Library / Watch / Think Autism Melbourne 2026
Practice, Think Autism Melbourne 2026
How practitioners reach young people who do not want to do the work
In short
A parent at Think Autism Melbourne asked how therapists get vulnerable young people to open up. Two practitioners answered with regulation before talk and with the uses of natural consequences.
For family, domestic or sexual violence support, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732. In an emergency, call 000.
Read it instead, 4 minutesThe transcript
The story
A mother in the audience at Think Autism Melbourne put a question to the panel on neuroaffirming practice about young neurodivergent people in therapy. Her 17 year old had been very at risk for a couple of years, she said, and although she now had a very good psychologist, she still resisted the work. The mother contrasted that with older people like herself, who have found some answers and want to work through things. How, she asked, do practitioners get vulnerable young people to open up when they lack the language and the self awareness?
The first panellist to answer began by normalising the reluctance. The panellist said that even at 38, with the language and the understanding, they still did not want to do the work in therapy, and did it anyway. They then offered an answer in two parts, one social and one psychological.
Sign in to keep reading, listening and watching.
Sign in with your email and everything in the Library is open to you: every story, every talk and every episode. It is free and it always will be. If you can, a donation helps keep it free for everyone.
Sources the story draws on
- A Neurodevelopmental Approach (opens in a new tab), BDPerry (website of Bruce D. Perry)
- Mandatory reporting (opens in a new tab), Victorian Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (providers website)
More from Think Autism Melbourne 2026
All 48-
3 minutes 51 seconds, captioned A practitioner warned that neuroaffirming practice loses its point once written as rules Dani Bultitude Asked how to separate neuroaffirming practice from the label, the first practitioner to answer at Think Autism Melbourne took aim at policy language, and named Thriving Kids as the risk. - 2 minutes, captioned Schools are unprepared for supports moving into community settings, a practitioner warned Shristi Chand A teacher of ten years turned practitioner told Think Autism Melbourne that schools were about to be handed work they had not been trained for, inside a system that measures performance over impact.
- 9 minutes 20 seconds, captioned Three practitioners on how to tell a neuroaffirming provider from a label Shristi Chand, Dani Bultitude and 1 more Asked what families and clients should look for, a Think Autism Melbourne panel pointed to booking systems, generic websites, unadapted therapy and how a therapist behaves when a client pushes back.
- 3 minutes 59 seconds, captioned Neurodivergent practitioners argued autistic clients need therapists who are not blank slates Ben Simmons At Think Autism Melbourne, neurodivergent practitioners challenged the professional rule that therapists should not talk about themselves, arguing that disclosure is often what makes an autistic client feel safe.
- 5 minutes 28 seconds, captioned Autism or trauma is the wrong question, a Think Autism panel argued Think Autism Melbourne 2026 At Think Autism Melbourne, practitioners rejected the diagnostic habit of asking whether a client’s difficulties come from autism or from trauma, and raised what happens when a client’s language has no word for neurodiversity.
- 2 minutes 47 seconds, captioned An audience member asked for a tick of approval for neuroaffirming practices Think Autism Melbourne 2026 At Think Autism Melbourne, a late diagnosed woman proposed that practices should have to prove they are neuroaffirming. An autistic counsellor then said counselling had no such requirement at all.