Claire Barbagallo

I’m always here for Autistic pride.

I wrote this about my own neurodivergent friends.
It won’t apply to everyone.

I forgot to add ‘hilarious and brilliant’ on there. Then I ran out of room. Apparently my friends have amazing qualities too numerous to mention.
A fine problem to have, indeed.

Neurodivergent friendships are magic.

What would you add?

Em 🌈

P.s. who’s coming with us to the woods?

My days off look different.

My priorities shift.
The days are slow.
And I wear my mum hat 🎩

Just had my final therapy session before parental leave 🪻✨ How did it come around so quickly?! Ready for this next chapter and so grateful for our team, clients and families at for a beautiful transition and ending 🫶🏾

Have you heard of Brene Brown’s “permission slips”?
They have been having a pretty big moment in my life right now. Last week my permission slip for a workshop was allowing for my brain to get fuzzy with details. This week it’s been to allow myself to finish “work” before maternity leave in a way that feels good enough (not perfect). The best part? Being a part of a work environment that reminds you of your own permission slips and encourages them if you are struggling to give yourself one!

What permission slip are you giving yourself today? ✨

Yesterday I got the pleasure of being apart of the team day! My workshop was on all things gender affirming care, the intersectionality of neurodiversity and gender diversity and our role as a speech therapist. Thank you for having me!

The double empathy problem applied in families 👨‍👩‍👧‍👧👨‍👧👩‍👩‍👧‍👦

It’s so important to support children, teens and adults to state their language needs. It may be just how my brain works 🧠 but asking for help tends to sound more like a question. “Can I …?” “Can you…?”
Language needs are not negotiable, they are a right. Supporting people to state language needs is how self advocacy truly works ✨

A more of a personal note from your therapist ✨

Creating healthy family habits and rituals ✨

It was an honour being invited to lecture at UQ today to the speech pathology students ✨

A powerful description of ADHD ✨
🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝

I definitely recommend listening to this episode of The Briefing if you have ADHD, especially late diagnosed, or want to learn more about an ADHD experience.

Resharing a back to school check in! Save and check in with your young person.

The Courageous Space on Instagram: "It’s World Autism Awareness Month and we are reflecting on our practice in the clinic and how each of us can create a more affirming experience for the Autistic community." 3 Likes, 0 Comments - The Courageous Space () on Instagram: "It’s World Autism Awareness Month and we are reflecting on our practice in the clinic and how e..."

It can be easy to believe that once you make it through the exhaustion of infancy or toddlerhood, perhaps your child doesn’t need you as much as before…

But this is just not the case.

The way they need us changes… they are more independent, learning to do things for themselves, navigating schooling & friendships.

But their need for CONNECTION with us doesn’t change 💛

A strong “attachment” relationship isn’t only important for a parent & infant, but it continues to matter throughout a child’s life as they grow & mature.

So we must continue to prioritize our CONNECTION & RELATIONSHIP with our child…

It is this CONNECTION that lays a strong foundation for their emotional coping skills, resilience & health into their future 💛💛💛

So many young ones interested in coding but haven’t had the opportunity to learn - now you can!!

Get to know us!

We are Dylan and Emma, the Jedi coders behind STEMlabs 😄

Without sounding too old, we've got over 30 years combined experience in the Software Industry. From coding, to design, gadgets, to circuits.. We're big geeks, and we're not afraid to shout it loud and proud!

For the past 6 months, we've been working away like busy bee's, creating class materials that will teach children about the fantastic world of technology from a perspective of being creators and not just consumers.

We're delighted to say that we are now taking bookings for our first ever term (technically 'term 2') over on our website www.stemlabs.com.au

We can't wait to meet all your little genuises and explore the world of tech!

Communicating when something feels different in one’s body can be tricky for those with limited interoception and emotional literacy skills.

Having a quick visual reference could support young people to regulate or get the support they need, especially if they are in pain, experience seizures or physical symptoms linked to anxiety.

This is adapted from the amazing Autism Level Up! resources and is a go-to in my practice.

What an awsome new program for the tech-minded kids!
🖥️ 🤖 📱 💥

STEMLabs We teach Computer Science Classes for kids age 9 to 16. Our fun and engaging STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths) classes in the Bayside area provide a great opportunity for them to explore their passion and make new friends who share their interests.

So many times, we hear people calling a diagnosis such as autism or adhd a “superpower”. Often these are neurotypical people who don’t understand how dismissive this narrative can be. The only person who gets to decide if their diagnosis is a superpower, is the person living with it. The ones who know their strengths, and live day in and day out with the challenges (big or small).

How can you check in with yourself around this notion?
- be aware of your biases around this narrative.
- understand the paradox of living in a neurotypical society that on one hand depicts such diagnosis as a superpower, yet continues to value neurotypical standards above neurodivergent ways of being.
- above all else, listen to the person who has lived experience, the individual in front of you, and catch yourself making any generalisations.

What’s in a “yep”

Do you have a young person who responds “yep” a lot? It’s easy to think that their “yep” means they are following along and understanding. The truth is, they may have adapted this strategy to mask what is really happening for them. Spend time exploring their “yep”
- “oh, you’ve been saying saying yep alot”
- “can I check in what your “yep” means”

Is this a resource you’d use? ✨

Language matters

Language Matters.

Our brains construct our reality, and they do this in a context, in relationships, and using language. I’m big on language – really big! Language plays a huge part in how we construct our reality which then influences how we think, feel, and act. And this then significantly impacts our relationships, including our therapeutic relationships.

Let’s take a minute to think about your language and the reality it’s creating. What language do you use to describe clients when they don’t seem to be ‘buying what you are offering’? For example, let’s think of a client who has experienced trauma and as a result of this has a small window of tolerance and can become distressed easily, and weave in a little neuroscience, drawing on understandings from polyvagal theory: Do you use the words “disruptive” or “difficult” with clients or “dysregulated” and “distressed”?

When we view clients as disruptive or difficult it implies that the person has a stable, negative trait unlikely to change, and maybe even that we think something not so great about their character. This doesn’t produce any insight into what might be helpful and limits options, creating a negative feedback loop.

When we view clients as dysregulated this implies behaviour and emotions are a temporary state that can and will change. It also implies that the person was once regulated and something happened to cause dysregulation. This perspective is more likely to elicit in the therapist a sense of curiosity about what happened and opens discussion and options

When we consider language, perspective, and polyvagal theory we make a shift from disruptive to dysregulated and this “assists healthcare providers to send more signals of safety and stokes a virtuous cycle, creating a positive feedback loop” (Sanders & Thompson, 2022: 157). When we use compassion, this leads to neuroception of compassion as a signal for safety, supporting regulation and helping to move up the autonomic ladder together.

Now let’s apply this idea to our language around clients and ‘resistance’. Do you use the language of resistance, e.g., ‘This client is being resistant?’ or do you use language in your thinking like ‘Have I found the right way to connect with this client? Am I understanding what is motivating this client?’

Happy International Women’s Day to all of our courageous women. 🌻

Today is a day to recognise and honour the achievements of women in social, economic, cultural, and political fields, and a call for gender equality and women’s rights around the world. This years theme of IWD is ‘Embrace Equity’. Advocating for why equal opportunities aren’t enough, and that people start from different places.

Today serves as a reminder of the progress that has been made towards gender equality, while also highlighting the work that still needs to be done. Take today as an opportunity to advocate for women’s rights, and inspiration to work towards creating a more equitable society for everyone.💜✨
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