Neurodiverse Therapies

Neurodiverse Therapies supports Brain Injury Awareness Week 19-25 August 2026.

1. Awareness and understanding
Brain injury can affect how a person thinks, communicates, moves, feels, senses and manages everyday activities.

Some impacts are visible. Many are not.

A person may look “fine” while experiencing fatigue, sensory overload, memory changes, headaches, emotional shifts or difficulty organising tasks.

This Brain Injury Awareness Week, let’s replace assumptions with curiosity, patience and practical support.

Small adjustments can make a meaningful difference: reduce sensory demands, allow extra processing time, write information down and ask what would help.

2. Invisible impacts
Not all brain injuries are immediately visible.

Someone living with brain injury may be managing symptoms that affect attention, planning, balance, speech, energy, emotional regulation or participation in everyday life.

Needing breaks is not laziness. Taking longer is not a lack of effort. Asking for support is not failure.

Understanding creates safer, more inclusive homes, workplaces, schools and communities.

This week, listen without judgement and believe people when they describe their experience.

3. Recovery is individual
There is no single recovery timeline after brain injury.

Progress may look like returning to a valued activity, finding a new way to complete a task, managing energy more effectively, communicating needs or participating with the right support.

Recovery is not always linear, and support may be needed long after the initial injury.

A strengths-based approach recognises both the challenges and the skills, interests, identity and goals that remain important to each person.

4. Practical support
Supporting someone with brain injury does not require perfect words or specialist knowledge.

You can help by:

Giving one step at a time.

Allowing extra time to respond.

Reducing background noise and visual clutter.

Checking understanding without being patronising.

Offering written information.

Respecting rest breaks and changing energy levels.

Asking, “What would make this easier today?”

Accessibility is not special treatment. It is a practical way to support participation and dignity.

5. Community call to action
Brain injury awareness is more than learning a definition. It means creating communities where people are understood, included and supported.

This Brain Injury Awareness Week:

Learn about visible and invisible impacts.

Avoid assumptions based on appearance.

Use respectful, person-centred language.

Make space for different communication and energy needs.

Share reliable information.

Ask before offering advice.

Share this post to help build greater understanding of brain injury and its everyday impacts.

Neurodiverse Therapies acknowledges and belatedly celebrates July 2026 as Disability Pride Month.

Pride without performance
Disability Pride isn’t about inspiration or “overcoming”. It’s about claiming space, access, and joy as we are. This month and every month, disabled and neurodivergent people deserve more than awareness—we deserve rights, resources, and respect.

Access is not a gift
Disability Pride Month is not about being grateful for adjustments. It’s about asserting that access and inclusion are not favours—they are rights. When workplaces, clinics, and schools treat access as baseline, disabled people can show up fully without apology.

The world works better with us
The 2026 Disability Pride theme is “The World Works Better with Us”. Disabled and neurodivergent people bring creativity, problem-solving, and community wisdom that benefit everyone. Inclusion isn’t charity; it’s good design.

For the low-energy days too
Pride also lives in the quiet moments: pacing, resting, saying no, and still being worthy. You don’t need to be “productive” or “resilient” to deserve access and care. Your disabled life is already enough.

From an OT lens
As an occupational therapist, I see Disability Pride as a call to shift from “fixing” people to fixing or adapting systems, processes and environments that don't meet the needs of disabled and neurodivergent people. When we remove barriers and honour neurodivergent and disabled ways of being, participation and wellbeing follow.

If you are an Australian resident and a parent or primary caregiver of a child aged under 9 years old with disability, developmental delays or neurodivergence - you could contribute to research to inform the redesign of disability support systems.

The University of Queensland is conducting research that will generate evidence on families’ experiences accessing disability, health and education supports for children aged 0-8 years, co-design consumer-driven research priorities, and build transdisciplinary partnerships to inform the redesign of disability support systems.

What's involved
You'll need to complete an online survey that'll take approximately 15 minutes. There are optional additional sections that you can choose to complete if you wish.

Benefits of participating
Participants will be entered into a draw to win one of ten $100 gift cards.

How to participate
If you meet the eligibility criteria and you'd like to participate, you can complete the survey below.
https://uniofqueensland.syd1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4MaIeDhYUcq2stg

Ethics approval
This study has been approved by The University of Queensland Human Research Ethics Committee [Approval No.2026/HE011161].

Contact
For any questions, contact:
Martin O'Flaherty [email protected]

Further information
https://partners-community.uq.edu.au/get-involved/volunteer-research-study/building-better-support-systems-children-disability-developmental-delay-or-neurodivergence?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=disability-research&utm_term=native-google-demand-gen-au-p25-64-detailed-segments-cpc&utm_content=static-disability-research-2&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=24062271725&gclid=CjwKCAjwhZDUBhBGEiwAbi5bjgT8S4qbH64cUhZKzDWPGVSjyw7eyCg0i5_XK27in87gssV6JWkZZhoCXxoQAvD_BwE

Building better support systems for children with disability, developmental delay or neurodivergence This project will explore how families of young children with disabilities access support services, identify their key priorities, and bring together researchers, families and organisations to improve support systems and develop future research opportunities.

Permission to post, please delete or decline if not allowed.

I am a neurodivergent Occupational Therapist on the Gold Coast who has availability to provide neurodiversity affirming occupational therapy for neurodivergent individuals (aged 10y+) and families who are seeking clinic and/or telehealth services.

Please see brochure below for an outline of services offered. I look forward to working with you!

Autism Australia has a free webinar on Thursday 20th August at 12pm AEST to help autistic children and adults access healthcare with less fear and distress.

Calmer visits to the doctor and dentist: a framework for all ages, stages and needs

Most healthcare guidance for autistic people grinds to a halt after high school. But healthcare access is a lifelong right, and autistic adults deserve practical, respectful strategies that reflect their reality. Whether you’re building healthcare participation skills for the first time or rebuilding them after years of distressing experiences, progress is possible!

In this free 60-minute session, board-certified behaviour analyst Brandon Franklin shares a practical framework that breaks healthcare visits into manageable, step-by-step skills. You'll learn how to start where your autistic family member is today.

What you'll learn

Find your starting point: identify essential healthcare skills vs. nice-to-haves
Step-by-step prep: how to practice for blood draws, physical exams and dental care safely at home
Real video demonstrations: case studies across different support needs
Clinic adjustments: exactly what accommodations to request from the doctor or dentist
Takeaway toolkit: supporting materials and the full recording, sent after the webinar
When: Thursday 20 August 2026, 12:00pm – 1:00pm AEST

Where: Online via Zoom
Cost: Free (includes live Q&A)
Includes: Full recording and takeaway toolkit sent to all registrants

Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: Calmer visits to the doctor and dentist: a framework for all ages, stages and needs. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar. We're pressing pause on theory and diving into demonstrations, case studies, real frameworks and live Q&A in this free webinar. Hosted by international guest, Board-Certified Behaviour Analyst Brandon M. Franklin, and Autism Association of Australia CEO, Nicole Rogerson.

Looking for information about disability supports and services for people living with ME/CFS and long COVID?

Join Emerge Australia for a session on how Disability Gateway may be able to support people living with ME/CFS and long COVID.

In this free 45-minute online session, Disability Gateway will explain who they are, how they can help, and what support and information may be available, with a focus on common issues experienced by people living with ME/CFS and long COVID. There will also be time for attendees to ask questions.

When: Monday 4 August 2:00pm AEST
Hosted by: Emerge Australia (online via Zoom)

Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: Navigating Disability Supports: Q&A Session with Disability Gateway. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting. In this free 45-minute online session, Disability Gateway will explain who they are, how they can help, and what support and information may be available, with a focus on common issues experienced by people living with ME/CFS and long COVID. There will also be time for attendees to ask questions. As...

Calling all late-diagnosed Autistic and ADHD adults:

Phoebe Meldrum is a psychologist and a PhD candidate at Monash University currently completing a research project exploring identity in late-diagnosed Autistic and ADHD adults.

She would like survey responses from adults who've received a formal Autism diagnosis in adulthood, but not ADHD, as this is a currently underrepresented group in the responses she has received so far.

Eligibility criteria:
a) Aged 18 or over
b) Received formal diagnosis of Autism and/or ADHD at age 18 or older (i.e. diagnosed as an adult)
c) Residing in Australia
d) Fluent in English

The survey takes around 30 minutes to complete, is completely anonymous, and participants can enter a draw to win a $50 gift voucher as a thank you for your time.

Survey link: https://redcap.link/o2kv5x3g

This study has been approved by the Monash University HREC (Project ID 50197).

For further info please contact Phoebe:
[email protected]

redcap.helix.monash.edu

12th May 2026 was International Awareness Day for Chronic Immunological and Neurological Diseases (CIND), and Fibromyalgia Awareness Day.

CIND like ME/CFS and fibromyalgia steal energy, amplify pain, and challenge daily life - yet people who have these conditions are often dismissed as being "just tired."

This month, Neurodiverse Therapies acknowledges the functional difficulties whilst honouring the resilience and strength of those affected.

If this resonates, share or repost to spread awareness for CIND and fibromyalgia.
Your action helps break the silence - thank you.







If you would like neurodiversity affirming occupational therapy support for CIND and/or fibromyalgia, please reach out to Dr Micah Perez at Neurodiverse Therapies.

https://neurodiversetherapies.com.au/