NeuroDiversity Affirming Training and Supervision

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NeuroDiversity Affirming Training and Supervision

I am a AuDHD therapist and educator supporting Autistics and professionals who work with Autistics.

22/11/2025

𝗟𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽: 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝘆𝘁𝗵𝘀: 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗺 - 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗦𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗮𝘁 𝟭𝟭𝗮𝗺!
https://www.trybooking.com/DGEQG

Think You Know Autism? Think Again.

Autism myths are everywhere—and they cause real harm.
Join our workshop to uncover the truth behind common misconceptions like:
✔ “Autism affects mostly boys”
✔ “Everyone is a little Autistic”
✔ “Autistic people don’t have empathy”
✔ “Autistic people are savants”

You’ll learn:
✅ Where these myths began—and why they persist
✅ Why they’re wrong and the harm they cause
✅ Practical scripts to challenge misinformation confidently

We will also cover self-care and strategies to decide to help you if you should respond.

Empathy starts with truth. Let’s change the conversation.

𝗢𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽

𝗦𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝟮𝟯𝗿𝗱 𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿
𝟭𝟮-𝟭𝗽𝗺 (𝗔𝗘𝗗𝗧)
https://www.trybooking.com/DGEQG

𝙋𝙖𝙮 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙖𝙣 - 𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙠𝙚𝙩𝙨 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙖𝙩 $𝟭𝟬

13/11/2025

I still catch myself doing far too much emotional labour when I see autism myths being mindlessly repeated—or worse, by professionals who market themselves as autism experts. Part of that is because I value deep, research-based answers that are fair, leave no room for error, and fully address the issue. Add in a strong sense of social justice and the fact that autism is my special interest, and it feels almost impossible not to jump in every time misinformation shows up. I literally start drafting so many responses, but then have to force myself to walk away so I don’t waste yet another afternoon deep-diving into how to address a careless comment made by someone on the internet.

Because here’s the truth: yelling into the void of systemic ableism doesn’t change the system. It just drains me. Those myths exist because of entrenched structures, not because I failed to explain autism well enough. And every time I pour energy into correcting strangers—or professionals I am paying—I’m spending spoons I could use for things that actually make my own life better.

Silence can be protective. Choosing not to respond isn’t complicity—it’s self-care. It’s okay to step away, save my energy, and invest it where it counts. Because my wellbeing matters more than trying to fix a system that was never designed to listen or to educate people who people who are not taking responsibility for their own ignorance.

That doesn’t mean I should never respond to addressing myths. But I want to make sure that I invest in people who are actually interested and invested in learning (like those coming to my upcoming workshop on this topic), or in those who recognize their own privilege and engage in self-reflection and growth, sparked by information they actively seek from the Autistic community.

[Image description: a woman standing under a rainbow umbrella in heavy rain. The text says: Silence can be protective. It does not make me passive, complicit or a bad Autistic.]

10/11/2025

used to believe that Autistic people didn’t really see others as people, rather, they see them as objects.

That’s what I was taught—in teacher training, psychology lectures, and the media. I remember being back in Holland, watching my non-speaking Autistic cousin—who has significant support needs—move from one family member to another, making sounds, eventually coming to us. I told my partner at the time, “He’s just trying to get someone to pour him a Coke.” And we both nodded, thinking we understood.

But we didn’t.

What I now see is a young person using the communication tools available to him—seeking support from the people he trusted most. What I once interpreted as transactional was actually relational. He wasn’t using people—he was reaching out.
So where did I learn to see him that way?

In 1985, researchers Baron-Cohen, Leslie, and Frith proposed that Autistic children have a “core deficit” in Theory of Mind—the ability to understand others’ beliefs and intentions. This theory was interpreted as a cognitive explanation for Autistic social differences, reinforcing older psychiatric models that framed autism as emotional detachment or “childhood psychosis.”

Simon Baron-Cohen is still widely regarded as one of the world’s leading autism researchers. When someone with that level of influence promotes the idea that Autistic people lack empathy, it becomes incredibly difficult for Autistic people to be believed when we say otherwise. These ideas have shaped decades of teacher training, psychology and medical education—and from there, they’ve seeped into everyday language, media, and public perception.

🧠 If you’ve ever been taught that Autistic people don’t feel empathy, or that we don’t connect with others, I invite you to my upcoming workshop:
Breaking the Myths: Understanding Autism

We’ll unpack where this idea (as well as other myths about Autistic people) came from, how they still shape education, healthcare, and public understanding—and what Autistic people actually experience and express, often in ways that go unseen or misunderstood.

📅 23rd Nov 2025- 12 - 1pm (AEDT)
💰 Pay what you can - Tickets starting at $10
🔗 www.trybooking.com/DGEQG

Let’s start listening to Autistic voices and unlearn the myths

03/11/2025

One of my favourite things I love living in an Autistic bubble is what people share with me. Here is one such treasure. Feel free to share your treasure in the comments.

02/11/2025

If you missed out on attending the workshop Mapping out autism: Identifying Autistic traits - it is now available for download on my website: https://www.ndats.com.au/on-demand-workshops

For only $20 you get access to the workshop and the resources.

23/10/2025

I've worked in a (semi-amended) quote from Aragorn (LOTR) into the presentation. Bonus points if you catch it.

22/10/2025

Doctors, teachers, therapists, and others do a bad job of understanding the Autistic reality. This is why functioning labels are harmful.

Those who mask well can look to the outside world that they don’t struggle as much and are therefore labelled as high functioning and denied support.

Those that can’t mask, and especially those that can’t speak, are seen as childlike and dependent are labelled low functioning or profoundly Aitistic, and denied autonomy.

It’s ironic, because being rigid and inflexible is something that’s in the diagnostic criteria for autism, yet the neurotypical world clings to these functioning labels rigidly and inflexibly.

22/10/2025

It's not too late to book for this. I am *literally* going to give you 𝐡𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐬 of Autistic traits in everyday life. Because Autistics love a good example (because we're often bottom-up processors).

Book here: https://www.trybooking.com/DGBSM

It will be recorded, so even if you can't come on the day, you can watch it later.

The resources (slides, handouts) can be purchased separately, but they will be very thorough and completely over the top (did I mention the bottom-up processing?).

Book here: https://www.trybooking.com/DGBSM

21/10/2025

I’m the easiest difficult person I know.

Like be whoever you want to be and make up the rules for your own life and I love it all. But also please don’t chew so loudly because omg I want to kill you.

Just living in the extremes - which is so typical of Autistic people.

How about you?

14/10/2025

Horses have been my special interest since I was old enough to walk and would disappear and go down the street by myself to see the horses.

Now I train horses as a side quest. I took this photo today of my two beautiful girls, who are my current projects.

Do you have any special interests that have endured since childhood?

12/10/2025

I'm a very small fish in a very big pond. But I do just want to stop and notice that I reached 650+ followers and thank you for your support!

And thank you for doing better and making a difference to the Autistic adults in your life (even if that Autistic adult is you).

❤️

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Canberra, ACT

Telephone

+61434389514

Website

http://www.ndats.com.au/

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