The Aussie Speechie

The Aussie Speechie ♾️ Autistic Speech Pathologist
👉🏻 I create a safe space for professionals and parents to learn to create a more inclusive world

Dear , and Welcome to a letter from a very tired neurodivergent speech pathologist. Read. Embrace. Learn. Reflect. ...
02/07/2025

Dear , and

Welcome to a letter from a very tired neurodivergent speech pathologist.

Read. Embrace. Learn. Reflect.

Day 30 – Celebrate Growth! You’ve made it through 30 days of learning, reflecting, unlearning, and growing.That’s no sma...
30/04/2025

Day 30 – Celebrate Growth!
You’ve made it through 30 days of learning, reflecting, unlearning, and growing.
That’s no small thing.

Whether you implemented one new strategy or rewrote your whole approach — it matters.
Every step you take towards neuroaffirming practice helps build a better future for the clients you support.

✨ Reflect:
What was your biggest learning from this series? What’s your next step?

Day 29 – Audit Your ToolsTake a look at the resources, assessments, and visuals you use.Are they built around neurotypic...
29/04/2025

Day 29 – Audit Your Tools
Take a look at the resources, assessments, and visuals you use.
Are they built around neurotypical norms, or are they adaptable and affirming?

✅ Do they assume eye contact?
✅ Do they treat spoken communication as the gold standard “goal”?
✅ Do they frame difference as deficit?

It can be difficult to use only affirming assessments in a world where government, schools and insurance companies require standardised assessments. However, when possible, we can do our best to use affirming assessments and therapies instead.

✨ Reflect:
What’s one thing you could update or swap to better reflect your affirming values?

Day 28 – Curiosity Over ControlIf something in therapy isn’t “working,” instead of doubling down, try getting curious.❓ ...
28/04/2025

Day 28 – Curiosity Over Control
If something in therapy isn’t “working,” instead of doubling down, try getting curious.

❓ Why is the client avoiding this task?
❓ Is the environment overwhelming?
❓ Are their needs unmet or misunderstood?

Control might bring compliance — but curiosity builds understanding, safety, and connection.

✨ Reflect:
What’s one area of your practice where you could choose curiosity over control?

Day 27 – Social Safety & Inclusion > Social SkillsInstead of teaching autistic people how to “fit in,” what if we create...
27/04/2025

Day 27 – Social Safety & Inclusion > Social Skills
Instead of teaching autistic people how to “fit in,” what if we created safer, more inclusive spaces?

Social safety and inclusion means:
🫱🏽 Feeling accepted
🫱🏽 Having your communication style respected
🫱🏽 Not being forced to mask or perform

✨ Reflect:
Are your social goals focused on belonging — or blending in?

Day 26 – All Meltdowns Are CommunicationLet’s be clear:Meltdowns aren’t “bad behaviour” — they’re communication.When som...
26/04/2025

Day 26 – All Meltdowns Are Communication
Let’s be clear:
Meltdowns aren’t “bad behaviour” — they’re communication.

When someone’s environment, demands, or sensory input becomes too much, their nervous system responds in the only way it can. That might look loud, quiet, intense, or internal.
But it’s still a message.

Neuroaffirming support means recognising that message — and responding with empathy, not discipline.

✨ Reflect:
How do you respond to meltdowns in your space? Are you creating safety in the recovery too?

Day 25 – Clients as CollaboratorsOur autistic clients aren’t just passive recipients of therapy — they’re the experts in...
25/04/2025

Day 25 – Clients as Collaborators
Our autistic clients aren’t just passive recipients of therapy — they’re the experts in their own experience.

Neuroaffirming therapy invites collaboration:
💬 “What would you like to work on?”
💬 “How do you want this to go?”
💬 “Is this plan okay with you?”

✨ Reflect:
How can you invite more input, ownership, or choice in your sessions?

Day 24 – Listen to Lived ExperienceIf you want to be a neuroaffirming clinician, the most important thing you can do is ...
23/04/2025

Day 24 – Listen to Lived Experience
If you want to be a neuroaffirming clinician, the most important thing you can do is listen to autistic people.

Follow creators. Read blogs. Watch videos. Listen without assuming, fixing, or defending.
Lived experience is the most valuable professional development you’ll ever engage in.

✨ Reflect:
Whose voices are you centring in your learning right now?

Day 23 – Unlearning AbleismAbleism isn’t always loud or obvious — sometimes it shows up in the smallest assumptions:🧠 As...
22/04/2025

Day 23 – Unlearning Ableism
Ableism isn’t always loud or obvious — sometimes it shows up in the smallest assumptions:

🧠 Assuming someone “can’t” because they communicate differently
🧠 Valuing compliance over comfort
🧠 Prioritising speech over connection

We’ve all absorbed ableist messages through our training, workplaces, and culture. Unlearning them is a lifelong process — and it starts with awareness.

✨ Reflect:
What beliefs or habits are you unlearning in your own practice?

Day 22 – Mistakes Are Part of GrowthYou’re going to get things wrong sometimes — and that’s okay.Neuroaffirming practice...
22/04/2025

Day 22 – Mistakes Are Part of Growth
You’re going to get things wrong sometimes — and that’s okay.

Neuroaffirming practice isn’t about perfection. It’s about reflection, accountability, and growth. What matters most is how we respond when we realise we could’ve done better.

✨ Reflect:
Can you name a moment that taught you something important — even if it felt uncomfortable?

Day 21 – Just Ask: “What Do You Need?”Sometimes the most neuroaffirming thing you can do is… Ask.💬 “What do you need rig...
21/04/2025

Day 21 – Just Ask: “What Do You Need?”

Sometimes the most neuroaffirming thing you can do is… Ask.

💬 “What do you need right now?”
💬 “Would you like to keep going or take a break?”
💬 “Is there another way you’d like to do this?”

✨ Reflect:
When’s the last time you asked your client what they needed — and really listened?

Day 20 – Spotting Red FlagsNot all therapy is affirming — even if it’s well-intentioned (you can't do better when you do...
20/04/2025

Day 20 – Spotting Red Flags

Not all therapy is affirming — even if it’s well-intentioned (you can't do better when you don't know better!)

🚩 Goals about “normal” eye contact
🚩 Reinforcing masking
🚩 Ignoring stimming
🚩 Prioritising “quiet” over communication
🚩 Ignoring echolalia/scripting as non-functional communication

✨ Reflect:
What practices have you been taught that may not align with neuroaffirming values?

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