About
What is Instinct Au?
Instinct Au is an NDIS-registered behaviour support provider. We're autistic-led and have a team of neurodivergent practitioners who recognise the importance of lived experience when working with neurodivergent individuals. All of our practitioners are required to have a basic understanding of interpersonal neurobiology, often gained by following the work of professionals such as Dr Mona Delahooke, Dr Ross Greene, and Dr Daniel J. Siegal. This allows us to integrate the knowledge gained from lived experience with a basic understanding of neuroscientific principles when working with our clients.
What sets Instinct Au apart from other behaviour support providers?
Instinct Au is actively against Applied Behaviour Analysis in all its forms. We are never in any circumstance working to change the way a person navigates the world or encouraging them to ignore their own needs. The impact we have on the way a person presents (i.e., their behaviour) is due to us working with the appropriate people in the person's life (e.g., parents, teachers, managers, support workers, person themself) to understand and accommodate for that person's needs, thereby allowing such needs to be met sufficiently and minimising, if not eliminating that person's distress.
Location & Travel
Instinct Au provides services both in person and via telehealth. We don't have any set physical location (e.g., a clinic), as when we provide in-person support, we like to visit our clients where they feel safest, which is usually their home. We have practitioners spread across South East Queensland, and as such, do not charge travel for any clients based between the Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast, including suburbs as far west as Ipswich. For clients outside of this area, we can either provide support via telehealth or discuss other arrangements including a small fee for travel.
Instinct Au's Services
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NDIS Reports - These are reports developed for the purpose of being granted NDIS funding for Behaviour Support, including an increase in such funding. Our reports look at our clients' need holistically, and our practitioners are well versed on NDIS requirements when assessing funding.
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Specialist Behaviour Support - Our practitioners work with a client to understand the way they navigate the world and how they can be supported to have their needs met. Where appropriate this includes educating the relevant parties in the client's life, and advocating for them where needed (e.g., at schools or day services).
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Support Plans (also referred to as Positive Behaviour Support Plans) - When developed by Instinct Au, these are neurodivergent-affirming plans which aim to educate the appropriate people in the client's life as to the way the client navigates the world, what their needs are, how these needs can be proactively met, and how to best support the client during times of distress.
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Parent Education - Delivered by one of our neurodivergent practitioners, this is where we support parents to better understand their neurodivergent child and the difficulties they may be experiencing. Many of our practitioners are also parents of neurodivergent children themselves, and therefore have a deep and personal understanding of the complexities which can be present when parenting a neurodivergent child.
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General Support & Advocacy - Our practitioners can provide general support for those who may not know at this point what specific support they may need. ​​
Instinct Au is led by the work of experts
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Dr Ross Greene (Collaborative and Pro-Active Solutions and his world renown book “The Explosive Child”).
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Mona Delahooke PhD (her world renown book “Beyond Behaviours”). We use a lot of work promoted by Mona, especially that related to bottom up or top down approaches and incorporating understanding from polyvagal theory into therapeutic practice and counselling.
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Dr Daniel Siegal and Tina Bryson PhD (their world renown neuroscience work in “Whole-Brain Child”). We use a lot of the work from Dr Siegal’s work regarding interpersonal neurobiology and brain-based integration.
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Greg Santucci (prominent Occupational Therapist, working on sensory integration). Our Developmental Educator’s personal and professional interest is sensory integration. Many of our team have undertaken extensive additional training regarding sensory integration and understanding some of the less understood senses such as proprioceptive, vestibular and interoceptive sensory input and its impact on the person and how they engage and interact with the world.
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Kelly Mahler PhD (well known for her ground-breaking work in the field of Interoception). Relevantly trained members of our team use Kelly’s Interoceptive Awareness Assessment Tool to assess the integration of interoceptive sensory awareness as an important component of the whole child/adult’s sensory profile.
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Dr Stephen Porges and the Polyvagal Theory & Application. We incorporate much of the learning from understanding the polyvagal theory in our response to anxiety, trauma, depression and faulty neuroception.​
Instinct Au is guided by Actually Autistic and Neurodivergent voices
Instinct Au’s team of practitioners like to work with individuals and their support network by incorporating information regarding matters often neglected by other professionals, such as:
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Pathological demand avoidance (PDA).
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Attention Deficit Based Disorder (ADHD).
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Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD).
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Reward Deficiency Syndrome (RDS)
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Autistic Inertia
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Monotropism
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Sensory-based dysregulation and balancing sensory input.
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Faulty neuroception and the way trauma changes the way the brain processes information.
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Brain-based integration and accessing upper brain, supporting neuroception and regulating brain integration.
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Interoceptive awareness and interoceptive assessments.
Instinct Au has a particular interest in working with schools, children, and families who are struggling with the impact of Autism and ADHD, on the schooling experience.