Inclusion at Heart

03/06/2026

Have you ever noticed that when your brain is overloaded, EVERYTHING feels harder?

Not just work tasks — but replying to messages, starting chores, planning meals, switching between tasks, regulating emotions, or even knowing where to begin.

For many neurodivergent adults (particularly ADHD and AuDHD individuals), executive functioning difficulties can contribute to:
• overwhelm
• procrastination
• emotional exhaustion
• shutdown/burnout
• reduced confidence
• workplace stress

One app that may be worth exploring is NeuroNation (used within the research project).

It’s a brain training/executive functioning app designed around short cognitive exercises targeting areas like:
✔ attention
✔ working memory
✔ processing speed
✔ cognitive flexibility

Importantly, the goal isn’t to become a “perfectly productive person.”

The value may come from creating regular, low-pressure opportunities to:
• engage your brain intentionally
• strengthen cognitive stamina
• improve mental switching/flexibility
• build consistency and routines
• notice your own cognitive patterns

Recent research in working adults found executive-function-based app training was linked to improvements in anxiety and depressive symptoms over time.

What I particularly like is that it can be:
• short
• self-paced
• done privately
• repeated regularly
• lower demand than traditional therapy

For some people, using apps like this consistently may help support long-term sustainability at work and in daily life — especially when combined with other supports, accommodations, pacing strategies, and nervous system regulation.

The key is consistency over intensity.

Five to ten minutes regularly is often more realistic (and more sustainable) than trying to overhaul your entire life overnight.

Research: The effectiveness and mechanisms of action of app-based interventions for improving mental health and workplace well-being: Randomized Controlled Trial (MacLellan et al. 2026).

02/06/2026

Sometimes people already KNOW the strategies…

The challenge is remembering to use them when overwhelmed, stressed, emotionally flooded, burnt out, or trying to juggle everyday life.

That’s one reason apps like Moodfit may be helpful for some people.

Moodfit is a self-guided mental health and wellbeing app based on CBT-style approaches (which I personally don't love). It includes tools for:
✔ mood tracking
✔ routines and habits
✔ reflective exercises
✔ coping strategies
✔ sleep and wellbeing monitoring
✔ goal setting
✔ self-awareness

Interestingly, recent workplace mental health research found that CBT-based apps may improve workplace wellbeing, even when anxiety or depression scores don’t dramatically change. (even though I don't love CBT, this research finding is worth considering why it may be a tool to use).

That actually makes sense clinically.

For many neurodivergent adults, improvement may look like:
• understanding patterns earlier
• recognising burnout signs sooner
• communicating needs better
• pacing energy more effectively
• feeling more in control at work
• reducing self-criticism
• building sustainable routines

Apps like Moodfit are not a replacement for therapy or individualised support (this was the app used in the research study).

But they can act like a “portable support toolbox” sitting in your pocket — particularly useful during stressful periods, work transitions, study, burnout recovery, or when trying to rebuild routines after overwhelm.

Like most supports, the benefits are usually cumulative rather than instant.

Small repeated check-ins can sometimes create bigger long-term changes than occasional intense efforts.

Research: The effectiveness and mechanisms of action of app-based interventions for improving mental health and workplace well-being: Randomised Controlled Trial
(MacLellan et al. 2026.)

01/06/2026

If you or someone you know has been feeling overwhelmed, anxious, stuck in worry cycles, struggling with sleep, or finding life a bit harder lately — there’s now a free Australian Government online support option available through Medicare Mental Health Check In.

The service offers structured Low-intensity Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (LiCBT) programs that can be completed online at your own pace, with optional telehealth support from qualified practitioners via phone or video. No referral or diagnosis is required for eligible Australians aged 16+.

Programs currently available include:
✔️ Sleeping Well
✔️ Lift Your Low Mood
✔️ Managing Your Worries
✔️ Facing Your Fears
✔️ Balanced Thinking
✔️ From Problems to Solutions

Each program runs for approximately 6 weeks through a secure online portal and includes practical strategies, worksheets, exercises, and tools designed to help people build everyday coping skills and confidence.

What’s particularly helpful is that people can choose between:
🔹 Self-guided support
🔹 Practitioner-guided support via telehealth check-ins

This can be a great early intervention option for people experiencing mild mental health challenges who may not yet need more intensive services.

More information: https://www.medicarementalhealthcheckin.gov.au

Program information: https://www.medicarementalhealthcheckin.gov.au/how-we-use-cbt-our-programs

More specific program information: https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/free-online-programs-for-mild-mental-health-challenges

Medicare Mental Health Check In is a new digital service designed to support your mental wellbeing. Get started today with free access to programs that use a safe, evidence-based approach to help you manage early mental health symptoms.

27/05/2026

100% agree with this. I’ve had many clients successfully enter university through bridging and enabling pathways without relying on an ATAR alone.

That said, completing Year 12 can still matter because it keeps more future career and study options open.

There are many pathways into higher education and employment today — bridging programs, TAFE-to-university pathways, mature-age entry, and course transfers all provide alternative routes.

However, some professions still require a Year 12 certificate as minimum entry criteria. In some industries, additional recruitment requirements such as medical screening, disclosure obligations, or medication-related restrictions can also impact career eligibility.

Because of this, young people who are unsure about their long-term career direction may benefit from keeping as many options available as possible early on.

These realities are often more complex than people realise. Understanding education requirements, employer expectations, legal protections, and vocational barriers can make a significant difference when planning future pathways.

This is where experienced rehab counsellors and vocational professionals can play an important role in helping people make informed, realistic decisions about study and employment pathways.

School leavers used to have one main chance to get into university – by finishing their Year 12 exams with certain marks. This situation has changed.

26/05/2026

As someone who regularly works in complex systems involving ethics, advocacy, disability, employment and competing human needs, this article is deeply concerning.

When did freedom of speech, truth telling, investigative journalism and evidence-based discussion become something to attack rather than protect?

Whether you agree politically or not, attempts to silence journalists, undermine public broadcasters, or discourage scrutiny should concern everyone. Democracies rely on challenge, transparency and the ability to question those in power. Without that, we risk moving toward environments where people become afraid to speak openly or challenge misinformation.

People who have never worked in complex moral dilemma situations often underestimate how difficult decision-making can be when resources are limited and real people are impacted by those decisions every day. None of these systems are simple. But removing the freedom to challenge, question and advocate does not improve outcomes — it weakens them.

You do not have to agree with every journalist, every expert, or every public institution. But protecting the right to question, critique and investigate matters enormously.

Without that, we are fighting a losing battle.

This is not a story of journalists talking and writing about journalists. It is a story about the functioning of Australian democracy.

25/05/2026

This study is SUPER interesting and honestly could explain why so many workplace interactions feel difficult for neurodivergent people in predominantly neurotypical workplaces.

Researchers found autistic and non-autistic adults produced facial expressions differently when communicating emotions like happiness, anger, and sadness. The researchers even suggested autistic and non-autistic faces may essentially be “speaking a different language” when conveying emotion.

That has huge implications for workplaces.

How often are people judged in workplaces based on:
• facial expressions
• tone
• eye contact
• perceived attitude
• emotional reactions
• “professionalism”
• whether someone “looks engaged”

If people are unconsciously interpreting different nonverbal communication systems through a neurotypical lens, misunderstandings are almost inevitable.

This doesn’t necessarily mean people need to leave workplaces or only work in neurodivergent-specific environments.

But it DOES suggest many people may benefit from:
• language to explain these differences
• managers who understand cross-neurotype communication
• less assumption-based communication
• clearer and more direct workplace interactions
• reducing overreliance on reading facial expressions or implied meaning

It also reframes the idea of autistic “social deficits.” The study suggests the challenge may actually sit within cross-neurotype interactions themselves.

Really important reading for supervisors, coworkers, HR teams, educators, employment providers, and anyone working in people-focused roles.

Preliminary studies suggest there are differences in the facial expressions produced by autistic and non-autistic individuals. However, it is unclear what specifically is different, whether such diff...

25/05/2026

This article reflects what many Australians are already feeling on the ground. People are staying in jobs longer, not moving states, and taking fewer risks like starting businesses.

But in an employer’s market, changing jobs is also becoming significantly harder. Employers can be more selective, recruitment processes are longer, and many people simply can’t afford the financial risk that can come with changing roles.

At the same time, I’m increasingly hearing of people working 2–3 jobs just to keep a roof over their head and manage rising living costs. That makes retraining, relocating, starting a business, or even job searching incredibly difficult.

Economic “mobility” is often talked about as though it’s purely about motivation or ambition, but for many Australians right now it’s about survival, stability, and risk management.

This has major implications not just for individuals, but for workforce participation, innovation, wellbeing, and long-term productivity across Australia.

Interesting article worth a read.

People are less mobile, less dynamic and more risk-averse than we used to be, a series of economic indicators shows.

24/05/2026

100% agree with the sentiments in this post.

From a vocational rehabilitation counselling perspective, post-school transition planning shouldn’t begin at the end of schooling, it should start in Prep and continue in a structured, intentional way throughout a young person’s education. The research is very clear on this.

In the current highly competitive labour market, early and sustained transition planning is more important than ever. Students need ongoing exposure to career possibilities, skill-building opportunities, and supported decision-making well before they reach post-school transition points.

This is not just best practice, it’s essential if we want to improve real employment outcomes for young people, particularly those who need additional supports.

TOMMOROW MONDAY 25th MAY

Be prepared! When we touch base with the parents/ carers of our graduates they all say the same thing - they wish they had listened to the advice and started preparations for life post school sooner.

Don’t miss this opportunity!

13/05/2026

I’m increasingly concerned by the way autism and NDIS access are being framed in public discussion and policy conversations.

When influential voices start focusing on “profound autism” in ways that appear closely tied to intellectual disability, it risks creating a false narrative that autistic people without an intellectual disability are somehow less disabled, less impaired, or less deserving of support.

I know many people diagnosed with Level 3 autism who are also highly intelligent or gifted. Their support needs are still profound. Autism support needs are not defined by IQ.

This framing also ignores the reality that autism rarely exists in isolation. Many autistic people live with significant co-occurring conditions including ADHD, chronic illness, hypermobility syndromes, mental health conditions, sensory processing difficulties, autonomic dysfunction, sleep disorders, gastrointestinal conditions, and more. The functional impact often comes from the cumulative burden of everything happening “under the surface,” not just what others can visibly see.

The conversation around NDIS sustainability is important. But we need to be careful that the rhetoric used does not erase or minimise people whose disabilities are complex, fluctuating, invisible, or poorly understood.

Support needs should be based on functional impact and genuine disability-related barriers to participation — not outdated assumptions about what disability is “supposed” to look like.

Few diagnoses have broadened their diagnostic boundaries as much or as quickly as autism. This has affected those with the most profound disability.

10/05/2026

Exciting update — I’ve launched a GoFundMe

For the past several years, I’ve been voluntarily maintaining a neurodivergent practitioner list to connect neurodivergent people and families with neurodivergent practitioners across Australia.

What started as a small grassroots resource has grown into something much bigger than I ever expected — built entirely through trust, community sharing, and hundreds of unpaid hours of my work and time behind the scenes.

I’m now raising funds to turn this into a proper, accessible online directory so it can become more:
✨ sustainable
✨ searchable
✨ secure
✨ and easier for the community to access and maintain long-term

Importantly, I want this platform to stay:
• Neurodivergent-led
• Community-focused
• Affordable and accessible
• Ethical and trust-based
• Independent and values-driven

Funds will go toward website development, accessibility features, practitioner verification systems, secure infrastructure, and ongoing maintenance so the resource can continue to grow in a safe and sustainable way.

If this project has ever helped you, someone you know, or aligns with what you believe in, I’d really appreciate your support — whether that’s donating or simply sharing it.
👉 https://gofund.me/4f866860a

Thank you for being part of this community and for supporting something that’s been built with care, lived experience, and a lot of unpaid time and energy over many years.

Every bit of support genuinely makes a difference 💛
Thank you for considering supporting the launch of this passion project.

Whether you donate, share the campaign, contribute ideas, or simply encourage the project along the way, it genuinely means a lot.

You’re the best. See less

For the past several years, I have voluntarily created and mai… Leanne Watts needs your support for Help Build a Neurodivergent Practitioner Directory Website