A Practical Guide to Protecting the Engaged State in Neurodivergent Children
Protecting the Engaged state is just as important as responding to distress or boredom. We often respond quickly when neurodivergent children become dysregulated, but the Engaged state (calm, focused, safe and connected) is where learning and belonging actually happen. This practical guide covers what the Engaged state looks like in neurodivergent children, what pulls them out of it, and six small conditions that help them stay there 💙
Estimated Reading Time: 6-7 minutes
How to Build Returnability in Your Classroom or Community Program: A Practical Guide
Returnability focuses on whether a neurodivergent child wants to, and feels able to, return to your setting. This practical guide walks educators and program leaders through what Returnability looks like in compulsory and non-compulsory settings, and how to build it deliberately. 💙
Estimated Reading Time: 5-6 minutes
What Neurodivergent Behaviour Is Really Telling You: A Practical Guide to the Regulation Wave
When a neurodivergent child melts down, shuts down, or zones out, their behaviour is telling you something. The Regulation Wave helps you understand and respond in a way that actually makes a difference. This post walks you through each state and what to do (and what not to do) in each one. 💙
Estimated Reading Time: 5-6 minutes
When Participation Costs Too Much: A Guide to Lowering the Participation Tax in Your Classroom or Program
The Participation Tax is the hidden effort (sensory, cognitive, social, emotional, transition, and recovery) required to participate, and it builds fast in neurodivergent children. This post explains why, breaks down the six parts of the Participation Tax, and walks educators and program leaders through practical steps to lower it. 💙
Estimated Reading Time: 4-5 minutes
The Rules No One Taught: How to Spot Hidden Expectations in Your Classroom or Program
Hidden Expectations are the unspoken rules all children are expected to know, but were never taught. For neurodivergent children, who may not naturally pick up on unspoken social norms, they can be a significant barrier to participation and belonging. This post shows you how to spot them and make them visible in your classroom or program. 💙
Estimated Reading Time: 4-5 minutes
When We Remove Support from Autistic Children, We Risk Creating Burnt-Out Autistic Adults
What happens to autistic kids when we remove their support? The NDIS is removing thousands of autistic Australians from the scheme without understanding the significant risks that poses for their futures. This post is about what that can cost, from someone already paying the price. 💙
Estimated Reading Time: 4-5 minutes
Just Being in the Room Isn't Enough - Participation Without Belonging
Attendance and compliance don't tell you whether a child belongs. This post explores what participation without belonging looks like in schools and community programs, what genuine belonging looks like instead, and where educators and program leaders can start. 💙
Estimated Reading Time: 3-4 minutes
Returnability: The Measure of Inclusion That Actually Matters
Attendance tells you a child showed up, but attendance isn’t belonging. For neurodivergent children, the most honest measure of belonging is Returnability, and most of us aren't measuring it yet. Here’s what it is, what it looks like in compulsory and non-compulsory settings, and why it matters. 💙
Estimated Reading Time: 4-5 minutes
Co-Regulation: Sharing the Work of Calming Down
Telling someone to "calm down" rarely works, especially if that someone is a neurodivergent child. Co-regulation is the process of calming down with someone else, and it's how self-regulation is learned. This post explores the Regulation Wave, what co-regulation looks like at each stage, and how educators, program leaders, and parents can put it into practice. 💙
Estimated Reading Time: 4-5 minutes