General Archives

PDA and RSD in School: When “Behaviour” Is a Nervous System Response

In schools, I often hear the same words used again and again. Defiant.Oppositional.Too sensitive.Overreacting.Unmotivated.Capable but won’t. Over time, I’ve learned that many of these words are not describing behaviour at all. They are describing distress. Two patterns that are frequently misunderstood in school environments are Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) and Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD). Both can significantly influence …

Developmental Educators are an established professional group within Australia’s disability and allied health landscape, yet the role remains widely misunderstood — including within the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). Participants, families, and even plan managers are often unfamiliar with what Developmental Educators do, how the role differs from others, and where it fits within NDIS-funded …

There are weeks where the body and brain feel flat — not unmotivated, not burned out, just tired. The kind of tired that doesn’t respond to a coffee, a snack, or a short break away from the screen. As a self-employed neurodivergent professional, these weeks can feel particularly uncomfortable. There’s work to do. Clients to support. …

Self-care has become one of those phrases that’s everywhere — often reduced to bubble baths, gym routines, or advice that assumes everyone has the same energy, body, and nervous system. For many autistic, ADHD, and AuDHD people, that version of self-care simply doesn’t fit. For me, self-care isn’t about doing more, fixing myself, or forcing …

Many autistic people learn early to hide parts of themselves. Not because there is something wrong with who they are, but because the world often responds poorly to difference. Masking and camouflaging are survival strategies. They develop in environments where misunderstanding, judgment, or exclusion are common, and where being visibly different can feel unsafe. Over …

You know that saying “life begins at 40”? Well, that statement couldn’t have been more spot on if it tried. My diagnosis of Asperger syndrome didn’t eventuate until I was six weeks shy of my 40th birthday. “Congratulations, here is your certificate on surviving life thus far, now this will give you a clue as …

by Barb Cook, M.Aut., Dip.HSc. Neurodivergent people often experience challenges in exercising skills associated with self-determination and self-advocacy. Being pinnacle life skills that drive their success in education, employment, independence and within society, with the right supports, tools and strategies, they can develop high levels of self-determination, providing a firm sense of self-confidence. When neurodivergent …

Autistic people are confronted with an array of barriers in many situations throughout their life. These situations centralise around what general society expects of all people, a one size fits all model, without the distinct consideration of disability, difference and inclusion. With the added individual challenges of effective communication skills, lack of self-advocacy and self-determination …

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Formally identified on the autism spectrum in 2009 at the age of 40, really did give that statement ‘life begins at 40’ a whole lot more depth and meaning. For me it was literally a whole new beginning of setting my life on a path of self-discovery, self-advocacy and personal empowerment. I am editor and …

General

PDA and RSD in School: When “Behaviour” Is a Nervous System Response

What Does a Developmental Educator Do and Why This Role Is a Strong Fit for the NDIS

When Rest Isn’t About Stopping: Low-Energy Movement, Sensory Input, and Working Sustainably as a Neurodivergent Adult

What Is Self-Care (Really)? And My Top Self-Care Practices as an AuDHD Adult

Masking, Camouflaging, and the Cost of Trying to Fit In

Life Begins at 40

An Introduction to Self-Advocacy & Self-determination Skills. What Are They and Why Are They So Important?

Autism, Neurodiversity and Employment: Working Together for Positive Futures by Barb Cook, M.Aut.

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