Supporting Autistic Burnout in Adolescents: A Behaviour Support Perspective within the NDIS Framework
Tracks
Jacaranda - In-Person
| Monday, September 28, 2026 |
| 1:55 PM - 2:15 PM |
| Jacaranda / Karrie Webb |
Overview
Emily Pennell, Horizons Therapy Clinic and Crystel Care
Key Learnings
Key Learnings:
1. Develop an understanding of autistic burnout in adolescents, including how it may be misunderstood as behavioural escalation, disengagement, or non-compliance.
2. Explore how a neuro-affirming behaviour support approach can reframe behaviours of concern by considering overwhelm, masking, sensory demands, cumulative stress, and unmet support needs.
3. Identify practical strategies for supporting autistic adolescents experiencing or at risk of burnout, including reducing demands, adapting environments, supporting regulation and recovery, and collaborating with the young person and their support network.
Speaker
Emily Pennell
Registered Behaviour Support Practitioner
Crystel Care and Horizons Therapy Clinic
Supporting Autistic Burnout in Adolescents: A Behaviour Support Perspective within the NDIS Framework
Presentation Overview
Autistic burnout is increasingly recognised as a significant and under-addressed experience for autistic adolescents, characterised by chronic exhaustion, reduced functioning, increased sensory sensitivity, and withdrawal from daily activities. Despite growing awareness, there remains limited guidance on how behaviour support practitioners can effectively respond to burnout within applied settings, particularly within the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) framework.
This presentation offers a practice-based perspective on supporting autistic adolescents experiencing burnout, drawing on clinical experience within behaviour support. It explores how traditional behaviour support approaches may inadvertently increase distress when applied without consideration of neurodivergent needs, particularly in individuals presenting with demand-avoidant profiles.
Key themes include the importance of reducing perceived demand, prioritising emotional safety, and adopting flexible, low-demand, and relationship-based approaches. The presentation highlights a shift from compliance-focused interventions toward capacity-based and regulation-focused support, and discusses the role of interdisciplinary collaboration in addressing complex presentations, including co-occurring anxiety, trauma, and identity development.
Using de-identified case reflections, this presentation outlines practical strategies for behaviour support practitioners working within the NDIS, including adaptations to functional assessment, proactive strategies, and response frameworks that align with neurodiversity-affirming practice.
This work contributes to the growing need for applied, real-world guidance in supporting autistic burnout and aims to inform more responsive, ethical, and effective behaviour support practices.
This presentation offers a practice-based perspective on supporting autistic adolescents experiencing burnout, drawing on clinical experience within behaviour support. It explores how traditional behaviour support approaches may inadvertently increase distress when applied without consideration of neurodivergent needs, particularly in individuals presenting with demand-avoidant profiles.
Key themes include the importance of reducing perceived demand, prioritising emotional safety, and adopting flexible, low-demand, and relationship-based approaches. The presentation highlights a shift from compliance-focused interventions toward capacity-based and regulation-focused support, and discusses the role of interdisciplinary collaboration in addressing complex presentations, including co-occurring anxiety, trauma, and identity development.
Using de-identified case reflections, this presentation outlines practical strategies for behaviour support practitioners working within the NDIS, including adaptations to functional assessment, proactive strategies, and response frameworks that align with neurodiversity-affirming practice.
This work contributes to the growing need for applied, real-world guidance in supporting autistic burnout and aims to inform more responsive, ethical, and effective behaviour support practices.
Biography
Emily Pennell is a Behaviour Support Practitioner, Counsellor and Behaviour Therapist with more than 15 years’ experience supporting neurodivergent children, adolescents, adults and their families. She holds qualifications in Psychological Science, Counselling, Autism Studies and Auslan and is currently completing postgraduate studies in psychology.
Emily’s professional practice has a strong focus on autism, emotional regulation, behaviour support and supporting individuals whose needs are often misunderstood within traditional service and educational systems. Her work is informed by evidence-based practice, extensive clinical experience and her lived experience as the proud mum of an autistic son.
Emily is particularly interested in autistic burnout, masking and the impact of prolonged environmental and social demands on neurodivergent adolescents. She is passionate about approaches that look beyond behaviour to understand the underlying experiences, communication and support needs of neurodivergent young people.
