Wagtail Therapy

03/02/2026

I remember quite a few things about life before the NDIS Mark Butler MP! Give me a call if you ever want to chat about it.

Some things I remember were really positive elements of disability supports that NDIS has destroyed. A lot of things I remember were terrible and NDIS has worked hard to improve these supports but is now back flipping on it for some reason. It seems like common sense is getting lost somewhere along the way. Why don't we keep the positive changes that we have all worked so hard on and change the areas that need changing?

I've made a summary for Mark of how some things were before NDIS, since he was not in the area of disability at that time so might not know the realities.

The positive elements that NDIS has destroyed include:
- If you were lucky enough to be one of the few disability providers funded you had "bucket funding" and, as a Psychologist working for one of those providers, it meant I actually had the freedom to provide supports that were much more flexible and much more attuned to a family's needs than what I can offer now.
- I did not have to spend hours and hours writing reports to justify my therapy goals and approach just to be denied by someone who does not have a psychology background, let alone an allied health background.
- I got to use the therapy approach that I knew was the most likely to be effective and ethical for my client instead of using the therapy approach that someone, who is not a psychologist, decides is the best approach for my client.
- If I knew Positive Behaviour Support was most likely to be effective for a family's goals I could use that approach, without NDIS asking me to pay tens of thousands of dollars a year for the "privilege." I thought my 6 years of HECS debt would give me that privilege to use a psychological approach but apparently not.

Before NDIS there were also a lot of negatives that have since improved. These include that:
- People with disabilities were hidden away and institutionalised because of lack of supports and lack of knowledge.
- The amount of neurodivergent people who were undiagnosed was immense! These people were misdiagnosed with mental health disorders and treated in ways that were harmful to them.
- Therapy approaches used were focused on just a few that the few disability providers favoured.
- Most experienced and knowledgeable therapists were moving from the disability sector because you could onto work for a small number of providers with limited opportunities for growth or development.

The commonwealth will begin rolling out $1.4bn of funding for Thriving Kids to states within weeks, with hopes the program to redirect autistic children off the NDIS will see parents take a more active role in care and early intervention. Thriving Kids report: https://bit.ly/4khN6vd

01/02/2026

This post from a couple of weeks ago feels too real and raw now, after the murder of two beautiful boys, Leon and Otis. And especially after learning that they experienced cuts to their NDIS funding in the lead up.

Reading this post now makes me feel angry because it meant we could all see it coming but nothing is being done by NDIS. It makes me feel sad because Leon and Otis were let down by a system that was supposed to care for them and support them. It makes me feel scared that it could happen again.

NDIS can try to ignore this and keep posting their success stories on social media but I know the neurodivergent community won't let that slide. They will eventually need to answer to the most hyperfocused, justice sensitive and detail oriented minds that I know and I don't think they are prepared.

NDIS plan reviews come with an emotional toll that is far too high, and it raises serious questions about whether the planning and review process itself is ethical. Parents are repeatedly asked to justify their child’s needs as if love, lived experience, and daily advocacy aren’t already enough. Families are required to relive their hardest moments, focusing on deficits and risks, just to prove their child is “eligible” for support. When a system designed to help instead causes distress, fear, and burnout, it’s worth asking whether the burden being placed on families is humane and ethical.

Therapists are caught in this same ethical tension. Reports become more than clinical tools — they turn into bargaining chips in a system where therapy hours are bartered between families, providers, and the NDIS. This pressure risks distorting the therapeutic relationship, shifting focus from care and collaboration to survival within a funding framework. Therapists feel compelled to write in ways that will “convince,” while parents worry that honesty, hope, or progress might jeopardise future support. When funding decisions strain trust, alter language, and place everyone in a transactional loop, it’s not just emotionally costly — it undermines the integrity of therapy itself.

Going into an NDIS planning meeting or preparing for one is beginning to feel uncomfortably similar to going into a car yard to buy a car but the importance of the outcome determines the direction of your child's life or your life. You just want what is fair but you have to play a game first to get there.

25/01/2026

I hear a lot of disappointment from parents I work with saying “I try to play with my child, but it just doesn’t work.”

Usually when we explore this a little more, it’s not because kids don’t want to play with their parents. It’s because play has slowly stopped feeling like it’s their own.

Play is one of the only spaces where children get full control. And without meaning to, adults often step in with the intention of playing but they actually suggest ideas, rules, or little teaching moments. It feels like controbuting to the play… but it can take that sense of control away.

For PDAers especially, even gentle input can feel like a demand. And once play feels pressured, kids often pull back, shut it down, or push us away.

When parents try something different — stepping back, following their child’s lead, joining in without directing — play often starts to feel easier. Kids look more settled. Parents learn new things about their child. And connection comes more naturally.
You don’t have to take over play to be part of it.

Trust me - I'm currently "helping" my kid battle a guardian in Zelda. I have no idea what a guardian is. 🤷

Sometimes, just being there is what makes it work 💛

23/01/2026

We will be reaching out to applicants early next week for this position. Send through a cover letter and resume if you are interested. 🌈

16/01/2026

NDIS plan reviews come with an emotional toll that is far too high, and it raises serious questions about whether the planning and review process itself is ethical. Parents are repeatedly asked to justify their child’s needs as if love, lived experience, and daily advocacy aren’t already enough. Families are required to relive their hardest moments, focusing on deficits and risks, just to prove their child is “eligible” for support. When a system designed to help instead causes distress, fear, and burnout, it’s worth asking whether the burden being placed on families is humane and ethical.

Therapists are caught in this same ethical tension. Reports become more than clinical tools — they turn into bargaining chips in a system where therapy hours are bartered between families, providers, and the NDIS. This pressure risks distorting the therapeutic relationship, shifting focus from care and collaboration to survival within a funding framework. Therapists feel compelled to write in ways that will “convince,” while parents worry that honesty, hope, or progress might jeopardise future support. When funding decisions strain trust, alter language, and place everyone in a transactional loop, it’s not just emotionally costly — it undermines the integrity of therapy itself.

Going into an NDIS planning meeting or preparing for one is beginning to feel uncomfortably similar to going into a car yard to buy a car but the importance of the outcome determines the direction of your child's life or your life. You just want what is fair but you have to play a game first to get there.

14/01/2026

We have a new job opportunity at Wagtail Therapy for a Provisional Psychologist or Registered Psychologist who is passionate about providing neurodiversity affirming supports.

This job will be taking on a current case load because one of our Wagtail team is making an exciting move east ✈️ and we are also expecting another Wagtail baby. 👶

Please email me your cover letter and resume if you're interested in the position - jody@wagtailtherapy.com.au

12/01/2026

Focusing on writing reports can be a genuine challenge for neurodivergent therapists so we have a box of hats that we can wear to show others when we are trying to focus.

There is another challenge for neurodivergent therapists though, which is not verbalising every single thought we have, so this method typically works for about 40 seconds before we have to remove the hat to talk about something very important.

Some examples of those very important topics today included:
- How cute it was when Timothee Chalamet told Kylie Jenner he loves her.
- MAFS.
- A premonition about Bronwyn from RHOSLC dating Captain Jason.
- Baby showers.
- Whether we should have pictures of just dogs or both dogs and cats on our job ad.
- Ways to conquer insomnia.
- Late night maccas runs.
And many many more.

I wouldn't have it any other way. ❤️

03/01/2026

I am not a massive fan of new year's resolutions because I think they can feed into the culture of toxic positivity, the push for constant improvement and a push towards "sameness".

It is the time of year where I hear a lot of people talking about how they want to be different from what they are. I hear people saying they want to be skinnier when people of all shapes and sizes are beautiful. I hear people saying they want to exercise more when they would gain more energy by lying on the couch watching a show on their special interest. I hear people saying they want to eat healthier when I know they hate the taste and texture of most "healthy" foods. I hear people saying they want to go more places when I know they only like going to familiar places.

Before setting new year's resolutions this year, take the time to really think about what you want from this year instead of thinking about how you can move yourself closer to someone else's idea of perfection.

31/12/2025

My post christmas reflections for 2025 on how we can make this time of year more magical and less stressful for families next year, especially families of our beautiful PDAers.

My goal for next year is to help families move away from using Santa as a behaviour management strategy which can often actually escalate behaviours for kids because it's escalating their anxiety and feelings of shame.

Please note all. The umms and bags under my eyes. The brain fog and exhaustion is real this time of year and I hope all parents are looking after themselves. 🥰

17/12/2025

We are all ready for Santa's visit tomorrow!! I hope he likes his room and all the kids have so much fun. Still a few places in morning and early afternoon (18th December) . Just email me - jody@wagtailtherapy.com.au

12/12/2025

We have 9 spots left for our Santa Day at Wagtail. Santa has been visiting us for 3 years now because he loves it so much. Meeting Santa can be anxiety provoking for some kids so we try to create an environment that is low demand and affirming of all brain types. You can bring your fidgets, info dump for 15 minutes straight, ask as many questions as you like, take photos and bring the whole family. There are no neuro typical expectations - please feel free to sit on the couch for photos or just sit on the other side of the room and stare at Santa. You make the rules.

When you book we will send through some questions to find out a little more about how we can make the meeting as comfortable and magical as we can.

The times we currently have available are:

9:15
9:45
10:00
10:30
11:15
1:15
1:30
1:45
2:15

Please contact jacki@wagtailtherapy.com.au or jody@wagtailtherapy.com.au to book a time.

10/12/2025

I have a lot of mixed opinions and feelings about the social media ban. I think technology plays such an important role for people in the neurodivergent community so I feel sad about that loss of supports and friendships. I can also see how social media is increasingly complex for children and teenagers to navigate in a healthy way though. They are also navigating it all without adult support because it's not something that most parents are literate in.

What I feel like I can understand is how parents can use some cognitive reframes on the social media ban to ease the pressure on themselves. The last thing I would want to see happening is this becoming another thing for parents to feel guilty about. We definitely have enough things on that list already.