QUIETLY.

Teachers are the only ones expected to absorb dysfunction
and call it dedication.

No curriculum?
Figure it out.

No support?
Figure it out.

Behavior out of control?
Build relationships.

Test scores down?
Work harder.

Funding cut?
Be creative.

Parents upset?
Be professional.

Admin overwhelmed?
Be understanding.

You are expected to stretch.
Shrink.
Sacrifice.
Smile.

And if you finally say,
“This isn’t sustainable”—

Someone will tell you to remember your “why.”

No one says:

This is too much.
This isn’t fair.
This isn’t how a career should feel.

You are not weak for wanting more.

You are not selfish for wanting stability.
Respect.
Pay that reflects your skill.
A life that doesn’t revolve around surviving Monday.

You were never meant to carry all of this.

And you definitely weren’t meant to carry it forever.

Signed,
a former teacher who stopped pretending burnout was normal.

03/11/2026

I highly, highly recommend any work with Dr. Szabo! 🎉 This course is excellent for deepening your understanding & practice using ACT ✅

Behavioral people receive professional continuing education credits!

https://www.praxiscet.com/events/actr-essential-aba-apr-2026/

Essential ACTr Skills for Behavior Analysts 18 CE Hours available How do I get my CE? Thomas Szabo, PhD, BCBA-D Behavior analyst, trainer, and author Space in this course is very limited! If it’s full, please ask about our waitlist. You recognize that acceptance and commitment training can add a p...

03/11/2026

Last time I posted Temple Grandin, I had so much hate thrown at me 🤦🏻‍♀️

She’s a legend, and everything she says here is aligned with Montessori 🎉

03/10/2026

🎉🎉🎉

We start this Thursday.

FREE WEBINAR
Global Montessori Inclusion Convergence
Stronger Together: Bringing Inclusive Montessori into the Future

Inclusive Montessori is not an add-on.
It is our responsibility.

Join leading voices in Montessori inclusion for a live conversation on what authentic inclusion requires across classrooms, therapy, and medical collaboration.

March 12, 2026
5:00–7:30 p.m. CET
Live on Zoom

Register:
https://amiprague.cz/events/webinars/freewebinar-global-montessori-inclusion-convergence/

03/09/2026

This workshop explores how neuroscience concepts can help behavior analysts better understand why behavior happens and how to support regulation.

03/03/2026

Enter to win! 🎉
Maybe we’ll be in the same class together 🎉

🎟️ Announcing a chance to win a seat in our AMI Montessori Core Principles Certificate Course.
Enter the MINT Condition raffle for a chance to experience Montessori across the lifespan:
$10 per ticket
Drawing March 12!

Enter here: montessori-mint.org/mint-condition

03/02/2026

🎯💯

03/02/2026

🎉🎉🎉

Via blackwildflowersfund, "Calling future Montessori educators 🌻 The Montessori Credential Grant is officially OPEN! This grant provides financial support for training center tuition so you can focus on your calling, not the cost." Check this out - > 🔗 www.blackwildflowers.org/grant-programs/montessori-credential-grant