ND Perspective Perth

WA Teachers will receive better training to support children with higher needs, with a state government commitment of $16 million over 4 years. I'm curious to know what families think, do you welcome the proposal?

Specific needs 'soar' across school system over past decade, principal says The WA government has committed $16 million for a professional learning hub that will include mandatory inductions for special needs education assistants and disability modules for graduate teachers.

🎉 We have telehealth speech pathology appointments now available! 🎉 🗣️

We’re excited to share that our new Speech Pathologist, Shivani Mohanlal, has immediate availability for telehealth sessions.

This means you can now access speech pathology support from home or the community, which can be a great option for neurodivergent children, teens and adults who may find travel, waiting rooms, transitions or new environments difficult.

Telehealth can be especially helpful if:

✨ your child feels more comfortable in their own space
✨ getting to appointments adds extra stress to the week
✨ you want to reduce travel time or NDIS travel costs
✨ you need something that fits more easily around school, work or family routines
✨ you are waiting for a face-to-face speech therapy appointment but would like support sooner

Meet Shivani

Shivani is a Speech Pathologist with more than 10 years’ experience supporting children and adults with autism ADHD, cerebral palsy, down syndrome and neurodevelopmental conditions.

She supports people with speech, language, social communication, literacy, emotional regulation and functional communication skills, with a warm and practical approach that focuses on real-life communication.

Outside of work, Shivani is a proud mum to two young children and enjoys spending time outdoors with her family, going on long walks and relaxing with a good thriller novel when she gets the chance.

If you would like to know more about telehealth speech therapy, or see whether it could be a good fit for your child or family member, please send us a message or contact our team.

The worst things to say to someone with ADHD. What else would you add to this list?

I’ve definitely heard more than a few of these!

The Worst Thing to Say to Someone With ADHD "Have you considered using a planner?" What a novel idea!

When a child says “no” or refuses something, it can feel frustrating.

But sometimes, it’s not defiance.

It’s a signal.

💡 “I won’t” is often actually:
• “I don’t understand”
• “This feels too hard”
• “I’m overwhelmed”
• “I don’t feel safe doing this yet”

A small shift that can help:

Instead of asking
“How do I make them do this?”

Try asking
“What might be making this hard?”

When we understand the barrier, we can support the child more effectively. ❤️

Diary of a Wimpy Kid has been a big favourite in our house lately (and not just with our canine reader - although Molly does appear to also be a fan). If you have a reader at home, what are some of your high rotation titles? 📒

Tuesday TIP: Use visuals.
Many neurodivergent kids process information more easily when they can see what’s happening next.

Instead of only saying
“Time to go,”

try:
• showing the car keys
• pointing to a visual schedule
• holding up their shoes

Sometimes seeing the next step makes the transition feel much less overwhelming or unexpected. .

Where do you stand? Are you for or against berries? 🙋🏽🙅‍♀️

This innocent punnet of raspberries sparked quite a heated discussion in the office this week. Not about nutrition, but how wildly unpredictable they can be:

One berry: sweet
Next berry: sour
Next berry: unexpectedly soft
Next berry: what even was that texture and don’t get me started on that funny looking dark spot….

Is your family pro or against the humble berry?

If your child has big meltdowns, chances are you’ve heard advice like:

“Be firmer.”
“They just need consequences.”
“You can’t let them win.”

And honestly… that can feel pretty awful to hear when you’re already doing everything you can. 😭

Most meltdowns aren’t 'behaviour problems'. They’re nervous systems in overload.

When a child is overwhelmed, anxious, sensory overloaded, or exhausted, their brain isn’t choosing to struggle. It’s trying to cope. 🧠

At Perspective, we spend a lot of time helping families understand what sits underneath those moments, because when you understand the why, things start to change.

And sometimes the most important thing a parent hears is this:

"You’re not doing a bad job."

"Your child is NOT broken."

"You just haven’t been given the right support yet." ❤️

Who can relate?