Onwards and Upwards Psychology

18/10/2025

18/10/2025

This is the best chapter of ND Business ownership.

I used to believe sayings literally, like "It's lonely at the top".

But the interesting thing is that as my books grow in popularity and I have grown in understanding myself, so has my community.

It isn't lonely anymore.

It is filled with love, light and a bunch of people who know my value-driven ways, and with this.... truly *see* me, and keep me accountable and honest to my community who I stand up for.

These photos make me so happy to see how it's turning out.

Where your "Too Muchness" and "Go hard, then go home" is absolutely met, and a Just Right for someone.

(In fact, Amanda Moses Psychology might just have absolutely one-upped my shirt)

Where collaboration is community, and you'll see Chelsea Luker - Connect Us Psychology books offered right next to mine.

Where support is love, with my hand crafted, personalised bookstands with WHALES on them. (Thanks Dan!)

It's the beauty of being yourself and finding your people, and I'd wish that on everyone.

14/10/2025

Find yourself getting frustrated over the MANY lost items?

A scaffold such as this *might* help. In this case what we're seeing is a well worn visual check list and a reminder of what this young person might need to remember everyday to go to school.

It works better than auditory instructions for most kids and helps build their routine through visual memory.

Now recall that the general principle is children do well if they can, and honestly they *want* to do well.

Something deeper however, is to not copy and paste social media advice as what works for one family might not work for another.

Child A goes "YES! PERFECT, that is exactly what I need"

Child B goes "Um it's not cool, the other kids point and laugh"

Child C goes "No way" and rips it out.

So..... we rethink the strategy for Child B and C.

It's not that they're being difficult but they're communicating they have concerns with the strategy that need to be heard and validated.

I teach parents of ADHDers the general rules around ADHD, executive functioning and emotional regulation and invite them to personalise it for themselves.

Keen to get more scaffolding around your role? Explore here to learn more about our self paced course: https://www.onwardsandupwardspsychology.com.au/raisinganadhder

Do feel free to sing out if you have any questions! ✨️

13/10/2025

Great exploration of our everyday sensory worlds, looking through an Autistic lens.

12/10/2025

Thrilled to hear this move about new standards for early childhood education! A little fun fact I learnt is that part of my teachings made it into the manual from when I presented for Reframing Autism on attachment-aware, trauma-informed schools in 2023.

Deakin University is leading the way with a national first, embedding trauma-informed practice into all early childhood, primary and secondary teaching degrees from 2026.

Partnering with Berry Street, future educators will complete the Berry Street Education Model (BSEM), building skills to better support children impacted by trauma.

This initiative sets a new standard in teacher preparation and holds strong relevance for early childhood professionals supporting children’s wellbeing and resilience every day.

Learn more about this sector-shaping shift:
https://ap1.hubs.ly/y0jHvF0

12/10/2025

12/10/2025

Real talk about ADHD from a lived experience perspective today. This will be more personal, rather than widely applicable to all experiences but do let me know if you resonate.

I wanted to start a challenge to focus on ADHD Awareness this month.

4 days in, I started resenting it.

I flew by the skin of my teeth, working out what I wanted to say at 5pm. I became stubborn about it, obsessive that *I* could do it.

It was about planning, right? (Y'know, that thing we're notoriously known for)

💬 "Batch content during your booms" I heard.

I've done it before, so wanted to give it a crack.

Truth is, planning it took away the joy for me about showing up on platforms like this. It became an internal demand of the very worst kind.

"I had to, so I couldn't"

ND life is about balancing different needs I'm not just working with ADHD here, but a myriad of other competing needs and physiologies.

I suppose this post is saying "We're at Day 12, and I'm out". I'll still try to post more about ADHD but it'll be from me, without the demand.

✨️ What I'm sitting with is the strength to walk away from that which does not serve.

Walk away from internalised ableism, from shame of failing in front of others, and just learning to lean into what's right and the creative chaos that's brought some pretty amazing resources here.

I knew, but every now and then we'll test it. (Because you know, consistency)

I'd love for you to share some love, or something you've learnt here, whether it's this month, observational or something over the years! It's helpful to know it hasn't been for nought.

11/10/2025

Connecting over the pure love of reading, and doing better as an author.

I attended a conference run by Ivory Haus yesterday to sit in my author hat a little bit more.

With every book that goes on, I become that little bit more comfortable in seeing myself as an author. (I've generally viewed myself as a psychologist first)

But today has connected me with the absolute joy in the pages of books, in child-like wonder and an entire community of authors who change the narratives through the marriage of words and pictures.

It's helped me see the responsibility I hold to write books that are not just educational and help neurodivergent children see themselves through an affirming lens..... but ones that are equally entertaining, and a delight to read.

So thank you so much .ivory.haus for this beauty of a day.

Highlights:

📕 Meeting Mem Fox, after having spent my kids younger years reading and delighting in her stories, as well as spending many a time reading Where Is The Green Sheep at ASELCC.

📘 Meeting Scott Stuart, who created many a powerful moment for me raising a neurodivergent boy who loves dresses. It's about unreal moment for me to know he holds my books.

❤️ My amazing ND authors and friends SHINING on stage. Nell Harris - Easily Inspired and When My Brain Is Messy have created absolutely amazing books, and hearing them share their craft makes me immensely proud. They are powerful advocates for the ND community and write the most endearing and thoughtful books.

🙌🏽 Meeting new authors writing SEL stories. Check out for her book on feeling volcanoes in their tummy for a powerful message on co-regulation.

🤘🏽 There was a book swap at the conference and I managed to land this book on introducing kids to autism screening. What are the chances of that?! It's called Hop by Hop by Pippa Bird, and it is a beautiful story about assessment uncovering more of who you are. .au

So yes. 3 books later and I'm still learning every time. I loved having today to reflect on my style and message, involving kids in the process.

Here's to reflection and growth and the next chapter. ✨️

10/10/2025

Ever felt incompetent at your job.... and then logged on to see this nonsense parading from someone in SENIOR POSITIONS?

This is wildly irresponsible.

Correlation is not causation. And even the creators of the study reported "one cannot draw very strong conclusions from the data" yet here we are, informing a nation wide autism approach.

It's a concerning trend coming from the US government that promotes governmental control over people's bodies.

Regulate wombs, police gender, pathologise neurodivergence and now, weaponise circumcision under the guise of a health policy.

Nope. ❌️

Diversity is part of our society and we're waiting precious resources looking for a "cure".

👉 Fund BETTER research, like how do we support Autistic people across all areas of our society and put that in place.

Or is actually seeing and solving the problem far too radical? Is it too much to actually ask for evidence-based practice?

(ID: Image shows two Caucasian children holding a magic show, with text reading: Reading the "News" on Autism in 2025 feels like... [Child 1] Causes of autism: Early circumcision and [Child 2] Tylenol!)

09/10/2025

Neurodivergent parrots. We love it in nature and so easily appreciated. Let's extend the same love to humans.

This bird is unlike any other parrot—flightless, nocturnal, and weighing up to 4 kg, it’s the heaviest of its kind. What’s even more unusual is its sweet, floral scent, a fragrance that sets it apart in the bird world. Once nearly lost, it now survives thanks to intensive conservation in New Zealand.

Kākāpō parrot 👇

09/10/2025

Here's the 'reel' tea on being neuroaffirming.

ADHD isn't a superpower, and it isn't a tragedy.

It just..... is.

A brain type. The way a brain is wired.

I'd like for us to speak about both the strengths and struggles of ADHD without romanticising it or pitying the other.

Neurodivergent brains dont need to be ~inspirational~ to be worthy.

We do not need to dismiss the real, everyday challenges to be accepted.

We can talk about it through the lens of neutrality, educating on simply what is. When we do that, we feel more, not less, seen.

I wrote this book The Brain Forest in a very ADHD moment, and it's ended up being a best seller as a pretty helpful resource used around the globe. I am LOVING this era where we talk to kids about neurodiversity.

If you'd like to check out The Brain Forest and start those conversations, head on over here: https://www.onwardsandupwardspsychology.com.au/shop-1

Or if you know it already, send some hollers and love for some of the conversations you've been having! ✨️❤️

[Day 9/31 where I'm attempting to post ADHD content every day for ADHD Awareness Month as an AuDHDer Psychologist. Join me!]