Onwards and Upwards Psychology

26/07/2025

This illustration of repair being more than just "I'm sorry" and taking much deeper work to healing the wound is relationally powerful amidst its simplicity.

23/07/2025

💭What does the research say about screen time in Autistic children?

Interestingly, not a lot.

We've known this from uncovering limitations in research that when we actually look into specific subgroups and norms that generic research might not apply to that subgroup.

Read: it's not universally applicable.

So when actually controlling and studying Autistic groups, research found that Autistic children ✨️ didn't ✨️experience the same level of social stress that neurotypical children did when online.

From observing community use, gaming can often serve Autistic children and important purpose, one that might not be served through face to face interactions.

They act as a window into interests, parallel play and connection that might not otherwise be accessible. In fact, it might ease anxiety with face to face interactions (but that's my own theory there).

So as usual, when parenting from an evidence based perspective, remember that even research into neurotype specific groups may not apply to your situation.

Good practice principles involve:

✨️Knowing what type of content your child is accessing and the purpose of this. It's not about quantity of screen time, but quality and purpose. Your child might actually be doing several activities such as learning then connecting and communicating then thinking then regulating across different activities.

✨️Practising cybersafety principles

✨️Maintaining open dialogue about what was accessed so that children are free to bring up concerning material if they do come across it

✨️ Providing clear expectations about screen time use* and scaffolding for transitions away, including set up of another structured activity.

*It's important that discussions around this are family-centred rather than just top down approaches. How do we move from control to collaboration?

How does that sit with you? I'm interested in how you as families with Autistic children navigate screen time!

22/07/2025

Because intersectionality matters.

I believe strongly in lateral inclusion, and elevating voices that are still less heard.

So here's my brand new website, www.asianandaudhd.com

It's a platform that supports and amplifies those who live at the intersection of being both Asian and Autistic and/or ADHD.

And yes, we welcome voices across the Asian diaspora.

The website features

✍🏽 Blog posts from a range of voices
✍🏽 Articles from across the Internet that highlight culturally relevant narratives
✍🏽 Articles in languages other than English
✍🏽Podcast episodes
✍🏽List of culturally competent assessors from Asian backgrounds to reduce the cultural gap.

So check it out! Keen to know what you think. What would you like to see more of?

(And the dining room is proud to present.....

Be our guest... in giving us feedback)

Asian and AuDHD is a community-generated platform created by Sandhya Menon. As someone who is both Asian and neurodivergent, she sees the need for greater visibility and understanding within our communities.  Asian and AuDHD is intended for anyone from the Asian continent to explore their experienc...

19/07/2025

It was truly a special moment to meet the lovely team over at Kanda Psychology in Wagga Wagga to talk about case conceptualisation, appropriate support for PDAers and those experiencing distress behaviour and bonding over the very heart of what makes us therapists.

Reaching out for personalised training requires a huge element of trust in myself as a trainer, both in bringing appropriate Psychological information over as well as relational safety in being a good match to teach the way you may learn.

Thank you for the trust, time and hospitality in navigating Wagga Wagga Kanda Psychology 😊

We love the incredible work of Sandhya Menon from Onwards and Upwards Psychology — her beautiful storybooks, the wealth of free resources on her website, and the parenting courses we often recommend to families.

So it was an absolute privilege to welcome Sandhya to Wagga Wagga this week for a tailored professional development day with our team — how lucky are we?!?!

The day didn’t feel like “training” — it felt like a warm, honest, reflective, and supportive conversation. With neuroaffirming practice as our foundation, we explored how to better understand and support PDA profiles and autistic children experiencing distress. We walked away with thoughtful insights and practical strategies that are immediately useful — both in the therapy room and in the lives of the children and families we support.

We’re so grateful to Sandhya for so generously sharing her professional wisdom, clinical experience, and lived perspective — and for becoming a Wagga local for the day. 😊

15/07/2025

Check out my dedication at the end 😂

This is the kind of work that goes on behind the scenes when you care about quality and making products that last.

Thing is, I never blame kids for being kids. The therapy room is a space for them to explore themselves, and yes including normal feelings ljke anger and frustration, and I make everything that goes into it therapeutic.

I've made the card stock the thickest I can go to make it durable without impacting weight too much.

The case is heavy and built to navigate fine motor challenges for fingers that otherwise rip playing card decks trying to put them back in.

And yes, we've even thought about how quickly therapists have to pack their decks away in between clients. The latest iteration increased it by 2mm to make this easier for you.

It's coated so that water doesn't easily get into the cards and spoil your deck, because we just know that ADHD forgets things and we put two and two together.

The one thing I can't stop however..... is that paper *will* rip.

Apparently~.

Came as a complete and utter surprise to me clearly.

Behold, a Very Real Behind the Scenes road test, where your investment in these products matter.

12/07/2025

Gooooooooo Kai and Kaiko Fidgets! So proud to have been watching this journey 😊

10/07/2025

If you can see it, you can be it.

But *how*, when we weren't seen?

I was 25 years old when I first saw an Indian character in the Western media that I consumed that wasn't a stereotype or a side character. It was Mindy Kaling in The Mindy Project, something that I had to stream with a ferocious fervour on Hulu because Australian media didn't have it.

She didn't have to be neurodivergent; she just had to show up as a sassy dark-skinned main character. That was the bar that representation was set at for me.

That moment changed everything for me.

It made me realise just what we've been missing.

It made me realise how authentic powerful representation can be, and truly seeing yourself reflected rather than translating everything through a lens.

It cracked open possibility. It told me: oh. Maybe there’s space for me here.

This is why lateral inclusion—representation by and for people who share our cultural, racial, and neurotype identities—matters so deeply, especially in the advocacy spaces I operate it.

So often, advocacy is built under the white gaze. It’s framed to win white approval, or to soothe white discomfort. Meanwhile, the needs, voices, and leadership of BIPOC folk get sidelined. We continue to translate and carry the burden without even REALISING it, because we've been used to doing it for so long that it becomes our norm.

Until that one moment when you don't have to.

It’s not enough to just be “welcomed in.” We need rooms where we’re not the only one, where space is made so we don't have to continue to be bigger and better than Average just to get a seat at the table so our voice is heard.

Where we’re not there to perform our pain for someone else’s enlightenment.

Where we build power together, because it matters.

I spoke about lateral inclusion today at the Neurodiversity Affirming Therapy Conference. It's a hard topic to speak about from a collectivist South East Asian background, because "we don't talk about race".

But we have to stop shying away from the bigger picture, and shoving things under the rug. Representation has ripple effects for our community in believing and knowing that they too can rise up, that power can be equal.

Thank you for allowing me the platform to talk about it today.

09/07/2025

Oh, hold still this Autistic/ADHD heart.

I've just received advance copies of the new book, My Body's Power Pack.

The titles? LINING UP.
The colour? Stand out gorgeous.
The spines? Starting to form a pattern.

(Yes, we're aiming for rainbow. Long term goal, but you also know a great Autistic love is a good pattern and collection).

It's starting to take shape and feel real now as we near the launch date next month.

This little series we're creating here, and the ripple effects that it has everywhere in helping children and families change the narrative. It helps us lean in towards conversations about neurodiversity, neurodivergence and the nervous system from a young age.

Keep talking about it, keep sending it to friends saying "Have you heard about this?!" (ala "Haaaaaaaaave you Met Ted?!") and DEFINITELY pre-order your copy at a bookstore near you.

09/07/2025

08/07/2025

Wanting to learn about best-practice Autism assessments in the paediatric population? We're down to our last 10 training spots for the year.

This 2-day workshop takes participants through creating an autism assessment practice that is flexible, relies on clinical judgement and is evidence-based. Participants will likely walk away refreshed, and in charge of their assessment processes.

The change we see? Clinicians start to know what their tools can do for them and become tinkerers, rather than relying on any one tool for a diagnosis.

This is not the workshop for you if you'd like:
❌To watch and mimic my assessment process
❌To learn how to do the MIGDAS-2 or the ADOS-2

This *IS* the workshop for you if you'd like to:
❤️ Learn about creating affirming assessments from beginning to end
❤️Understand how to identify internalised presentations of autism more
❤️ Be flexible with assessment to meet the needs of families
❤️Understand what culturally competent assessment looks like
❤️Understand common differentials and rule in/rule out procedures
❤️Know deeply what best practice Autism assessments look like
❤️Deliver individualised feedback sessions

I'm proud to be part of the change in how we do Autism assessments. As part of burnout prevention I decided to throw all my energy into one major workshop a year and THIS. IS. IT. It's chock full of resources, discussions, examples and an excellent springboard for any clinician to learn about neuroaffirming Autism assessments.

You ready?

Head on over here to save your spot: https://www.onwardsandupwardspsychology.com.au/liveworkshops.

Or alternatively, hit me up with any questions down below.