Neuroinclusion

02/09/2026

We have just released our new Masking and Unmasking Toolkit. This 30+ page workbook, created by a neurodivergent occupational therapist, guides intentional self-reflection for people that can be facilitated by educators, parents and therapists. Practical, neurodiversity-affirming and ready to use support.
Now available for 20% off!

Get your digital copy now: https://wix.to/FACDm7Z

29/08/2026

Your workplace might call it “professionalism.” A disabled employee might call it ableism.
And honestly? Some of the behaviours we reward at work are just conformity disguised as professionalism.

Here are 8 examples of ableism that still get normalised in workplaces 👇
1. “More accommodations means less capacity.”
Assuming someone is less capable because they need adjustments to perform at their best.
2. “Everyone should be treated the same.”
Confusing equality with equity as though fairness means giving everyone identical support.
3. “Look at me when I’m talking to you.”
Expecting eye contact, handshakes and other neurotypical social behaviours as proof of respect or professionalism.
4. “They’re being rude.”
Interpreting direct communication, reduced small talk, different facial expressions or tone as a character flaw.
5. “That’s childish.”
Mocking sensory tools, movement, headphones, fidgets, comfort items or regulation strategies.
6. “They just need to try harder.”
Blaming motivation instead of considering disability, executive functioning, burnout, accessibility or environmental barriers.
7. “We know what’s best for them.”
Making decisions about disabled employees without actually listening to disabled people.
8. “That’s just how we do things here.”
Using “professionalism” as a reason to demand conformity rather than questioning whether the expectation is actually necessary.

Because professionalism shouldn’t mean acting less disabled.

And inclusion shouldn’t mean teaching disabled people how to look, sound and behave more like everyone else.

If your workplace only works when disabled people mask, the problem isn’t the disabled employee.

It’s the workplace.

Agree or disagree? 👇

27/08/2026

Are you more sensory seeking maxxing vs sensory avoiding maxxing? 👀

It’s more neurodiversity-affirming to utilise sensory tools to accommodate our unique needs rather than trying to change our tolerances.

Sometimes you need MORE sensory input. Sometimes you need LESS.
And sometimes… you need both depending on the day. 🧠✨

✨ SENSORY SEEKING MAXXING
For when your nervous system is craving MORE:
🥤 Straws
🔊 Speaker/music
🧊 Frozen foods
🏋️ Weights
🏄 Aquatic sporting equipment
🌸 Perfume
🤸 Trampoline

🫧 SENSORY AVOIDING MAXXING
For when your nervous system is saying “PLEASE, NO MORE”:
🧤 Gloves
🖤 Monochrome clothing
🌑 Blackout curtains
🧴 Unscented toiletries
🕶️ Sunglasses
🧦 Socks

This enables us to learn about what our body is asking for and changing your environment accordingly.

Our sensory needs can fluctuate with stress, sleep, hormones, illness, environment and capacity.

Save this for the next time you’re wondering:
“Do I need more… or do I need less?”

Which side are you on most days? 👇

21/08/2026

Emotional development is never a one-person job. 🤍

The goal of therapists supporting emotional development is always to surround someone with the right people, environments and supports to develop emotional safety, agency and connection so they can live life authentically.

That support might include:

🧠 Occupational Therapists
💬 Psychologists
🗣️ Speech Pathologists
❤️ Mental Health Social Workers
🩺 GPs
👶 Paediatricians
🤝 Physiotherapists
📚 Teachers & Education Professionals
👨‍👩‍👧 Parents & Carers
🌱 Other trusted support people

And importantly: different people need different approaches.

There is no single therapy, professional or strategy that works for everyone.

The question shouldn’t always be, “How do we change this person?”

It should be:
“What people, environments and supports will help this person feel safe, connected, empowered and able to be themselves?”

Because the goal isn’t compliance.

The goal is authentic, supported living.

14/08/2026

Do you know someone who might be twice exceptional (2e)? 👀

Twice exceptional people are gifted AND neurodivergent and/or have a disability, such as Autism, ADHD or dyslexia.

Their strengths can sometimes mask significant support needs, making them more likely to be misunderstood, misdiagnosed or under-supported.

They may be highly capable in some areas while experiencing significant challenges in others — creating a confusing and uneven profile.

✨ Possible signs of 2e:
• Advanced or intense interests
• Strong curiosity and sense of justice
• Creative problem-solving
• Uneven skills profile
• Sophisticated humour
• High empathy and sensitivity
• Sensory differences
• Executive functioning challenges
• Perfectionism/self-criticism
• Preferring older peers

💡 What helps:
• Flexible ways to demonstrate learning
• Strengths-based, neurodiversity-affirming support
• Individualised accommodations
• Collaboration and trusting relationships
• Support for regulation and mental health
• A multidisciplinary approach when needed

Being highly capable doesn’t mean you don’t need support.

2e people deserve to have their strengths AND challenges recognised. ❤️

Know a 2e person? Tag them or share this with someone who needs to understand.

10/08/2026

07/08/2026

In our clinical work, more clients and mentees are discussing neurodiversity-affirming strategies for OCD.

For many people, OCD can involve:
• Obsessive, intrusive thoughts
• Compulsive behaviours
• Ordering and counting rituals
• Catastrophic thinking
• Repeatedly checking things
• Unhelpful beliefs that drive anxiety
• Hoarding
• Fear of contamination
• Perfectionism that feels impossible to escape

OCD is a complex mental health condition where compulsions are often used to reduce the distress caused by intrusive thoughts—but the relief is only temporary, keeping the cycle going.

The reality is that OCD can be exhausting, time-consuming, and deeply misunderstood.

The more we understand what OCD actually looks like, the more compassion we can have for those living with it.

🎉 Share this to help replace inaccurate OCD stereotypes with understanding.

04/08/2026

Whose desk is most like yours? 👀✨

I asked some of our dream team to share the items they always keep on their desks and no two were the same.

From noise-cancelling headphones and fidget tools to water bottles, sticky notes, snacks, and plants, every workspace reflected the person behind it.

Your desk plays a vital part of your environment. And the right environment can support focus, reduce stress, and help you be successful and productive.

So… which desk are you most like? what item could you never work without? 👇

30/07/2026

Noise sensitivity isn’t just about loud volumes. Here are three less discussed factors we support with those who experience auditory differences.

For some people, it’s the constant background noise that makes it impossible to concentrate.

For others, high-pitched sounds can feel physically painful.

And for many, it’s unexpected sounds that instantly activate their nervous system.

When someone’s brain is constantly working to filter, process or recover from overwhelming auditory input, it can lead to fatigue, difficulty concentrating, irritability, anxiety, or sensory overload.

This auditory sensitivity is about how the nervous system processes sensory information.

Small environmental adjustments can make a huge difference:
🎧 Noise-cancelling headphones or filtered earplugs
🤫 Access to quieter spaces
⚠️ Advance warning before loud noises
📱 Reducing unnecessary notification sounds
💛 Time and space to recover after sensory overload

When we understand why someone is struggling with sound, we can stop expecting them to simply “get used to it” and instead create environments where they can genuinely thrive.

Which type of auditory input is most overwhelming for you or someone you support?

21/07/2026

As an occupational therapist, here are your unhinged permission slips…

Not just for neurodivergent people.
But for the parents, teachers, therapists and loved ones walking alongside them too.

✨ Permission to stop calling every coping strategy a “bad habit.”
✨ Permission to stim in public.
✨ Permission to choose the sensory-friendly option without guilt.
✨ Permission to leave early when your nervous system has had enough.
✨ Permission to stop comparing development, milestones or abilities.
✨ Permission to say, “That doesn’t work for me,” or “That doesn’t work for my child.”
✨ Permission to rest before burnout.
✨ Permission to let children learn through play.
✨ Permission to stop forcing eye contact.
✨ Permission to regulate yourself before expecting someone else to regulate.

The world spends enough time telling neurodivergent people to mask, suppress and fit in.

Let’s start giving permission to exist instead.

Because the goal was never to make someone appear “less autistic,” “less ADHD,” or “less different.”

The goal has always been participation, wellbeing and a life that feels safe, meaningful and authentic.

Which permission slip did you need today? Or which one would you add?

💛 Save this for a day when you need the reminder, and share it with someone who deserves a little more permission and a little less pressure.