Autism Understanding Neurodivergent Clinician Symposium
The future of neurodiversity-affirming practice
6-7 AUGUST 2025, MELBOURNE
Neurodivergent Clinician Symposium brings together Australia’s top neurodivergent health professionals, speaking from both their clinical expertise and lived experience.
Join 250 passionate practitioners in a sensory and movement friendly space where you can learn, grow, feel safe and confident in exploring neurodiversity affirming clinical practices, communication and collaboration. Get access to all the practical strategies and resources you need to take your clinic to the next level.
With an all-neurodivergent health professional line-up of speakers, Neurodivergent Clinician Symposium is Australia's premier event for clinicians of all brain styles who are passionate about creating a neurodiversity affirming experience for their clients.
“Neurodiversity may be every bit as crucial for the human race as biodiversity is for life in general. Who can say what form of wiring will prove best at any given moment?”
- Harvey Blume
Imagine a conference where:
- A variety of seating options are available so you can sit, stand, lounge or move around as needed in the main room or from a quieter workspace with the conference stream
- Wrist bands indicate your preferences for people approaching you
- Well-labelled, yummy food actually caters to your dietary needs
- You’re not expected to attend a conference dinner, so you can chill and recharge solo with room service, or plan dinner or an adventure with friends (we’ll let you know about the dining options and what’s on in Melbourne)
I’ll never forget attending a conference where it was difficult to even sit in the room as we were all jammed in like sardines and the lighting was so bright it immediately gave me a headache. Many of the speakers used triggering, condescending, inaccurate medical language to describe autism and ADHD, and it was hard to find anything I could actually eat.
We can do so much better!
That’s why I’ve created the Neurodivergent Clinician Symposium. A place where you can learn, grow, feel safe and confident in exploring neurodiversity affirming clinical practices, communication and collaboration, while gaining access to all the practical resources you need to take your clinic to the next level.
Whether you’re a neurodivergent practitioner or a neurodiversity affirming ally, feel confident helping your clients understand their brain styles and the strategies, supports and accommodations that fit best with their passions, sensory preferences and everyday routines.
Health, mental health and disability sectors are now recognising the importance of neurodiversity affirming, strengths-based, trauma-informed and positive approaches to supporting and accommodating neurodivergent people.
Let’s get comfortable with neurodiversity affirming language, the latest understandings of various neurotypes, and rethink goal setting in partnership with our clients. It’s about checking what individuals actually want to change rather than making assumptions, and finding strategies in alignment with each person’s brain style, rather than expecting them to mask and camouflage for others’ comfort. Increasingly our role includes advocacy and assisting our clients to develop their self-advocacy skills in schools, workplaces and the community.
We’ll be discussing hot topics, including NDIS changes, minority stress and intersectionality, and considerations for ‘coming out’ as neurodivergent in the workplace.
Neurodivergent Clinician Symposium brings together neurodivergent professional speakers, who offer insights and strategies based on both their clinical training and lived experience, including:
- Psychologists
- Speech Pathologists
- Occupational Therapists
- Medical Practitioners
Meet the Speakers
Lydia Meem
Neurodivergent clinical psychologist and founder of Autism Understanding. Lydia is passionate about neurodiversity affirming assessment and strategies, and provides clinical supervision, in-person and online training for health professionals, and is the author of Beyond IQ Scores: A handbook for clinicians providing neurodiversity affirming cognitive and developmental assessments.
Jennifer Kemp
Autistic psychologist and author, passionate about self-compassion for neurodivergent people including health professionals. Jennifer wrote The Neurodivergence Skills Workbook for Autism and ADHD with Monique Mitchelson. Her other books include Unmasking Authentically, More than Procrastination, and Autistic Burnout. Jennifer is passionate about upskilling professionals on affirming strategies for ADHD, autism and complex trauma.
Dr Erin Robinson
AuDHDer psychologist with an interest in play in neurodivergent children, and the benefits of incorporating play into therapy sessions. In addition to providing neurodiversity affirming assessments and strategies at Autism Understanding, Erin is a Lecturer at the University of Newcastle, and is the co-host of the Executive Miss Function Podcast.
Sonny Jane Wise
Trans neurodivergent advocate with lived experience of mental illness and disability. Sonny is passionate about exploring neurodiversity beyond autism and ADHD, and unpacking the relationship between neuro-normativity, capitalism and the DSM. Sonny is the author of We’re All Neurodiverse and The Neurodivergent Friendly Workbook of DBT Skills.
Annelil Desille
AuDHDer clinical psychologist who is passionate about neurodivergence, mind/body connection, sexual health, dating, intimacy, attachment and spirituality. Lil supports neurokin with their ability to deepen and strengthen connections together, and has developed inclusive and adaptable resources, courses and events tailored to the AuDHD community.
Amanda Moses
Neurodivergent psychologist who is passionate about supporting provisional and early career psychologists to become confident and affirming clinicians who know their worth. Amanda provides supervision, training and clinical resources around preparing for the National Psychology Exam, autism and ADHD assessment and mental health.
Bianca Comfort
Neurodivergent clinical psychologist and Director of Comfort Psychology, a telehealth practice focused on chronic illness and neurodivergence. Bianca has particular interest in Autism, ADHD, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS), Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) and Long Covid.
...more speakers to be announced soon!
EVENT INFORMATION SO YOU CAN FEEL FULLY PREPARED
EVENT INFORMATION SO YOU CAN FEEL FULLY PREPARED
What You Can Expect
What You Can Expect
I know what it feels like to walk into a foreign room, with new faces and no knowledge of what to expect or whether your unique needs will be catered for... Sensory overload!
To help, please take a read of the below event information to help you prepare for your time at the Symposium...
Registration opens at 8.30am, followed by the Main Event from 9am to 5pm each day, where you’ll have the chance to connect with neurodivergent health practitioners and affirming colleagues, and hear about the latest approaches and resources for working with neurodivergent children, adolescents, adults, couples and families.
Yes! Over two days, we have allowed time for attendees to connect with our amazing sponsors and exhibitors, who offer the latest tools and resources to elevate your practice and make your processes smooth and seamless, saving you time and energy. Try out tools, ask questions, and identify which resources and services will best fit your team, your clinic and your clients.
We’ll provide you with well-labelled, dietary-friendly yummy food, and information on dining and entertainment options for the evening, so you can rest and recharge solo, or choose your own adventure with old and new friends. Join us for an optional breakfast on Day 2 where you can meet like-minded practitioners.
Yes, we’ll have seating, standing and reclining options in the conference spaces, as well as quiet workspaces with a live stream of the conference, and areas where you can stretch and move around.
I'm so excited to invite you to join us!
Join the Waitlist below to be first to know when tickets become available.
Early bird tickets will be offered by email to the waitlist in early 2025
6-7 AUGUST 2025, MELBOURNE