Learning Keys

Looking forward to hearing from this amazing line up of speakers today!

Our world is made up of billions of unique brains.

Different ways of thinking, learning, and experiencing the world are a natural part of human diversity.

Neurodiversity Celebration Week is an opportunity to celebrate different minds, share experiences, and build greater understanding, acceptance, and inclusion.

Yesterday was International Women’s Day. It was great to see posts highlighting the many amazing women working to make our communities a better place. This year’s theme, “Give to Gain” challenges us to take action to support the women in our lives, recognizing that when we do, we all benefit. May this inspire our actions every day of the year.

Sometimes the algorithm is helpful. While scrolling, I saw a link to a program run by Adelaide Airport that may be helpful to many a wary traveller:

https://adelaideairport.com.au/accessibility/try-before-you-fly/

Thank you to Diverse Learning Adelaide for sharing such a helpful resource!

Best wishes to everyone (students, parents and teachers) starting school tomorrow!

Week 1 marks the start of a partnership between home and school. For each student, their trusted adults have a key role to play in their learning and development.

Thank you to the amazing people at home and at school who are working so hard to help each child feel ready and supported to begin their 2026 learning journey ❤️

Here are a few simple things you can try at home to help your child feel ready and confident for school:

• Practice getting dressed in their school uniform

• Open and close their lunchbox together, and practice refilling their drink bottle

• Talk about how they’ll recognise which bag belongs to them (a key tag or picture can help)

• Chat about something they’re feeling excited about for school

• Practice taking school shoes on and off independently

• Visit a local playground so they can build confidence using play equipment

• Start gently shifting bedtime and wake-up times to match the school-day routine

Small, everyday practice can make a big difference—especially in those first few weeks of school.

It’s the week before school starts—classrooms are being set up, school bags are being packed, and families are working through those (very long!) back-to-school lists.

If your child is starting school this year, you might be wondering… are they ready for school?

Being ready for school is not about knowing letters and numbers. Instead, it’s skills like children using their body confidently, managing basic self-care, coping with big feelings, and getting along with others.

Every child starts school with their own strengths, and Term 1 is often all about learning how to use and build these skills in the classroom—one day at a time.

Term 4…a time of preparation and change. The Learning Keys clinic has had some changes as well. We have said goodbye to Sarah (the friendly face who helped the clinic run smoothly). We welcome Nat who has stepped into the administration role with great ease. We also are expanding our psychology team. Planning for 2026 is underway!

Free Autism Webinar: How We Talk About It

Hosted by Sandhya Menon (Onwards and Upwards Psychology) in conjunction with Belongside Families. A recording of the session will be available to registered participants.

For more information: https://events.humanitix.com/auwebinar1109?fbclid=IwdGRjcAMkZB1leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHhbzKs61xtWhzre888VbaFZxTbJXFWu-Mrt1SPlx1lfo8u33AqfhCwlLLiDY_aem_Zux1IOnlufKapWSzoBOxzA

🎉Great Resource Alert🎉

Free Autism Webinar: How We Talk About It

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19hcBvBbx6/?mibextid=wwXIfr

📚Free Autism Webinar: How We Talk About It

Ever feel unsure about the 'right' way to talk about autism?

Join Belongside Families for this free webinar with me. We’ll unpack how language shapes our understanding of autism and why the words we choose matter.

In this 45-minute session, we’ll explore::

🔸 The shift from person-first to identity-first language
🔸What ‘neuro-affirming’ actually means
🔸Why functioning labels don’t tell the whole story
🔸Reframing traditional advice with a fresh, neuro-affirming view

It's a little bit of education, a little bit of community, and a fresh perspective that will help guide parents and caregivers in understanding current Autism narratives with a neuroaffirming lens. It's ideal for those people who are newer to the paradigm and would like to be engaged in these conversations.

Join me!

🗓 Thu, 11 Sep, 8:00pm AEST
📍 Online via Zoom (and yes, recordings will be sent out!)
🔗 Register now via https://events.humanitix.com/auwebinar1109

Em neurowild_ has an amazing skill for translating complex concepts into accessible illustrations.

If your child has an assessment appointment coming up with a psychologist (or another professional), this may help your conversations 😊