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Argument, Think Autism Melbourne 2026
A practitioner warned that neuroaffirming practice loses its point once written as rules
In short
Asked how to separate neuroaffirming practice from the label, the first practitioner to answer at Think Autism Melbourne took aim at policy language, and named Thriving Kids as the risk.
Read it instead, 4 minutesThe transcript
The story
The language of neuroaffirming practice was everywhere, the facilitator said, and the first practitioner to answer at the Think Autism Melbourne panel on the subject thought policy was part of the problem. “I don’t actually like a lot of neuroaffirming language that’s being dealt out in a lot of corporate or government policy,” the panellist told the audience, introducing it as a controversial opinion.
Dr Naomi Malone, who facilitated the panel of practitioners, had framed the question around how far the language now travelled. She said it appeared on websites, in policy documents and in the documents for Thriving Kids. Her question to the panel was how to separate practice from the label.
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Sources the story draws on
- Fact sheet: Foundational Supports and Thriving Kids (opens in a new tab), Australian Government, health.gov.au
- National Autism Strategy 2025 to 2031 (opens in a new tab), Australian Government, health.gov.au
- Release of the National Autism Strategy 2025 to 31 (opens in a new tab), Australian Government, health.gov.au
- Thriving Kids, Early Childhood Update October 2026 (opens in a new tab), Victorian Government, vic.gov.au (Department of Education leading delivery)
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