A Mind of your Own: Psychology, Education and Support

28/08/2026

💜 Wear It Purple Day 💜

Today, A Mind of Your Own: Psychology, Education and Support proudly celebrates and supports LGBTQIA+ people.

Everyone deserves to feel safe, accepted and free to be their authentic self. This is especially important for neurodivergent people, who are more likely to identify as gender diverse or LGBTQIA+.

We are committed to providing an inclusive and affirming space where all identities are respected, celebrated and welcomed.

You belong exactly as you are. 💜🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

24/08/2026

🐼 Two weeks down for our very first PDA Panda Group!

It has been wonderful watching the children and their grownups begin to connect, share their experiences and settle into the group in their own ways.

It has definitely been louder than we imagined, with plenty of play, creativity, laughter, flexibility and learning. Most importantly, there is no pressure to participate in any particular way. Our aim is to create a safe, neuroaffirming space where everyone can be themselves, feel understood and build connections at their own pace.

We’re looking forward to seeing what the next three weeks bring! 🐼💛

22/08/2026

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Picture credit: Kidspot

Teenagers aren’t just being “difficult”. Their brains are doing exactly what adolescent brains are designed to do. 🧠

During adolescence, the parts of the brain involved in emotion, reward and social connection are highly active, while the systems responsible for planning, impulse control, perspective-taking and weighing up long-term consequences are still developing.

Which helps explain why:

💜 Friends’ opinions can feel enormously important.
💜 Being excluded or embarrassed can feel genuinely devastating.
💜 A reward available right now can outweigh a consequence happening next week.
💜 Emotions can arrive quickly and intensely.
💜 “But that makes no sense!” is rarely the winning parenting strategy. 😅

And for neurodivergent teenagers, there can be another layer again — executive functioning differences, sensory overload, rejection sensitivity, masking, anxiety and emotional regulation demands can make adolescence particularly intense.

This doesn’t mean teenagers don’t need boundaries, guidance or accountability. They absolutely do.

But understanding what is happening developmentally can change how we respond.

Connection before correction.
Curiosity before judgement.
Support them to regulate before expecting them to reason.

Sometimes the behaviour makes a lot more sense when we understand the brain behind it. 🧠💜

Contact us if you need support: www.amindofyourown.com.au

21/08/2026

We all need this 😊

📝🌸 Checklist for handling big emotions
😖 When emotions feel too big, you could try these steps to help:

🖊️1️⃣ Stop and name or draw how you feel (angry, sad, excited, etc.).

🌬️2️⃣ Take 3 slow breaths to calm your body.

📝3️⃣ Write down what’s making you feel this way.

🗣️4️⃣ Tell someone you trust how you feel.

🤗5️⃣ Do something gentle to take care of yourself.

💬 Do you have a different way to handle big feelings?

Pic desc: Paper and coloured pencils are scattered on a desk. A hand holds a pencil, ready to start drawing.

21/08/2026

I was on an excursion to the zoo with my eight-year-old today when one of her wonderfully curious friends asked me a question.

“Are all three of your girls autistic, or just her?”

I said, “All three.”

She looked genuinely shocked.

“How did they find out?”

So I explained that we went to a place where people asked them lots of questions, spent time getting to know them, and learnt about how their brains worked.

She looked at me and said:

“But they look so normal.”

And there it was. Such an innocent, genuine comment from a child trying to make sense of something she couldn’t see.

So we talked about how Autism is often an invisible disability. You can’t necessarily tell that someone is autistic by looking at them. We also talked about how autistic brains can have some pretty great strengths, including incredibly passionate special interests and knowing LOTS about the things they love.

Another mum standing nearby joined the conversation and said her daughter was autistic too. She asked another classmate whether she knew.

“Yes,” she said, “but I didn’t know if I was allowed to talk about it.”

Her mum reassured her that it was okay. Her daughter knows she is autistic and it isn’t something that needs to be whispered about.

And then, just like that, the conversation moved on to the important business of everyone’s current special interests.

Michael Jackson.
Roblox.
And collecting badges. ❤️

Kids are curious. They notice differences. They ask questions.

I think there is so much value in answering those questions openly, simply and without shame.

We don’t need to make Autism a secret or something children are afraid to mention. When autistic children know about their own brains, and the children around them are given safe, respectful opportunities to understand neurodivergence, difference becomes much less mysterious.

Get it out in the open. Let kids be curious. Let them ask respectful questions.

Because conversations like these are how we normalise different brains, reduce stigma and help children understand that there are many different ways to be human. 🧠🌈

of a tiger from our trip

20/08/2026

📣 Funding support for assessments

Did you know that Variety SA offers grants and scholarships that may assist South Australian children and families with the costs of assessments and other supports?

For some families, the cost of an Autism, ADHD, cognitive or other developmental assessment can be a significant barrier to accessing the information and support their child needs. Variety SA may be worth exploring if cost is making an assessment difficult to access.

You can find information about their scholarships and grants, including eligibility and how to apply, here:

🔗 https://www.variety.org.au/sa/programs/scholarships/

If you are considering an assessment with AMOYO and would like to explore whether Variety SA funding may be an option for your family, please feel welcome to get in touch with us.

19/08/2026

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My girls don’t want to be in the parade but are happy to watch it with me and join their peers afterwards

BOOK WEEK! Is your ladybug nervous? Or looking forward to it?

It can be an amazing opportunity to delve into the wonderful world of books, but for others it can be too much. Not only for autistic students, but even for autistic parents or teachers who may find the organisation and executive functioning needed is too much, when their cup is already full. Whatever your feeling, take a deep breath and enjoy it your way. 💛💛💛💛💛

19/08/2026

I’ve been reading I’m a Yellow Ladybug with my youngest daughter lately 💛🐞

It’s such a beautiful little reminder that there is nothing wrong with experiencing the world differently, needing different things, or not quite fitting into the spaces that seem to work so easily for everyone else.

As a psychologist, I spend so much of my working life talking about neurodiversity, difference, and the importance of understanding the person rather than trying to make them fit the environment.

But there’s something particularly special about reading those same messages with your own child.

Our yellow ladybugs don’t need to become red ones.

They need people who notice their colour, understand what they need, and make space for them to be exactly who they are. 💛🐞

If you haven’t come across it yet, I really recommend checking out the book on the Yellow Ladybugs website — it’s a gentle, powerful resource for families, educators, and anyone wanting to better understand and support neurodivergent children.

PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS A PRE-ORDER. ORDERS ARE EXPECTED TO BEGIN SHIPPING FROM THE END OF SEPTEMBER 2026. DO NOT ADD OTHER ITEMS TO CHECKOUT IF YOU ORDER THIS AS THEY WON'T BE SHIPPED UNTIL END OF SEPTEMBER 2026. Meet Mia, the Yellow Ladybug, across four beautifully illustrated stories as she learns m...