Cari Ebert - Neurodiversity-Affirming Practice Workshop - Melbourne

* * * Super Early Bird Rate Available NOW * * *

Join Cari Ebert in Melbourne - 19th & 20th March 2026!

Don’t miss this chance to learn directly from a leading voice in neurodiversity-affirming practice. In March 2026, Cari will present an exclusive two-day workshop across three major Australian cities: Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane. This interactive and transformative experience is an invitation for professionals to explore a neurodiversity-affirming model of support through a lens of curiosity and discovery.

Cari is renowned for her high-energy, engaging style, blending nearly 30 years of clinical expertise with profound personal insights as the parent of an Autistic son. Her approach inspires providers to connect on both a clinical and human level. This unique, two-day event will equip you with the practical strategies and paradigm-shifting perspectives needed to support all children with compassion, connection, and respect.

Who should attend?

This workshop is recommended for:

• Speech Pathologists

• Occupational Therapists

• Psychologists

• Paediatricians

• Physiotherapists

• Educators

• Learning Support Professionals

• Social workers

• Any other professionals working in the area of child development

This workshop is for professionals keen to enhance their practice by leaning into curiosity. It's a space to shift from a traditional, compliance-based model towards one that fosters authentic connection and regulation by curiously exploring and respecting the inner worlds of the neurodivergent children we have the privilege to support.

Meet your Presenter - Cari Ebert

Cari Ebert, MS, CCC-SLP, is a paediatric speech-language pathologist from the United States with almost 30 years of experience. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Iowa in 1993 and her master’s degree from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale in 1995. As a therapist, consultant, author, product developer, and internationally recognised speaker, Cari gets to do what she loves most—TALK!

Known for her animated personality and high-energy speaking style, Cari engages audiences with both her professional expertise and her personal insight as the parent of an Autistic son. By blending professional expertise with lived experience, Cari connects with providers on both a clinical and human level, inspiring them to support all individuals in affirming ways with compassion and respect.

Key Learning Objectives

Neurodiversity-Affirming Support for Autistic Children and their Families

• Expand your understanding of autism through a neurodiversity-affirming lens, relevant to diverse professional roles.

• Shift the focus from 'fixing' deficits to embracing a strengths-based approach applicable across various intervention contexts.

• Describe the development of Autistic children using respectful, neurodiversity-affirming language for interdisciplinary communication.

• Critically examine the impact of ableism and the medical model on Autistic individuals and recognise the influence of racial, cultural, and gender disparities in identification and support, fostering a more equitable and affirming practice.

• Identify the key differences between compliance-based methods and truly affirming environments to inform your practice.

• Cultivate a deeper understanding of Autistic play and ‘deep interests’ developing respectful and responsive strategies that optimise child-led learning, promote authentic connection, and support multi-modal communication.

• Collaborate on developing neurodiversity-affirming, meaningful and functional goals for Autistic children, considering diverse professional contributions.

• Explore and reflect on how to integrate actionable, neurodiversity-affirming strategies to comprehensively foster regulation, support multi-modal communication, and build meaningful connections within your unique professional setting.

Making Sense of Sensory, Regulation and the Brain-Body Connection

• Describe all eight sensory systems, with a focus on the internal senses as the foundation for the felt safety required for social engagement and communication.

• Understand how sensory processing forms the neurobiological foundation for regulation, which underpins all learning and a child's capacity for authentic communication and connection.

• Explain the powerful brain-body connection, learning to interpret a child's observable responses as meaningful communication about their unique sensory needs.

• Interpret a child's observable responses as valuable insights into their sensory overwhelm or unmet needs, informing compassionate support.

• Enhance interdisciplinary collaboration to create consistent, affirming environments that support regulation and, in turn, open new pathways for communication.

• Develop practical, sensory-informed strategies to support regulation and create opportunities for a child to engage, connect, and communicate their needs more effectively.

Beyond 'Behaviour': Embracing Co-Regulation and Authentic Human Connection

• Reframe 'challenging behaviour' by understanding its neurobiological foundations, viewing it as a physiological stress response rooted in the nervous system—and therefore a call for support—rather than a conscious choice or ‘disobedience’.

• Analyse why traditional ‘behaviour management’ approaches often fail from a neuroscience perspective and fall short in cultivating genuine regulation and authentic connection.

• Explain how a child's nervous system, through the process of neuroception (a key concept in Polyvagal Theory), constantly scans the environment for cues of safety or danger, profoundly influencing their observable physiological and behavioural responses.

• Consider the "4 Cs"—Curiosity, Compassion, Connection, and Co-Regulation—as a valuable brain-based framework to support children effectively in moments of distress or overwhelm.

• Recognise the powerful, shared role that supporting adults play in applying co-regulation, understanding it as a neurobiological process, to help soothe a child’s nervous system and guide them back to a calm and connected state.

• Confidently integrate actionable, brain-based co-regulation strategies that honour the brain-body connection and are grounded in the neuroscience of safety, to enhance your professional practice and build authentic connection.

Why attend this course?

Are you seeking a more compassionate, effective, and affirming way to support neurodivergent children? This intensive, two-day workshop provides a fundamental paradigm shift, equipping you with the understanding and tools to foster authentic connection, support regulation, and honour the unique strengths of every child.

Led by Cari Ebert, a world-renowned speaker who combines decades of clinical experience with the invaluable perspective of a parent, this workshop is more than just theory—it's a practical guide to transforming your practice. You will gain a comprehensive framework that integrates sensory needs, brain-body science, and the power of human connection.

Fees

Super Early Bird Rate:  $799  (available until 30th November or until allocation exhausted)

Early Bird Rate: $849 (available until 31st January or until allocation exhausted)

Standard Rate:  $949 (available until 10th March or until allocation exhausted)

For groups of 10 or more please contact us for group pricing. 

This is a catered event; morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea will be provided.

Please note that we use Humanitix, a non-profit platform where the booking fee is donated to a children's charity. The booking fee is in addition to the ticket price.

Location

The workshop will be held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.

What is the refund policy?

As the majority of the expenses to run the workshop are paid upfront, no refunds are possible. However, you will be able to transfer your ticket to a friend or colleague.