“Supporting Neurodiverse children to lead valued and positive lives through understanding and encouragement across all areas” – a comprehensive, interactive 2-day workshop for Parents and Families

For parents, families and carers of neurodivergent children and teens
Held December 15 & 16 | 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Explore your child’s unique wiring with understanding, hope, and tools to support their thriving. These sessions are relational, affirming, and grounded in lived experience and evidence-based practice. Build a comprehensive understanding of your child to develop a strategic plan of support across all areas of your child’s life: home, school, community, leisure and within the NDIS.

Your Presenter, Katie Baylis, is a neuro-affirming Developmental Educator, Behavioural Consultant and Therapist specialising in Autism, Neurodiversity, and Anxiety. Katie has a Masters of Disability Policy and Practise, Bachelor of BBSc (Psychology), as well as specific additional training in Augmentative and alternate Communication (AAC), Functional Capacity Assessments, NDIS policy and legislation, Education Policy and Legislation, Sensory Profile assessments, and Child development assessments and measures.

Katie has been working with, and advocating for, infants, children and adults diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder/ ADHD/ Pervasive Demand Avoidant profiles for over 20 years in the Adelaide metropolitan area, and has a vast knowledge of the learning profile and needs of neurodiverse individuals, as well as the availability of educational options for individuals with disabilities legislation in the NDIS space. As well as working directly with neurodiverse individuals and their families, Katie has been passionately conducting training workshops for families, educators, support workers and other Allied Health in schools and the community for several years.

Attendance at both days is desirable, but not required.

Cost $15 per day

December 15

Session 1: Understanding the NDIS & Navigating Supports as a Family
Cut through the jargon and learn how to access and work with the NDIS to best support your child and family.

• Understand your rights and entitlements within the NDIS, and how to communicate effectively

• Breaking down NDIS plans: Core, Capacity Building, and Capital supports

• Understanding therapy funding, social support categories, and STA

• Learn how to write goals and gather evidence and justification of challenges

• understand the role of therapists and support workers, and how to best collaborate

• develop a plan of best practise to prepare and communicate effectively for plan meetings

Session 2: Sensory Regulation reducing meltdowns
Understand sensory processing and learn practical ways to support regulation, reduce meltdowns, and create a calm home environment.

• Understand sensory hyper- and hypo-sensitivity across the seven senses, and the importance of developing a sensory profile for your child to understand their triggers

• Recognising signs of sensory overload and dysregulation, and what sensory overload (or meltdown) looks like in children – the importance of being proactive, not reactive

• Create Sensory-friendly strategies for everyday activities (mealtimes, hygiene, sleep) and calming spaces and routines, as based on their profile

• how to effectively use sensory tool, fidgets, visuals and, noise management tools

• Identifying sensory triggers in the home environment and building methods of environmental regulation into family life

December 16

Session 3: Social Development Through a Neuroaffirming Lens
Reframe how we view friendships and ‘social skills’ to align with your child’s neurodiversity, and learn how to support healthy connections.

• Understanding and respecting the different social needs of he neurodiverse child (introversion, selective friendships, parallel play)

• Managing playdates, group activities, and social events by learning how to be your child’s social bridge, and support them to navigate friendships

• Celebrate different ways of connecting with peers, and the need for boundaries, consent and respect

• Support safe, pressure-free social engagement by rethinking social milestones and ‘skills training’

• Help siblings and peers understand differences, and ways to connect while maintaining healthy roles

Session 4: Understanding Autism, PDA, ADHD & Giftedness in Family Life
Learn about complex profiles of Neurodiversity, and how to adjust expectations, routines and language to lower stress and support autonomy.

• Unpack complex behaviour without blame – lean on societal rules, not limiting freedoms

• Learn how to avoid power struggles and support autonomy, while maintaining mutual respect

• Adapt language and expectations at home

• Understanding the unique profiles with co existing conditions, and how to best support your child

• Learn strategies for Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) – rewire your language

• Explore ADHD – find practical strategies for navigating executive function challenges and find the balance between motivation, challenge, interest and boredom

• Learn the internal conflict of those with co existing Autism (AuDHD), and the challenges of Giftedness: Emotional intensity, perfectionism, and burnout

Session 5: Education & Advocacy for Your Neurodivergent Child
Get equipped to communicate with schools, advocate for accommodations, and work with educators as a team.

• Know your rights and responsibilities in schools, such as relevant Education legislation and policies

• Prepare for school meetings effectively, and document specific support needs

• collaborative strategies to Create child-focused Individual Education Plans (IEPs), One Plans, and learning profiles which are sustainable, proactive and effective

• Build collaborative partnerships with teachers, SSOs and principals based on co-design which includes your child

• Understanding adjustments, exemptions, and alternative pathways of education