Staying Curious About Unusual Behaviours

What Might the Student Need and How Can We Respond?

Live webinar: Tuesday, 23 June 2026
Time: 3:30pm – 4:30pm AEST (Sydney)
Duration: 1 hour
Presenter: Lydia Meem, Clinical Psychologist, Autism Understanding
CPE: 1 hour (certificate provided)
Access: Live attendance + recording and resources

Webinar Summary

Behaviours that look “unusual” or disruptive are often treated as problems to be stopped—rather than signals to be understood.

This webinar invites educators to pause, step back, and approach behaviour with curiosity instead of correction. Led by clinical psychologist Lydia Meem, the session reframes behaviour as communication and supports teachers to ask more useful questions: What might this student be experiencing? What need could this behaviour be meeting?

Rather than offering quick fixes or compliance-based strategies, this webinar focuses on thoughtful, neurodiversity-affirming responses that reduce distress, improve relationships, and support regulation over time.

This Webinar Covers

• Why behaviour-focused responses often miss the underlying issue

• Common assumptions about “challenging” or “unusual” behaviours

• Reframing behaviour as communication rather than defiance

• Key questions to ask when behaviour escalates:

  • Is this actually a problem—or a difference?

  • What might the student be avoiding, seeking, or communicating?

  • What has changed in the environment or routine?

• Understanding the role of sensory, emotional, cognitive, and social factors

• Responding in ways that:

  • reduce escalation

  • support regulation

  • preserve student dignity

• Moving from reactive discipline to informed, supportive responses

Learning Objectives

By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Differentiate between behaviours that need intervention and behaviours that reflect difference

• Apply a curiosity-based framework to understanding student behaviour

• Identify unmet needs that may be driving behaviour

• Respond in ways that prioritise regulation, safety, and connection

• Reduce reliance on punitive or exclusionary practices

• Feel more confident interpreting behaviour through a neurodiversity-affirming lens

About Lydia Meem

Lydia Meem is a neurodivergent clinical psychologist and founder of Autism Understanding, specialising in neurodiversity-affirming assessment, education, and professional training. A Fellow of the APS College of Clinical Psychologists, Lydia has worked with neurodivergent individuals since 1998 and is an internationally recognised speaker on autism and neurodiversity. She provides training and clinical supervision for psychologists and educators and is the author of Beyond IQ Scores, a handbook on neurodiversity-affirming cognitive and developmental assessment.

Access & Pricing

• Individual webinar access: $99 incl. GST

• Full 10-part series: $550 incl. GST
  (Includes this webinar plus nine additional sessions in the Engaging Neurodivergent Learners series)

All participants receive access to the webinar recording, downloadable resources, and a CPE certificate upon completion.

REGISTER NOW

Please note: This event is only accessible to people who have paid for registration. Inviting additional staff or persons to watch with you is strictly prohibited without additional registration. For large group registrations, please contact us for group pricing.