Disability SA

17/10/2025

A huge thank you to Flinders University for hosting the awards ceremony this afternoon and presenting our Director, Liesa and our Developmental Educator, Kate with the ‘Disability Agency Supervisors of the Year Award 2025’.

We are beyond grateful to have been recognised with this award. Supporting and mentoring students each year is something we truly value, and it’s such a privilege to partner with Flinders University to help shape the next generation of allied health professionals. 💙

15/10/2025

Thank you to everyone who joined us yesterday in Salisbury for the third presentation of our roadshow! We presented last night to the Northern Districts, Salisbury, Ingle Farm, Munno Para, Gawler, Lyndoch, Barossa, Tea Tree Gully, Golden Grove and Torrens Valley clubs, thank you all your time and enthusiasm in learning about inclusion and how we can further incorporate this education in supporting young athletes.

The purpose of this roadshow is to help every Little Athletics SA club all across South Australia feel more confident supporting their athletes with Autism. We are so very grateful for the opportunity to share our Autism inclusion program with you all.

We cannot wait to continue the roadshow journey throughout the rest of the year. Stay tuned for updates! 🌻

14/10/2025

It is the third presentation night of our roadshow for the Sunflowers for Autism Inclusion Program Run with Little Athletics SA. Thank you to everyone who joined us yesterday in Port Adelaide! The purpose of this roadshow is to help every Little Athletics SA club all across South Australia feel more confident supporting their little athletes with Autism. 🌻

We look forward to seeing everybody at the Bridgestone Athletics Centre tonight.😊

13/10/2025

It is the second presentation night of our roadshow for the Sunflowers for Autism Inclusion Program Run with Little Athletics SA, so very excited!🌻

09/10/2025

We are so excited to be in partnership with Little Athletics South Australia, working to promote education around inclusion for autistic and neurodivergent children in all South Australian Little Athletics clubs. Our first presentation of the roadshow is in Naracoorte this Saturday and we cannot wait to present to the Naracoorte Little Athletics, Mt Gambier Little Athletics Centre, Milicent, Penola and Bordertown clubs!

05/10/2025

Wishing everyone a great public holiday! Office is closed for the day, but all scheduled services are on as usual.

03/10/2025

Wishing everyone a happy 'World Smile Day'!

Who in your life has the best smile? Comment below!😄

01/10/2025

We’re so grateful to have been invited to take part of such an inspiring day at the Business Academy with Janine Allis ✨ A fantastic opportunity to connect, share, and grow alongside so many passionate leaders and changemakers in Adelaide such as Together We Can International Pty Ltd -TWCI.

29/09/2025

Wishing everyone safe and happy Term 3 school Holidays, so excited for the fun respite activities we have planned. Stay tuned for the exciting things we have in store for next Term!

26/09/2025

We are so excited to be in partnership with Little Athletics South Australia, working to promote education around inclusion for autistic and neurodivergent children in all South Australian Little Athletics clubs!

Sunflowers for Autism: Little Athletics Inclusion Program 🌻

Little Athletics SA, in partnership with Disability SA, is working to make our clubs more inclusive for autistic and neurodivergent children! 💛

We will be running workshops throughout metropolitan and regional South Australia, giving volunteers and committees the confidence and tools to support all athletes.

The program also includes the statewide Hidden Disabilities Sunflower initiative.

✨ Key highlights:

- Free workshops across metropolitan and regional SA, run with Disability SA

- Sunflower resources (wristbands, lanyards, pins, educational materials) for all clubs

- Supports over 6,000 athletes and 9,000 volunteers statewide

- Builds awareness, empathy, and inclusion in line with the SA Autism Strategy

Together with Disability SA, we’re creating welcoming, supportive environments where every athlete can thrive! 💛

🌻 Brought to you through generous funding from the Office for Autism and Emily Bourke - Labor MLC 🌻

To register for one of our free inclusivity workshops please follow the link here 👉 https://bit.ly/Sunflowers-For-Autism

Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Australia & New Zealand

24/09/2025

Couldn’t agree with Mark Le Messurier more!

At Disability SA, we stand with reinforcing that Autism is not caused by vaccines, paracetamol, or parental choices. Autism is a natural variation in human neurology, and every Autistic child and adult deserves to be embraced, understood, and celebrated for who they are.

We are proud to support messages that are grounded in evidence, compassion, and respect for families.

Together, we can help dismantle harmful myths and ensure that the voices of Autistic people and their communities remain at the centre of the conversation.🌻

Trump has suggested there's a link between pregnant women taking paracetamol and autism in children. In a press conference Trump said pregnant women with fevers should "tough it out".

22/09/2025

🌟 Teaching Children to Match Their Reactions to the Size of the Problem.

At Disability SA, we know how overwhelming problems can feel for children. That’s why tools like the Catastrophe Scale are so powerful. This Catastrophe Scale helps kids think: “How big is my problem?”.

By learning to identify whether something is a tiny problem, a small problem, a medium problem, a very big problem, or a true catastrophe, children can:

✅ Build emotional awareness
✅ Develop problem-solving skills
✅ Learn resilience and perspective
✅ Understand when to seek help from an adult

This simple scale empowers children to pause, reflect, and respond appropriately, rather than feeling consumed by every challenge. It also helps parents, carers, and educators guide children in navigating their big feelings with calm, confidence, and support.

Learning to match reactions to the size of the problem helps everyone to stay calm, feel safe, and know when to ask for help.

Together, we can teach children that not every problem is a catastrophe and that’s a skill that will serve them for life. 💙