Yâel Clark, Developmental Psychologist

Yâel Clark, Developmental Psychologist Anxiety & OCD in children & parents: special focus on Autistics and ADHDers. I'm a late diagnosed Autistic ADHDer.

I practise and educate from the position of lived experience and professional training and research. I have been a psychologist for two decades and a teacher and parent educator prior to that. I have been a parent for even longer and am still raising school aged kids. I know what it's like to have to advocate for yourself or your kids every step of the way. I enjoy the company of young people; their passion, their fierce sense of justice, their humour, and their interests. Working with them gives me an excuse to have fun! This year I am taking a break from clinical practice and focusing on training and advocacy.

25/10/2025

Sharing to increase participation.

Nailed it. (For me, at least.)
25/10/2025

Nailed it. (For me, at least.)

Image is a screenshot from the public page of a mother who has an Autistic child. The child, whose face I cropped out of...
25/10/2025

Image is a screenshot from the public page of a mother who has an Autistic child. The child, whose face I cropped out of the photo, is holding a sign that reads, "Autism is a Disability. Not an Identity Trend."

Next to that image is my own image of a woman holding a sign that reads, "Affirming Autistic Identity Improves the Life of Disabled people."

I have included a screenshot of my comment on that mother's post. Here is the text:
-------

Autism is a disability and one way of developing self-esteem is to accept one's autistic identity. Autistic identity means that we know we belong to a community that has strengths as well as struggles and that deserves human rights. That is all. Autistic identity does not mean whitewashing disability or promoting some delusional supremacy fantasy. It is categorically not trendy. Accepting one's autistic identity can be life-saving for people who would otherwise be misdiagnosed with personality disorders or behavioural disorders. Of course, autistic people might also have a personality disorder, but that comes from deep wounds, whereas being autistic is simply the way we were made. The only way we are going to heal this terrible divide in our community is to go beyond memes and catchphrases and actually understand each other. If you think that the autistic identity movement is just a trend, then you don't understand it. If I think that the profound autism movement is just a way to centre parents then I don't understand it. With Severe Autism, stop being a part of the problem. Stop sharing simplistic facile catchphrases. Let's dialogue.

This is from an ad for an "emotional intelligence" program. Nowhere on these sheets, do I see self-advocacy. Please do n...
18/10/2025

This is from an ad for an "emotional intelligence" program.

Nowhere on these sheets, do I see self-advocacy.

Please do not enrol your child into any program that does not help them 1) understand themselves - not in relation to how they impact others -and accept themselves, and 2) advocate for their needs.

These programs are strongly coded for Autistic "social skills training" and erode our children's sense of self worth.

Sure, these skills can be helpful for everyone to learn, but not at the expense of self-validation in a world that already invalidates your needs.

15/10/2025

I am so proud to celebrate the contribution of LOAPAC members and affiliate members to the Australian Association of Psychologists inc. conference.

NeuroKind Insights
Divergent Matters
Hope Affirm Thrive. Your Roadmap Through IVF
Denise Abreu, Haven Psychology
Emma-Rose Parsons
Jennifer Kemp - Clinical Psychologist

Special shout out to David Gardner, AHPD. David is a long time friend of LOAPAC and presented here on complying with the new Code of Conduct for Psychologists.

05/10/2025

I need to learn how to do those stitch videos on Tik Tok because when I see reels like this I just rage!

The research findings that this doctor reports can be really useful, actually helpful for our ADHD community, but the way she reports it and the sensationalist, absolutist reductionist, manner in which both she and the interviewer frame the research is ridiculous, unscientific and actually harmful.

✅Yes, our sensitive autoimmune systems are affected by diet.

✅Yes, this can make self -regualtion even harder for an ADHDer.

❌No, this does not mean that ADHD is caused by diet.

❌No, this does not mean that ADHD is cured because the dysregulation has improved.

I am not as qualified as she is, as half these doctors are, and yet I know they are spouting rubbish! Their research is good. Their conclusions are absurd.

Their conclusions increase ignorance and stigma.

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/19pvK9JUmv/

This quote (it's not a poem), as famous as it is, has never sat well with me. Similar to John Dunne's "For whom the bell...
01/10/2025

This quote (it's not a poem), as famous as it is, has never sat well with me.

Similar to John Dunne's "For whom the bell tolls". I appreciate the sentiment that we humans are all interconnected and interdependent, but that is not my motivation to protect someone.

Kind of reminds me of Kohlberg's stages of moral development. Sure, if the threat of harm eventually coming to yourself motivates you to do good; that's good too. But surely we should just do good because...it's good!

For Whom the Bell Tolls, by John Donne

No man is an island,
Entire of itself.
Each is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less.
As well as if a promontory were.
As well as if a manor of thine own
Or of thine friend's were.
Each man's death diminishes me,
For I am involved in mankind.
Therefore, send not to know
For whom the bell tolls,
It tolls for thee.

(This poem is in the public domain.)

Beautiful but not enough. If your empathy can only be aroused by self interest, it's just not enough (but better than nothing).

The Autism From The Inside Summit went live on Monday. Today you can catch me speaking about Autistic psychologists. Giv...
23/09/2025

The Autism From The Inside Summit went live on Monday. Today you can catch me speaking about Autistic psychologists.

Given the tragi-comedy of current affairs - I'm looking at you, North America - I highly recommend immersing yourself in good affirming content and connecting with the Autistic community.

*All of the sessions will be live one last time during the Encore REPLAY Weekend—from 9am on the 27th Sep through 9am on the 29th Sep (Melbourne time).*

Catch you on the inside; Autism From The Inside that is ;)

(Autism From The Inside - I'll bill you for that genius one-liner later!)

https://www.autismfromtheinside.com.au/Summit25

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Caulfield, VIC
3161

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1pm - 8pm
Tuesday 9am - 11am
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Friday 9am - 3pm
Saturday 9am - 1pm

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