*Whilst this seminar will focus mainly on autism it will speak to many neurotypes (especially ADHD!) and may be helpful to anyone who identifies as neurodivergent.*
Welcome to
‘Autism - Dispelling The Myths + Understanding The Culture’
6 week online program
15th September - 23rd October 2025
6 week self-paced online course
Weekly video content drop every Monday for 6 weeks
Live 60 minute Q+A’s offered every Thursday for 6 weeks
Permanent access, replays available for everything
Visual slides to accompany content
Certificates of attendance for PD needs
This ‘seminar-turned-program’ will present an overview of autism that any family, educator or service provider who lives or works with autistic people, needs in their life.
This program will present frameworks of understanding that allow us to fully move away from the disorder lens and the 'early intervention' narrative. We will cover...
Basic definitions and concepts that have arisen with the neurodiversity movement - neurodivergence, neuro-affirming, neuro-normativity etc
Inclusive language and concepts - functioning labels, identity language, spectrum etc
The 80 year time line of the history of autism, including how it was designed to vilify mothers and assimilate children and how that continues to this day.
Dispelling myths about autism that until recently had been accepted as truth
What autistic culture looks like and how it relates to relational safety
How autistic culture can be supported at home, in school and in the work place.
JOIN NOW
I’ve been recommending Alli’s work since 2019, and still going strong. She never disappoints, and her content is always informed by a beautiful blend of lived experience, science and of course is trauma informed and affirming.
- Kristy Forbes, Founder InTune Pathways and InTune with PDA
NB>>> Autism: Dispelling the Myths + Understanding the Culture aims to be accessible for all, and our highly reduced, set price reflects this. The price of this 6 week program has purposefully been set much lower than it’s monetary value as a way of ensuring it is available to all who need it, especially those unable to access, or experiencing reductions in, their disability funding. Alli has created this program for this purpose, despite having decided to pull back from autism advocacy and education for the foreseeable future. This program many not be run again, and may not be run again at this price - so please help your friends out by sharing this link. Let’s become autism informed right now - it’ll change our own lives, as well as the lives and futures of the current generation of children.
Tasmanian Winner,
2024 Telstra Best of Business Awards.
Not a ‘strategies’ resource – this will look at historical facts, modern evidence, philosophical frameworks and neuro affirming processes.
I recently began touring a new seminar, created in 2024, called ‘Autism: Dispelling the Myths and Understanding the Culture’, in the hopes of having conversations and knowledge exchange with you in person – something I’ve really been missing in life since becoming an internet heavy educator/therapist. These seminars have been truly as excellent as I hoped they would be. And every time I email, post or talk about these events you IN.UN.DATE me with requests for an online version..
I resisted, for about 1 week.
And then I was like, hell yes (shout out to my peeps living in the middle of nowhere like I do who need online events or they get none!) So, WELCOME to my new 6 week program – Autism: Dispelling the Myths + Understanding the Culture.
In preparing the seminar for the online world I decided to break it up into weekly ‘chapters’ so that the information has time to percolate, and isn’t delivered as an onslaught. And because I’m such a lover of Q&A I thought I’d throw that option in the mix too. You will be sent links to the content every Monday and links to the Q+A’s every Thursday.
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Week One Content Drop
An exploration into neuro-affirming language and concepts including the ways in which so many people are misinterpreting and using words incorrectly. Advise on how you can source neuro-affirming service provision and support and how to determine whether your supports are truly neuro-affirming and not tokenistic. We will also look at the facts around autism, exactly what it is and reframe our outdated perspectives.
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Week Two Content Drop
A dispelling of the myths including why it might seem like there is more autism/ADHD than ever, that neurotypes are not superpowers, the concept or diagnosed vs self identified and why it’s so helpful to look beyond the ‘highly anxious’ trope.
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Week Three Content Drop
A journey through the history of autism, beginning with the first official diagnosis in 1943 until where we are now and a look into all the socio cultural, political and pathology paradigms that have influenced the way we have perceived autism over time.
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Week Four Content Drop
Understanding Autistic culture by looking at the lived experience of autistic (and other neurodivergence, especially ADHD) in the home, the workplace, the school and in community. We focus on why our needs and way of doing things may be self-catering and the importance of not judging or negating the importance of these differences.
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Week Five Content Drop
How to best support autistic, and/or ADHD’ers in neuro-affirming ways. It is essential we validate and support rather than see differences as problematic, it is essential we lead from a place of relational safety and that we prioritise inherent needs over perceived external and systemic expectations.
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Week Six Content Drop
Understanding the broader context of neuro-affirming support including how it impacts extended family, referral and assessment processes, insight into our own ableism, broadening of communication and learning through social media. Week 6 leaves you with some reflective questions about the state of your current neuro-affirming reality and how you can incorporate frameworks that deepen this process into your approach.
Allison Davies has had a profound impact on my understanding of neurodivergence. She has a deep wisdom that comes from her lived experience as an autistic woman, through her studies and her work as a music therapist. Alli brings authenticity with warmth and compassion to all her work.
- Maggie Dent, Parenting author, educator and podcaster
What People Are Saying
“Hi Alli, I just wanted to thank you for the seminar last night. I brought my sister and Mother in law along and I haven’t stopped thinking about it, and am sure I won’t for some time. It’s wonderful to have people like you in our community sharing your knowledge, experience and wisdom .”
— Autism, Dispelling the myths + Understanding the Culture seminar participant
“Hi Allison, we met last night and I would like to thank you for your very clear, realistic presentation. I am so appreciative of the information you shared as it has and will reaffirm the way in which I have been working to support neurodivergent children and adults over the last few years. It clarified many questions and showed me where I have bought into the conversation of the day. ”
— Autism, Dispelling the myths + Understanding the Culture seminar participant
“Tonight’s workshop was terrific. My wife and I participated, and it fostered an increased level of knowledge that is incredibly useful for us as parents, when parenting our 5 year old son and also for the ways in which we work with our school that he attends (of which I am also the principal).”
— Previous Seminar participant
ABOUT ALLI
Allison Davies creates online resources for parents, educators and support staff and works with schools to deliver professional development around both the topics of neurodivergence and the use of music as a regulatory tool. She is an independent liberatory scholar currently exploring the gatekeeping and classism of the social construct ‘musical vs non musical’.
Allison holds a Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Teaching (University of New England, 2003), a Master of Music Therapy (University of Queensland, 2005) and Neurologic Music Therapy training (Academy of Neurologic Music Therapy, 2016). A former Registered Music Therapist of 16 years, Alli left the Allied Health industry in 2021 in order to align her work more deeply with culturally responsive practices and to switch her focus from individual change to socio cultural change.
Alli is an AuDHD’er working within a neuro-affirming framework that favours deep acceptance and regulation over assimilation and intervention, and shares her lived autistic experience openly within her seminars, workshops and conferences as part of her ‘emotive storytelling mixed with science’ approach to education.
In 2016 Alli was named a ‘National AMP Tomorrow Maker’ for her contribution to supporting Australian families through her 2 day workshop, Brains = Behaviours. As an online course, Brains = Behaviours has impacted over 2000 families.
In 2018 she founded A Gathering of Voices, an online membership for adults aiming to self-regulate through therapeutic based music experiences.In 2024 Alli was awarded the Telstra Best of Business Award for Lutruwita/Tasmania.
Allison is a regular contributor to online network ParentTV, and radio station ‘Vision Australia’. She lives in the rainforest of Lutruwita/Tasmania, with her husband and 2 children, where she enjoys the beach, the bush and baths.
Autism: Dispelling the Myths + Understanding the Culture aims to be accessible for all and our highly reduced, set price reflects this. Please contact us if you are unable to register due to costs, and I ask that you honour this request with respect and sign up at full price if you are able.
Awards and Accolades
Need help?
Email Alli’s team at: admin@allisondavies.com.au