Yâel Clark, Developmental Psychologist

25/10/2025

Sharing to increase participation.

25/10/2025

Nailed it. (For me, at least.)

25/10/2025

Image is a screenshot from the public page of a mother who has an Autistic child. The child, whose face I cropped out of the photo, is holding a sign that reads, "Autism is a Disability. Not an Identity Trend."

Next to that image is my own image of a woman holding a sign that reads, "Affirming Autistic Identity Improves the Life of Disabled people."

I have included a screenshot of my comment on that mother's post. Here is the text:
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Autism is a disability and one way of developing self-esteem is to accept one's autistic identity. Autistic identity means that we know we belong to a community that has strengths as well as struggles and that deserves human rights. That is all. Autistic identity does not mean whitewashing disability or promoting some delusional supremacy fantasy. It is categorically not trendy. Accepting one's autistic identity can be life-saving for people who would otherwise be misdiagnosed with personality disorders or behavioural disorders. Of course, autistic people might also have a personality disorder, but that comes from deep wounds, whereas being autistic is simply the way we were made. The only way we are going to heal this terrible divide in our community is to go beyond memes and catchphrases and actually understand each other. If you think that the autistic identity movement is just a trend, then you don't understand it. If I think that the profound autism movement is just a way to centre parents then I don't understand it. With Severe Autism, stop being a part of the problem. Stop sharing simplistic facile catchphrases. Let's dialogue.

18/10/2025

This is from an ad for an "emotional intelligence" program.

Nowhere on these sheets, do I see self-advocacy.

Please do not enrol your child into any program that does not help them 1) understand themselves - not in relation to how they impact others -and accept themselves, and 2) advocate for their needs.

These programs are strongly coded for Autistic "social skills training" and erode our children's sense of self worth.

Sure, these skills can be helpful for everyone to learn, but not at the expense of self-validation in a world that already invalidates your needs.

17/10/2025

I recently saw a post encouraging followers to type a number and receive tips on how to set up a calm corner.

Now, I know that social media is shorthand and cannot cover all angles, but I don't see this content creator teaching their followers about authentic connection with Autistic children. They repeatedly provide tips on what to do "to" Autistic children.

This is completely back-to-front.

When you understand Autistic children and validate their needs, connection will follow and from that "strategies" will develop organically.

True support is relational, not strategic.

A calm corner isn’t enough...

True calm isn’t created by cushions - it’s created by connection.

You can fill a room with beanbags, soft lighting, fidget toys and posters that say breathe.

But if a child doesn’t feel understood, those things become decoration - not regulation.

Because safety isn’t a space.
It’s a relationship.
It’s the tone of voice that says, I see you.
It’s the adult who doesn’t take fear personally.

A calm corner means nothing if the rest of the environment still demands compliance over comfort.

🩵 Putting in the right support for PDA learners is what helps them truly thrive in any educational setting.

I’ve created free guides to help you get started - drop the word RESOURCE below
and you’ll get access to the full free library. If you want to learn about this in more detail you can watch my pre-recorded webinar for just £10 - just drop the word WEBINAR instead.

15/10/2025

I am so proud to celebrate the contribution of LOAPAC members and affiliate members to the Australian Association of Psychologists inc. conference.

NeuroKind Insights
Divergent Matters
Hope Affirm Thrive. Your Roadmap Through IVF
Denise Abreu, Haven Psychology
Emma-Rose Parsons
Jennifer Kemp - Clinical Psychologist

Special shout out to David Gardner, AHPD. David is a long time friend of LOAPAC and presented here on complying with the new Code of Conduct for Psychologists.

14/10/2025

Second day of the Australian Association of Psychologists (AAPi) Conference.

What a joy to witness ideals that have been held sacred by a relative few in Psychology, being shared widely to mainstream psychologists whose work is deeply entrenched in the medical model.

We are, as Dr Avril Cooke said, at a juncture in our profession.

There will be growing pains for some time yet, but as a Psychologist who has always yearned for a broader lens (systems, not just individuals), this is profoundly exciting.

This is the program for this morning 🙌🏻

09/10/2025

I was parked in the Woolies carpark, scrolling on my phone when a car pulled in next to mine, facing the opposite direction. I looked up and saw a magnetic sign on the driver's side. The driver looked up and I looked pointedly at the sign and gave him a smile and a "thumps up." I figured he was spreading awareness of a campaign, perhaps in much the same way I have taken in boxes of chocolate to sell for various good causes.

My window was down, so as he got out of his car, I asked if I could take a photo of the sign. I told him I could share it (rather ironically, I suppose) on social media. I added that I am a "child and adolescent psychologist".

"We lost our boy at 17." the man said, knowing I'd then piece together the context for the sign. He was wearing a basketball club windcheater and I immediately knew he'd coached his son in years gone by.

The bereaved father told me that he visits schools, talking to students about and the dangers of social media. I now know that his son, MacKenzie Charlie Brennan Holdsworth (known as Mac), had been preyed on and extorted by a man pretending to be an 18-year-old girl. The rest of the cruel scam is recounted on Mac's father's website and page (links below).

Mr Holdsworth, Wayne, explained that he didn't only speak to students from lived experience ... as if to reassure me that he drew on professional "expertise". The power of his advocacy born of grief was so strong for me; I have read many accounts of tragedy and I am across the research and expert opinion on social media and the wellbeing of young people, yet the impact of hearing firsthand brought tears to my eyes.

I have no doubt that students and parents alike would meet Wayne and see themselves in him, his family, and in Mac. This tragedy can happen to anyone. This was not some abstract survey reported on in a journal. This was the man in the car next to me at Woolies.

I had no words of comfort, for there are none from strangers. But as he lay his hand ever-so-briefly on my shoulder, I sensed that my visible sadness and my leap in awareness, was some sort of comfort.

May Mac's memory be blessed and Wayne's efforts reach those who need to hear his story.

https://www.facebook.com/smacktalkcharity
https://smacktalk.com.au/

Smacktalk xo

08/10/2025

https://events.humanitix.com/neurodiversity-affirming-therapy-conference-australia-2026-the-power-of-community-in-social-change

This conference is how your therapists become even more amazing, so make sure you forward this to them!

If you are a therapist, I hope to see you there!

If you're an exhibitor, please contact me expo26@loapac.org

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Super Early Bird Registrations Now Open!

We’re officially kicking off the journey to the Neurodiversity Affirming Therapy Conference Australia & LOAPAC Expo 2026!

🗓️ 9–10 July 2026
📍 Melbourne & Online
🎤 Theme: The Power of Community in Social Change

Join us for two days of powerful keynotes, affirming frameworks, lived experience, and neurodivergent excellence.

🌟 Keynotes include:
• Professor Nick Walker (USA)
• Assoc. Professor Monique Botha (UK)
• Khadija Gbla
• Sonny Jane Wise

Spots are limited — and Super Early Bird rates won’t last long.

🔗 Register now via Humanitix:
https://events.humanitix.com/neurodiversity-affirming-therapy-conference-australia-2026-the-power-of-community-in-social-change

05/10/2025

I need to learn how to do those stitch videos on Tik Tok because when I see reels like this I just rage!

The research findings that this doctor reports can be really useful, actually helpful for our ADHD community, but the way she reports it and the sensationalist, absolutist reductionist, manner in which both she and the interviewer frame the research is ridiculous, unscientific and actually harmful.

✅Yes, our sensitive autoimmune systems are affected by diet.

✅Yes, this can make self -regualtion even harder for an ADHDer.

❌No, this does not mean that ADHD is caused by diet.

❌No, this does not mean that ADHD is cured because the dysregulation has improved.

I am not as qualified as she is, as half these doctors are, and yet I know they are spouting rubbish! Their research is good. Their conclusions are absurd.

Their conclusions increase ignorance and stigma.

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/19pvK9JUmv/

01/10/2025

This quote (it's not a poem), as famous as it is, has never sat well with me.

Similar to John Dunne's "For whom the bell tolls". I appreciate the sentiment that we humans are all interconnected and interdependent, but that is not my motivation to protect someone.

Kind of reminds me of Kohlberg's stages of moral development. Sure, if the threat of harm eventually coming to yourself motivates you to do good; that's good too. But surely we should just do good because...it's good!

For Whom the Bell Tolls, by John Donne

No man is an island,
Entire of itself.
Each is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less.
As well as if a promontory were.
As well as if a manor of thine own
Or of thine friend's were.
Each man's death diminishes me,
For I am involved in mankind.
Therefore, send not to know
For whom the bell tolls,
It tolls for thee.

(This poem is in the public domain.)

Beautiful but not enough. If your empathy can only be aroused by self interest, it's just not enough (but better than nothing).

23/09/2025

The Autism From The Inside Summit went live on Monday. Today you can catch me speaking about Autistic psychologists.

Given the tragi-comedy of current affairs - I'm looking at you, North America - I highly recommend immersing yourself in good affirming content and connecting with the Autistic community.

*All of the sessions will be live one last time during the Encore REPLAY Weekend—from 9am on the 27th Sep through 9am on the 29th Sep (Melbourne time).*

Catch you on the inside; Autism From The Inside that is ;)

(Autism From The Inside - I'll bill you for that genius one-liner later!)

https://www.autismfromtheinside.com.au/Summit25