Whiz Kids Therapy

19/04/2026

This is so interesting. Think Sensory have done a top notch job summarising this research on the role of cognitive emotional regulation (like self soothing, silver lining, perspective & the other end of the spectrum eg ruminating, or blaming) when dealing with life’s inevitable downs. The info about understanding and delivering therapy that addresses the role of the context instead of individualising responsibility is really useful. Such nice and lucid thinking.

When something upsetting happens, people use their thoughts to help manage how they feel. That's called "cognitive emotion regulation." Think of it as the mental moves you make AFTER a bad moment to cope with it.

Some thought patterns are usually HELPFUL (called adaptive):

- Acceptance ("okay, this happened, I can sit with it")

- Refocus on planning ("what can I do next?")

- Positive reappraisal ("maybe I'll learn something from this")

- Positive refocusing ("let me think about something nice instead")

- Putting into perspective ("this isn't the end of the world")

Other thought patterns are usually UNHELPFUL (called maladaptive):

- Self-blame ("this is all my fault")

- Other-blame ("it's their fault")

- Rumination (replaying it over and over in your head)

- Catastrophizing ("this is a disaster, and nothing will ever be okay")

Older studies said kids with ADHD use more unhelpful thoughts and fewer helpful ones. But those studies had some weak spots.

So this research team wanted a cleaner look. Their main questions:

1. Do kids/teens with ADHD really use fewer adaptive and more maladaptive thinking strategies than kids without ADHD?

2. Does that connection still hold when you account for depression, anxiety, conduct problems, and autism traits?

3. Do boys and girls differ? Do older and younger kids differ?

HOW THEY DID IT

They measured cognitive emotion regulation in two different ways, which is one of the study's strengths.

For the first method, teens answered questions about how they usually handle upset feelings. This captured what the teens THOUGHT they usually did.

For the second method, kids looked at 14 upsetting photos on a computer screen. The photos showed scary or sad things, like dangerous animals or disasters. For each photo, kids looked at it for 8 seconds, rated how upset they felt on a scale of 1 to 9, and then talked out loud about what they were thinking

Two trained researchers listened to the recordings and marked which thinking strategies each kid actually used.

This captured what the kids actually DID in the moment, not just what they think they usually do.

Parents also filled out forms about their child's depression, anxiety, autism traits, and behavior.

Then they ran statistical analyses (linear regressions and generalized linear models) to look for patterns, with TWO models: one adjusting for basic stuff like s*x, age, and SES, and a second model that also adjusted for depression, anxiety, conduct, and autism traits. They also used a Benjamini-Hochberg correction, which is a statistical method that makes the bar higher when you're testing lots of things at once, to reduce false positives.

WHAT THEY FOUND

In the initial findings before adjusting for other conditions they found:

- Kids with ADHD self-reported using FEWER adaptive (helpful) strategies

- Kids with ADHD self-reported using MORE maladaptive (unhelpful) strategies

- In the photo task, kids with ADHD used 46% fewer adaptive strategies than controls

So on the surface, the expected pattern showed up.

But interestingly, after the researchers took depression, anxiety, and other conditions into account, almost all of those differences actually DISAPPEARED.

What that suggests: the emotion dysregulation that researchers usually blame on ADHD may actually be more about CO-OCCURRING DEPRESSION than about ADHD itself.

Depressive symptoms were strongly and consistently linked to the use of maladaptive strategies, and depression often goes hand-in-hand with ADHD.

One finding stayed strong the whole way through. Kids with ADHD used acceptance much less than kids without ADHD. Acceptance means sitting with a hard feeling instead of fighting it or running from it. This pattern held up no matter what else the researchers checked, which suggests low use of acceptance may be a real, unique feature of ADHD.

A few other findings are worth knowing.

Girls used more unhelpful thoughts than boys and used less acceptance than boys.

Older teens used more unhelpful thoughts than younger teens, with self-blame and rumination going up with age.

And kids with ADHD felt just as upset by the photos as kids without ADHD. The difference was in how they handled the feelings, not how strong the feelings were.

AUTHORS CONCLUSIONS

The researchers had two main takeaways.

First, depression may matter more than we thought. When a kid with ADHD is struggling to manage emotions, depression might be the real driver underneath. That means it's worth looking for depression, not just assuming the emotion struggles come from ADHD.

Second, low use of acceptance may be a real ADHD thing. Kids with ADHD seem to have extra trouble sitting with hard feelings, separate from any depression. The researchers also noted that girls and older teens showed different patterns that future studies should look at more closely.

Why this matters

Two things stand out. First, ADHD is rarely just ADHD. When a child with ADHD is struggling emotionally, it's worth checking for depression underneath. The emotion piece may improve when the depression is addressed, not just when ADHD is the focus.

Second, acceptance is something kids with ADHD seem to have a harder time with. Knowing that could be helpful when considering what's going on for these kids when they're having a hard time, and opens up new conversations about how best to support them.

OUR THOUGHTS

Taking a neuroaffirming approach here may start by questioning the premise that unhelpful thinking patterns need to be fixed or replaced. A lot of traditional approaches treat kid's thoughts as distorted or wrong, and the job of therapy is to correct them.

That framing can feel invalidating, especially for kids whose thoughts often reflect real experiences of being misunderstood, overwhelmed, or treated as a problem.

Instead, it may be more helpful to focus on WHY certain thinking patterns show up in the first place. Rumination and self-blame in kids with ADHD often come from years of feedback that they're too much, or not enough, or lazy, or careless, or difficult. The thoughts aren't irrational. They're learned from the environment. Addressing the environment (school, family, how adults respond to the child) may matter as much or more than working on the thoughts themselves.

Language and self-understanding matter too, but offered, not imposed on them. Giving a kid words for what their brain does "sometimes brains like ours do this thing where they replay stuff, and it can feel tiring or overwhelming." Helping them notice what their brain is doing, without judgment or an expectation to change it.

Sensory and nervous system support probably belongs in the conversation too. A dysregulated body produces dysregulated thoughts. If a kid is chronically under-rested, overstimulated, or masking all day at school, their thinking patterns are downstream of that. Addressing sensory needs, rest, movement, and reducing mask load may do more for thinking patterns than any cognitive work.

Connection matters. Co-regulation with a trusted adult is probably more powerful than any self-directed thinking strategy, especially for younger kids.

Teaching adults how to BE with a dysregulated kid, rather than talking the kid OUT of their feelings, could help.

And for the acceptance piece specifically, the study's finding was that kids with ADHD use less acceptance as a thinking/coping strategy... But acceptance isn't just a skill you teach. It often grows from being accepted. Kids who've been told their whole lives that their way of being is wrong have a hard time accepting themselves or their feelings. Working on the acceptance they RECEIVE from adults around them may be foundational.

**Note: This graphic is a screenshot of recently published research. It shows the title of the study, the authors' names, and the DOI link. The caption summarizes the research and the researchers' findings and conclusions. This is shared strictly as information to our audience and is not intended as an endorsement or a claim that the research findings are definitive.**

[ Image Description: Screenshot of a research article listing from the International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology, Volume 26, Issue 1, January to March 2026, article number 100660. The title reads "Adaptive and maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation in child- and adolescent ADHD." Authors listed are Rebecka Astenvald, Matilda A. Frick, Johan Lundin Kleberg, and Johan Isaksson. The Think Sensory logo appears at the bottom on a dark teal background.]

07/04/2026

🧪 Screening children early is one of the most ethical things we can do. So why can't most of us afford to do it?
Screeners are fast. Twenty to thirty minutes per child. Whole cohorts. Whole schools. The logic is compelling — cast a wide net early, catch what would otherwise go unnoticed, intervene before small difficulties become significant ones.
The logic is sound. The economics are not🤑 .
Most small private practitioners will tell you the same thing. Screening barely covers wages. Often it doesn't. Planning, consent, travel, scoring, reporting, referral coordination, parent communication — the true cost is rarely reflected in the final bill. All of it is essential. All of it is absorbed.
We absorbed it because that's what you do. You stay late. You do the work because it matters, because you have an obligation, and because you can💁🏻‍♀️ .
But something has shifted.
Practitioners are leaving the field in significant numbers — and when you ask them why, the picture is uncomfortable. The largest study of Australian health practitioners to date found the top reasons included mental burnout, feeling undervalued and unrecognised, and a loss of professional fulfilment. Pay sits inside that cluster — not always named directly, but inseparable from the feeling that the work costs more than the system is willing to acknowledge. We built a profession on goodwill, and it's only considered normal because it's a workforce made up of mostly women. For a long time, that held. It doesn't anymore.
Most of us didn't question it. You do the work because that's what you do. You don't expect thanks, you don't keep score — it's just the water you swim in🐠 .
What changed wasn't a crisis of conscience. It was the NDIS. A structural shake-up that — whatever its intentions — forced small practices to look at the bottom line in ways they never had to before. And once you start looking, it forces some uncomfortable but genuinely empowering💪🏻 questions.
Because when there are only so many of you to go around, you start to prioritise. You look at what you've built, what you bring, and you feel proud of it. And then you feel ready — to charge for it, to defend it, to answer the sticky questions that come with that. Who is most urgent. Who can wait. That prioritisation — quiet, daily, mostly undiscussed — is one of the most ethically loaded decisions in the practice. It just doesn't look like one from the outside.
This is not a workforce problem. It is an ethical problem wearing a workforce problem's clothes.
The ethical obligations of screening — accuracy, informed consent, honest communication, follow-through, data stewardship, equity — are real and non-negotiable. But they cannot be met by practitioners working in financial survival mode. Ethical practice requires viable practice. The profession has not been honest enough about that connection.
There are solutions emerging. Practitioners — not systems, not policy bodies, not tech companies — are building the infrastructure that makes ethical, sustainable screening possible in small practice settings. That work deserves recognition, investment, and collaboration.
— More soon.

01/04/2026

✨🦄 Hiring: Speech Pathologist / Therapy Assistant (NDIS, school-based)

I’m putting this out again as I’m still looking to connect with the right people.

👉 I’m currently looking for:
• A Speech Pathologist (new grad → experienced)
• A Therapy Assistant (speech students — 3rd/4th year or mature-age earlier years)

The work is primarily school-based (with some home + telehealth), and sits within a collaborative, team-based model.

At Whiz Kids, we’re committed to a way of working that’s responsive, realistic and protective of our profession:
• Strong collaboration across schools, families, and providers
• Clear, transparent use of NDIS funding
• Thoughtful communication systems (so things don’t fall through the cracks)
• A focus on meaningful outcomes for families

It’s a supportive environment, but also one where people are encouraged to think, reflect, and grow in their practice over time.

🧐 We’re looking for people who:
• Are curious and open to learning
• Value ethical, neurodiversity-affirming practice
• Enjoy working with others (families, schools, teams)
• Are interested in doing work that’s thoughtful and responsive

The role is flexible (contract / part-time / full-time) depending on fit.

If you’re interested — or even just a bit curious — feel free to reach out.

And if someone comes to mind, I’d really appreciate a connection.

— Alex
https://whizkidstherapy.com/

22/03/2026

✨🦄 Hiring: Speech Pathologist / Therapy Assistant (NDIS, school-based + collaborative model)

I’m reaching out to my networks again — last time I did this I ended up with the amazing Sashah and brilliant Alannah (now heading off on prac), absolute joys of humans.

I’ve learnt the usual job ads don’t really work for what I’m building. The work we do is responsive, grounded, and relational — so finding the right people tends to come through connection🌀 rather than broad ads.

The reality is: this work asks a lot.
You’re working with children with disabilities, and you’re responsible for delivering services that aim to achieve real outcomes. It’s rewarding, sometimes heartbreaking, always interesting — and it requires practitioners who can take responsibility for their work, stay within their scope, and show up with honesty about what they can and can’t do.

At Whiz Kids, we’re trying to approach this differently — building thoughtful, integrated ways of working using what we have available, including better systems and communication. That only works if people participate openly and authentically — and that will look different for everyone.

🔗I’m looking to connect with:
• Speech Pathologists (new grad through to experienced)
• Speech students (3rd/4th year, or mature-age earlier years) for Therapy Assistant roles
• Open to conversations about admin/coordination support if the right fit emerges

💪🏽The work:
• Primarily school-based (some home visits)
• Telehealth + flexible models of delivery
• Opportunity to be involved in broader coordination and integrated care work

🪟The model.
This is not a volume-driven service.
I’m building a practice that prioritises:
• Genuine collaboration across providers and systems
• Clear, accountable, and transparent use of NDIS funding
• Structured, tech-supported communication (closing the loop, not just saying we collaborate)
• Work that actually improves outcomes for families — not just ticks boxes

❤️The role:
Flexible by design — contract, part-time, or full-time depending on fit.
What matters most is alignment, not hours.

🧐What I’m looking for:
• People who think critically about practice, not just follow templates
• Comfortable working in real-world complexity (schools, families, systems — yours and mine included)
• Values-driven — particularly around ethical, neurodiversity-affirming care
• Interested in work that is ethical, context-responsive and grounded in evidence, even if that means doing things differently

If you’re curious, even if you’re not sure you “fit” — reach out.
Or if you know someone who might, I’d really appreciate a connection.
😎 Thanks!
— Alex
https://whizkidstherapy.com/

03/03/2026

Your child escalates.
You try to hold the boundary.
But now you’re yelling.

They’re crying.
You’re furious.
You can't even remember what you said.

Then it’s quiet.

And the guilt hits.

Not just, “That was hard.”

But:

“What is wrong with me?”
“Why can’t I stay calm?”
“I sound like my mum.”

This is pretty normal from exhausted, loving parents who are angry, tired, and overwhelmed — not abusive.

There’s a pattern in these moments that almost no one talks about honestly.

It’s not just about children learning that escalation works.

It’s about parents learning that when the conflict stops, the emotional pain stops too.

In this post I unpack:

The parent child conflict cycle

Why behaviour that looks like manipulation is often development

Why yelling doesn’t make you a monster

And why repair matters more than perfection

If you’ve ever walked away from an argument with your child and felt ashamed — this is for you. https://whizkidstherapy.com/parent-child-conflict-cycle/

26/01/2026

Parenting a teen changed how I parent 😅

Last year made something clear:
rules and punishments weren’t cutting it anymore.

This is my second teenager — different kid, different context, different needs.
I didn’t have it all figured out the first time, and this one needs to be parented differently.

So I made this Values Agreement for 15–18 year olds — not a legal contract, but a shared guide we come back to when things wobble.

It’s about respect 🤝, responsibility + freedom 🌱, safety 🛟, and repair 🔧.

This is not about condoning drugs or alcohol 🚫🍺 — it’s a practical, safety-first approach that keeps honesty and connection front and centre.

Simple. Clear. Co-created (not imposed).
Best for 15–18 year olds.
A 12–15 version is coming soon 👀

📸 Cover photo taken by my teen — he’s got a great eye.
At first glance it looks like a cityscape: the crowd like lights, the performer like a tall building. It says a lot about power, people, and noticing how we see the world.

Together, we’re better 💛

https://whizkidstherapy.com/values/

09/01/2026

How cool is this dad! https://www.facebook.com/share/1BcySJRJZF/?mibextid=wwXIfr

He just wanted to protect his son 🥺

After watching his autistic son Zachary Duncan get bullied online, Stuart Duncan decided to create a safer alternative instead of accepting the reality of toxic gaming spaces. He built a private Minecraft server called Autcraft, designed specifically to support autistic children in a calm and respectful environment.

The server is heavily moderated, focused on kindness, and structured to reduce stress and conflict. What began as a small personal solution has grown into a global community of more than 17,000 autistic children who finally have a place where they feel safe and understood.

26/10/2025

🎤 Help your child shine with clear speech. If you wondering, "How do I make that sound?" our "Easy Parent Guides to Making Speech Sounds" make it fun and simple! From popping /p/ sounds to singing /l/ like a lion, these guides turn speech practice into a playful dance. 🦁💬
Each guide has step-by-step tips, silly games 🐧, and activities to help your kid master sounds like /s/, /k/, or /f/ and explain how how it all works 🛠. Perfect for home practice or supporting speech therapy!
Tell us in the comments the sound we should do next 🤓.
Check them out on our website and start your child’s speech adventure today: https://whizkidstherapy.com/how-to-make-the-sounds/ 🚀

16/10/2025

😬 Looking for Speech Therapy but it's a bit like trying to finding a 🦄?
🌟 Exciting News for Parents! 🌟
If your little one is struggling with speech sounds we can help. Introducing IRIS: At Home 🏡 —our evidence-based at-home therapy program that provides assessment and treatment by guiding you to deliver therapy! Send a quick video, we assess, provide a written report and deliver custom built stories starring your child (with AI avatars of your family & pets!), access to fun games and activities, and online feedback and monitoring, all delivered through our Whiz Kids App📱. As a bonus we can tailor the stories to tackle any issues you may be having at home (e.g. can't get them to bed 🛏️ on time? We'll use the story to build this skill). Affordable, Easy & Effective. Empower your child's voice—DM us to start! Check it out at: https://whizkidstherapy.com/iris-at-home-ax

16/10/2025

🙏🏽🦄 Hiring Speechies, Therapy Assistants & Admin Support! Immediate Start 🤞🏼.
Just about to put out an ad and then remembered, I know people! Looking 👀 to hire a speechie for anything they want to do - as little, as much, easy as - immediate start or can wait. Really good rates - happy to figure it out - contract, P/T, F/T, hourly - I'm really open about rates, crap at Maths & it's not the main aim of the game, but we all have to live and I'm happy to match whatever is out there +. Newbies, sorta new/old & exp'd welcome to chat. Lot's of beautiful work with awesome families, mostly located at 1 or 2 CEWA schools, some Telehealth, some helping me do support coordination (absolutely one of the most rewarding things I've ever done).
I've been working alot, basically to be NDIS compliant so that I don't have to go back to making bad choices, and have this model of service delivery that emphasises integrated collaborative care cross discipline & organisation (and everyone says they are doing, but its informal and there is zero loop, but I got tech and its cool) and I think it can be really impactful and make a huge difference in the quality of care for the people we serve.
Keen also to talk to 3/4 yr SP students (will consider mature-age 1stYr), and I might already have an admin/manager but, babies etc so I'm seeing who else in the same boat so we can live out lives without feeling like you owe someone something cos 👼🏼.
Let me know - would be so grateful! and impressed... lol x
Check us out if you're curious:

“Beloved community is formed not by eradication of difference but by its affirmation by each of us claiming the identities and cultural legacies that shape who we are and how we live in the world.”bell hooks, Killing Rage, 1995

29/09/2025

NDIS reform needs to get a grip on reality and look at the solution: decentralisation of power towards community has a tradition, community support, strong evidence and is within reach as tech continues the massive explosion of unleashing human capacity. We are developing a model, FUSE, of decentralised decision-making (piloting with CEWA school and Curtin University), using ICF aligned protocols, standards and zero-trust architecture, leveraging existing networks like schools and local groups, to outpace red tape, putting decision-making power back in the hands of parents, educators, and community. FUSE aligns perfectly with critical challenges: 30% of NDIS plans go underused, families face 6-12 month wait times, workforce shortages in allied health, marginalised groups impacted most. Decentralisation addresses underused budgets and work shortages by scaling support via tech-enabled, community-led teams. This aligns with recent NDIA reforms emphasising evidence-based, family-centered care, offering a scalable solution that works with government to regain relevance: facilitating self-governing networks through tech compliance, standards, KYC, and zero-trust verification. This reduces administrative burdens, eliminates unnecessary registrations, and ensures secure, transparent standards—feels not just doable, but inevitable as we shift toward sustainable, innovative systems. What do you think? https://whizkidstherapy.com/little-fixes-big-wins-community-driven-care-for-thriving-kids/ The Sensory Spectrum National Council on Disability