Autism Mind

04/28/2026

This year marks the fifth anniversary of our Brick Club. I wanted to share what we have learned. I couldn't share everything in one post. I will be working on the brick club diaries.

I could never have imagined that it would evolve into such a fantastic community. A community that celebrates neurodivergence. We build very cool projects and learn together.

I could never have imagined the impact of:
Building LEGO projects together
Celebrating our builds
Displaying our work together
Celebrating birthdays and graduations at Brick Club

04/04/2026

When girls are not diagnosed with autism early, they miss out on valuable support and intervention that makes a critical difference in preventing mental health crises. The girls who come to our Center are typically undiagnosed, with only symptoms of anxiety being treated. They also don't have the information they need to help themselves. Those who are diagnosed are misdiagnosed, so not all their needs are being met. They are living under unimaginable levels of stress that are not sustainable.

04/03/2026

Autism Action! Support, and Encourage!

It’s Autism Everything Month — awareness, acceptance, and appreciation. I know this can be a month that leads to collective groans for many of us (myself included), so each year I run a mini-series that focuses on action. This year I’m bringing back our infographics and articles that highlight concrete steps we can take across different areas of society. This graphic focuses on ways we can make the world more inclusive for Autistic people, from challenging stereotypes and listening to Autistic voices to advocating for inclusive policies and practices.

To go deeper into each of these actions (and why these specific ones matter), you can read the full article on our website.

04/02/2026

I hear the word normal to often. More than. I want to lets change the narrative around autism.

04/01/2026

Today starts World Autism Acceptance Month. Let's stop the movement to fix and lead with support, equipping, and empowerment for our autistic community. Support in helping them adapt by prioritizing their needs in a world not designed with them in mind. Let's transition from an obsession with quashing behaviors to promoting skill-building. Skills for communication and agency. Behavior points us to the unmet need. AA

03/30/2026

What are your thoughts on this? Should there be a seperate diagnosis for profound autism. Currently it is identified as level 3 within the autism spectrum.

Category describes people who have little or no language, an IQ of less than 50 and require 24-hour supervision

03/29/2026

01/19/2026

On Martin Luther King, Jr. day:

I always read or listen to one of his speeches.

This year, his speech was “I’ve Been to The Mountaintop”. Delivered April 3, 1968, Mason Temple (Church of God in Christ Headquarters), Memphis, Tennessee.

Full text and of Martin Luther King's I've Been to the Mountaintop

01/19/2026

“It’s like I have a certain amount of words in a day… once those are used up, that’s it.”

For non-autistic people, socialising often includes informal small talk, especially as a starter or 'warm-up' to conversation. This quote from an autistic person reminds us that small talk can be draining for an autistic person due to the extra cognitive and sensory effort involved. Not engaging in small talk can be a way of conserving energy for other important goals during the day, and sometimes just to survive the day.

Want to learn more?
🎥 Join Maja Toudl, an autistic clinical psychologist, along with Tony and Michelle to learn Energy Accounting, a practical, easy-to-adopt system for identifying everyday stressors, understanding stress thresholds, and supporting wellbeing from a neurodiversity-affirming perspective. This webinar offers clear tools you can apply immediately for your own wellbeing and in clinical practice with autistic adolescents and adults.

Link to the event in the comments.

01/16/2026

11/03/2025

11/03/2025

“I just felt as though everything I’d been keeping together, my coping, my masking, simply snapped. It was as though my autism broke.”

- Research participant in a seminal study* on menopause and autism

Many autistic people use camouflaging, that is suppressing their autistic and ADHD traits and imitating non-autistic ways of behaving, to survive. However, many find that when their estrogen levels start to drop, heralding the beginning of menopause (which can start in the early 40’s) they don’t have the energy or executive functioning capacity to mask or camouflage any longer. At the same time, they struggle with sleeping (due to increased anxiety and hot flushes) which leads to energy depletion and more ‘brain fog.’ Suddenly emotion regulation feels inaccessible and sensory sensitivities can be heightened. The sense of fear and lack of safety could escalate exponentially, especially if support sought is not attuned, invalidating or just not forthcoming. It is helpful to be forewarned about the changes that commonly occur for autistic people prior to these changes starting, and developing strategies to manage them, including being able to access the right kinds of support. In essence, it is important to know that you are not broken, your autism is not broken and you are not alone.

📚Learn more!
Want to learn more about the unique strengths, challenges, and lived experiences of autistic women?
Join the webcast Autistic Women webcast on 7 November 2025 - An afternoon session, 1:30 pm – 4:45 pm AEST to explore the experiences, strengths, and mental health of autistic women across adulthood.
🔗 https://www.attwoodandgarnettevents.com/products/webcast-autistic-women-7th-november-2025

In the morning, we are hosting our Autistic Girls from 9:30 am – 12:45 pm AEST, Brisbane time - join to gain research-informed insights and practical strategies for supporting authenticity, wellbeing, and inclusion.
🔗 https://www.attwoodandgarnettevents.com/products/webcast-autistic-girls-7th-november-2025

*Moseley, R. L., Druce, T., & Turner-Cobb, J. M. (2020). 'When my autism broke': A qualitative study spotlighting autistic voices on menopause. Autism, 24(6), 1423-1437.