The Chronically Resilient OT

28/11/2025

Excited to be delivering this training today on Neurodivrsity-Affirming and Trauma-Informed Occupational Therapy for Occupational Therapy Australia.

This is an expanded version of what I offered at the national conference in Adelaide this year and I’m so excited to be bringing it to more people.

It sold out so quickly that we have confirmed additional dates for next year if you missed out on this one.

Image description: picture of the title slide of a training on a computer screen with an emotional support pickle underneath.

19/11/2025

Today I delivered the last session for the year of my neurodiversity affirming practice for mental health training to members of the public health system’s inpatient unit mental health team.

The 6 sessions delivered over the past 5 months to the inpatient, community and older adults teams have been so wonderful, seeing the curiosity, engagement and desire to learn and do better for neurodivergent clients.

They have also reached out about booking in more dates to run it again next year!

I love teaching and talking about a topic I care so much about. And it’s great running a training that is close enough to drive to as then I bring ALL the resources to show people (picture). I love sharing the amazing resources people are creating. Pictured here are creations from:
Brett J Cole - Autistic Words & Art
Ljanta
Menon
Braman
Mahler
How to ADHD
Books
Lived Experience Educator
Moriah


And many more!

Picture is of a resource table with lots of books, workbooks and a couple of sensory kits.

16/11/2025

First week of my partner being away has gone well and I’m proud of how I’m doing.

It’s been difficult at times and I’m managing.

Big thanks to my partner for preparing some foods before he left and for my grandma for topping the leftovers up. Also to my parents for helping with some dog walks so I don’t have to do 2 every day.

It has made me realise how much I rely on his support and affirmed how lucky I am to have that support.

Thanks also to everyone who commented on my making food easier post, some amazing suggestions there!

Picture of me and my dog at the beach, just out shadows.

16/11/2025

Still unlearning

Many neurodivergent individuals grow up absorbing neuronormative messages that success, worth, and belonging come from performing, blending in, or meeting unrealistic standards.

But healing often begins with unlearning those rules that were never made for us.

And here are just some of the things I had to unlearn to heal:
🎈My worth isn’t dependent on my productivity.
🎈 Eye contact isn’t the same as respect.
🎈 Social norms aren’t universal truths.
🎈 Having needs isn’t a burden.
🎈 Emotional intensity isn’t “too much.”
🎈 Fitting in isn’t the same as belonging.
🎈 I don’t have to earn rest, love, or belonging.

These lessons don’t come easily, especially in a world that celebrates conformity and constant output. But unlearning them creates space for self-acceptance, rest, and authenticity.

You deserve to exist as you are, not as the world expects you to be. 💙

📩 Book a free 20-minute consult at www.blueskylearning.ca

or email hello@blueskylearning.ca

💻 Follow for more neurodiversity-affirming mental health content.

14/11/2025

Amplifying others’ is really important to me.

Any others you would add?

To add to my previous post, here's a list of nonspeaking advocates and allied advocates, professionals and organizations. Add to it in the comments if you know of others.

Bri Guerra, Nonspeaking Advocate for Change
Swarit Gopalan - My truisms unfiltered
Gregory C Tino
Niko Boskovic
Cards by Jakob
Danny With Words
Ben B. - "My Own Words: Reflections of a Non-Speaking Autistic
Fidgets and Fries, author of NY bestselling book A Day with no Words
Elizabeth Bonker and her nonprofit Communication 4 ALL
Hari Srinivasan, instructor at Berkeley, president of Spectrum at Cal, and fellow at Frist Center for Autism & Innovation
Nigh.functioning.Autism
The North Star and the Compass - blog
Neuromess
Fighting for my Voice: My life with Verbal Apraxia
SEEN: Spellers Empowering Education for Nonspeakers
Communication First
Communication for Education
Reach Every Voice
Jeremy's Vision
Autism Level UP
Thinking Person's Guide to Autism
The Occuplaytional Therapist

Helpful groups:
Spellerverse Connect
Ask Me, I’m an AAC user! (24 Hour Rule!)
Natural Language Acquisition Study Group
Autistic Researchers Researching Autism (ARRA)

11/11/2025

What are your tips for making food preparation and eating easier? Especially around overcoming inertia and making food when you’ve missed the early signals and are really hungry? Also add in a huge range of dietary requirements that make buying pre prepared meals and most snacks impossible.

Of course I have a lot of strategies already but my husband is currently away for 2 weeks and he is the one who helps me a lot with food, cooks most of our dinners, gets me snacks when I can get out of bed and is just generally awesome.

This is the first time he has been away while I stay at home, so I still have the usual daily life responsibilities of garden, home and dog walks as well as feeding myself! When I go away it’s a bit easier as I just need to focus on looking after myself without extra responsibilities. He did make bread, muesli and a bulk dinner before he left so I do have a few things as backup thankfully.

I know I’ll be ok but tips and reassurance are also greatly appreciated!

09/11/2025

What a wonderful way to think about this

Once Upon an Upset

Some of us are like houses without any insulation. All outside weather comes pouring in and it’s a constant readjustment, a constant figuring out how to adjust to feel safe, to feel ok. And a constant need to repair the damage caused by other people’s unexpected elements.

I have learned to insulate with reframes. By reminding myself that other people’s behavior is no different than winter spring summer and fall, and that some people’s hurricane seasons don’t come with a warning.

Other people’s elements still catch me off guard.

But I know now that I can find security deep inside my own foundation, where I won’t be as likely to drown in someone else’s storm.

That doesn’t mean I can’t offer support if someone needs it. It just means that I support myself first.

-JLK

07/11/2025

Feeling tired and proud after a big week over in Nelson delivering 2 trainings on neurodiversity affirming practice to mental health professionals who work in our public system.

It is such an honour and joy to do this work.

I have one more of these to do this year and am hoping to do more next year and expand what we cover and have more time to go deeper into some of the topics.

I’m also looking at updating the whole training and getting something up as an on demand course - this will of course take lots of time and spoons I don’t have right now, but it is still a goal!

I’m glad to be back home tonight, in my own bed and with my dog. Octavia was very curious about where I had been and gave everything a good sniff (I took my pillow and weighted blanket over with me for the week).

Delivering training is always rewarding and also requires a lot of planning, self-care and recovery time.

Image description: a white dog on a bed with her head partly under a pillow, sniffing all the smells.

06/11/2025

New resource from Relentless Indigenous Woman

My greatest revenge on my relatives who won't accept my q***rness? Education.

For the past couple of years, I've been holding grief that sometimes breaks me to pieces.

Each wave of grief that surges through my body, I'm constantly met with: should I transmit this or transmute this?

This Toolkit is my pain transmuting into beauty--something helpful that could guide others to show up with love for their Two Spirit and/or IndigiQueer kin.

I created one last year, and this one is more elevated, with more hands-on tools and in-depth reflection to guide you from simple awareness to love in motion.

My PhD was focused on creating a safe space for Two Spirit and IndigiQueer students in school, and I wanted to create something accessible for the public, aside from my dissertation.

I put so much love into this Toolkit.

And it is my hope that it will help undo what colonialism did. Colonialism erased q***r and Two Spirit people from our stories, and with them, the memory of how deeply we were loved before shame was taught.

It is Land-based, somatic-based, and relational-based--the three things that are important to my work and my life.

You can purchase and learn more about it here:

https://relentlessindigenouswoman.ca/products/two-spirit-indigiq***r-toolkit-for-family-friends-and-allies

If you're interested in having institutional access, email hello@relentlessindigenouswoman.ca

-

Who knows, maybe some of my relatives will go through this toolkit and have an epiphany. But until then, I'll offer it to other family members, friends, and allies who want to show up for their Two Spirit and IndigiQueer kin in the best way possible

05/11/2025

Consent is so complex

Thanks for highlighting this catieosaurus

02/11/2025

It was an honour to be even a small part of this project

Autistic Revolution

From the editor.

💚Its time to say thankyou and see you later!💚

Autistic Revolution Magazine needs to come to a close.

We havnt managed to secure funding and we've hung on for as long as possible.

🤟Ill keep the page going in order to share the values of the neurodiversity paradigm
and to discuss topics but the other elements have to end such as the website and magazine.

But what we HAVE managed to achieve over the last 3 years is quite frankly fantastic.

❤️The connections made, the voice raised, the educational content, the webanars, the barriers removed, the friendships formed, the hope realised.

💚I personally have learnt so much about myself, taught myself how to put together a magazine, design a website, and much more.

❤️Ive had to navigate some anxiety provoking situations, made tricky decisions but always keeping the team and the community at the heart of everything.
My values have always influenced the way I live my life and how I treat people.
That will never change.

💚Ive always kept our joint values of AR at the centre of everything.

Even when an organisation offered me ALOT of money to buy AR I said no because it meant going against the values of the neurodiversity paradigm.

I could have done alot with that money, but not at the expense of what we were trying to do.
It could have catapulted me into the limelight, benefited me personally, but it would not have help the wider message.

❤️The point is we kept being authentic to the community mission.

Thanks....
Thanks to Laura Hellfeld Neurodivergent Nurse Consulting Autistic Lincs - Empowerment, Collaboration and Community Autistically Scott Bobbi Elman Autistic Experience Consultancy & Training SM Aucademy - Education for everyone on Autistic experience Neurodiverse Journeys Jill Holly - NeuroDiversity University DrLanza Lcsw AutisticRadio Autistic Inclusive Meets Community Group AIM Actually Owltistic Viv Dawes Autistic Advocate Robbie Prosser
Neurodivergent Neuropsychologist Life Through My Lens Autistic and living the dream Ausome Charlie BASE- Belonging, Acceptance, Space for Everyone Chameleon Coaching Diversity Doodles Elizabeth Claire Vande Putte GROVE - Online Community for Autistic Young People Gregory C Tino Inclusive Acres I Didn't See You There Jade Farrington - Counsellor and Therapist Jodie Clarke, Children's Well-being Practitioner & Autism Specialist Maverique Therapeutic Services NDwise Hub Nicola Reekie Pete Wharmby, Autistic Author The Chronically Resilient OT Sunday Assembly NE Lincs Tigger Pritchard: Neuroaffirming Advocate, Consultant and Trainer The NeuroSpicy Baker

💚As a community you have either been part of the team or supported our work.

❤️As the wider community you are continuing to be part of the neurodiversity movement.
It has been the biggest honor of my life to work along side you.

💚Ive always been more comfortable showcasing others. Ive loved that part of my job.
Ive loved working alongside individuals who have had their confidence destroyed leaving them with the belief that they cant write or illustrate their creativity to then support them to gently realise their capabilities to then publish their work.
What an honour for me.

❤️The AR team will continue to be successful within thir own advocacy and efucational platforms and I will miss them so much.

🤗What's next for me?

Well im going to once more step out of my comfort zone and be more visible using my own knowledge and experience. The last 3 years have reminded me to be more me.
If you want to find me, ill be here.

🌿JENS DEN.🌿
A sanctuary for Neurodivergent Wellbeing https://www.facebook.com/share/p/16QSQD1wpT/

All our warmth and solidarity
Jenny and the AR TEAM
❤️

28/10/2025

Great resource here on considerations for surgery for those who are hypermobile (+ mast cell activation and dysautonomia).

I was pleasantly surprised that my surgical team were aware of this trifecta and asked informed questions to better support me. I know there is still a lot of learning for health professionals to do but things are changing.

🏥🧑🏽‍⚕️Common Surgery Concerns for People with Hypermobility: Questions & Answers

A collaboration between The Ehlers-Danlos Society's CORE Network of Excellence members, Sharon Hennessey, of Not Just Bendy, Dr. Jason Lam , and Bianca Comfort of Comfort Psychology has produced a comprehensive perioperative management guide.

“This evidence-based resource gives healthcare providers the tools they need to safely care for hypermobile patients during surgery, including considerations around dysautonomia and mast cell activation syndrome.

“We realized that while having a medical guide was crucial, our clients needed their own version – one that explained these complications in plain language and gave them practical strategies to advocate for themselves. That’s why we also created a patient-friendly guide.”

The guide was developed following discussions at The Ehlers-Danlos Society CORE Network of Excellence meeting in Baltimore, USA, earlier this year. Together, we dazzle!

Read all about it here: https://www.notjustbendy.com/blog/surgical-management-eds-hypermobility/