Dream Catcher Academic Therapy

25/04/2023

When my daughter is having a meltdown. I try my best. Sometimes helps and sometimes not. This resonated with me.
" I couldn’t hold her hand today,
So I held her foot
While I held a prayer
While I held my emotions in check
To ensure there was room for all of hers.
I couldn’t hold her hand today,
So I held her foot
While I held her vulnerability
While I held a posture of support
To advocate for what she knew she needed to cope.
I couldn’t hold her hand today,
So I held her foot
While I held visions of good news
While I held my worries from unraveling
To stay collected in case she took cues from me.
I am a companion
On a journey I didn’t ask for—
No how-to
No instruction manual
No gentle guide to lead us.
I AM the guide,
Learning as I go,
But too busy holding pieces of pain and fear to take notes.
Yet sealed to my brain,
Etched on heart,
Is encouragement for my fellow companions,
Those keeping close as their beloved navigates a difficult journey.
I step off the path for a moment
To let the sun warm my face and offer this message:
Never underestimate the significance
of that hand on their foot
of that assurance in your voice
of that belief you manage to grasp out of thin air.
Your ability to connect in crisis
Without a manual
Without a map
Is the most direct form of love and comfort you can offer in times of uncertainty.
Written by Rachel Macy Stafford

12/03/2023

Pathological Demand Avoidance. This is such a challenging thing to deal with and is becoming more recognised in autistic profiles. School is particularly tricky for someone with PDA. This is why a lot of parents are turning to home school or part-time schooling.
I tutor several students who have a PDA profile and we work closely together to create sessions that reduce stress and are still educational. I have a couple of online sessions during the day free.
Contact [email protected] if you are interested

02/08/2022

A course specifically for sports coaches. Would your local sports club benefit from this? Please email us [email protected] for more information

08/04/2022

I pre-recorded my panel discussion today with 2 awesome Yellow Ladybugs today. Get your tickets for the online conference or in-person if you can make it to Melbourne.

Attention: Teachers & Allied Health Professionals - Book your PD in now! Online, On Demand, In Person conference - 7-9th June 2022

Yellow Ladybugs have gathered a fantastic mix of neurodivergent teachers, psychologists, allied health professionals and individuals to share their lived/or lived experience, insights and strategies to support and understand neurodivergent girls, teens and gender diverse students. Complementary to the lived experience, there will be presentations from paediatric psychiatrist Dr Alberto Veloso and Senior Research Fellow in su***de prevention, Darren Headly from Latrobe University.

The Department of Education & Training Victoria is a key partner and sponsor of this conference.

Tickets and registration ylbconference.vfairs.com or via trybooking www.trybooking.com/BYCSM

Tag someone who might be interested below ⬇️

31/03/2022

Royal commission into "The experience of women and girls with disability with a particular focus on family, domestic and sexual violence" -https://disability.royalcommission.gov.au/?fbclid=IwAR1ZNuIXYCp5i2t4Dr8T5JwHaMLNbk33U96ztvir-qriZgpEtlI1RF7OFO8

The Disability Royal Commission was established in April 2019 in response to community concern about widespread reports of violence against, and the neglect, abuse and exploitation of, people with disability.

27/03/2022

Gemma here, I am excited! There is an awesome conference coming up in June. I am on a panel speaking about executive functioning supports for females and gender diverse students who are autistic and/or have ADHD. #
https://ylbconference.vfairs.com/?fbclid=IwAR1aquVWFIbFDm-LVnZ2et7LM84ouOUsJ2dqR8X9GzFL_6qT6o4lGwp63TA

Back by popular demand, Yellow Ladybugs presents The ADHD and Autistic Minds conference, featuring autistic girls, women, gender diverse individuals and allies.

21/03/2022

We are seeking expressions of interest in adult literacy classes.
Small groups 3-4 people with a mentor taking you through spelling rules you may not have been taught. This will be in a safe place to learn. Group session price of $750 for 10 sessions.

Create a new survey on your own or with others at the same time. Choose from a variety of survey types and analyze results in Google Forms. Free from Google.

03/03/2022

If you have a child who has sensitivity concerns with clothes. Have a look at this page-https://www.facebook.com/SensoryFriendlyClothing/

Emotional & sensory regulating clothing for those who are sensitive to regular clothing, tags, labels, seams & also those who benefit from tactile sensory input to fidget with and calm the nerves. Designed in Oz by an Autistic Occupational Therapist!

28/02/2022

A few family and friends have been affected by the latest floods. I was looking at what I could do to support them. I feel like saying "let me know what I can do" sometimes is too much for the person on the other end of this, especially at a crisis time. I found this useful. -

When you know a friend whose life has been impacted by a natural disaster, it can be hard to know what to do or say.

28/02/2022

Support and educate.

It's Rare Disease Day! Spread the word by passing on this 'Support Pledge'. Download yours from the official Rare Disease Day website.

Over 60 landmarks around Australia will illuminate people living with a rare disease tonight, while other events will take place nationally.

Don't forget to use the official hashtag in your posts on social media today.

Rare Disease Day takes place on the last day of February annually. A disease is rare if it affects less than 5 in 10,000 people. It is prominently cited that there are more than 7,000 different rare diseases.

An estimated 2 million Australians are living with a rare disease and 300 million people globally. The main objective of Rare Disease Day is to raise awareness among the general public and decision-makers about rare diseases and their impact on people’s lives.

22/02/2022

My daughter is facing disbelief when she shares she is autistic. We are out to educate and advocate.

17/02/2022

"Neurodiversity suggests that autism is not a disorder, disease or problem to be fixed; rather, it is a neurological difference that fosters distinct abilities (Baron-Cohen 2017; NSN n.d.; Silberman 2015). Baron-Cohen (2017) suggested that viewing autism through a neurodiversity lens is analogous to discussing handedness — being left-handed or right-handed is neither good nor bad, functional nor dysfunctional; it is simply a difference."Gabrielle A. Heselton (2021) Childhood adversity, resilience, and autism: a critical review of the literature, Disability & Society, DOI: 10.1080/09687599.2021.1983416