Supporting the Supporters: The OT Role in Maternal Wellbeing and Neurodivergent Child Outcomes
Tracks
Prince & Virtual via OnAIR
| Monday, August 11, 2025 |
| 2:15 PM - 2:35 PM |
| Prince Room |
Overview
Megan Doherty - Eli's Place Allied Health
Speaker
Mrs Megan Doherty
Director And Occupational Therapist
Eli's Place Allied Health
Supporting the Supporters: The OT Role in Maternal Wellbeing and Neurodivergent Child Outcomes
Presentation Overview
Three Key Learnings:
1. The impact of maternal burnout on neurodivergent children's emotional and sensory regulation and participation.
2. How OTs can support maternal occupational balance through routines, self-care that is actually accessible, and nervous system regulation.
3. Strategies for embedding supports for mothers within paediatric OT sessions—including capacity-building, advocacy guidance, and environmental modifications.
The wellbeing of neurodivergent children is deeply connected to the wellbeing of their caregivers—yet the mental load, advocacy demands, and emotional labour placed on mothers of neurodivergent children often lead to maternal burnout. This burnout not only affects maternal mental health but also impacts a child’s ability to access co-regulation, autonomy, and meaningful participation in daily life. When a mother is in a state of chronic stress, her nervous system is compromised, limiting her capacity to provide co-regulation and creating a cycle of dysregulation within the family system.
Occupational therapy offers a unique and holistic approach to supporting both the child and their caregiver, viewing the family unit as an interdependent system. As experts in daily function, environmental modification, and nervous system regulation, OTs can embed maternal wellbeing into paediatric interventions, ensuring that strategies are sustainable, accessible, and individualised. Unlike professions that focus solely on the child or caregiver separately, OTs consider the dynamic relationship between the mother, the child, and their environment—including the impact of daily routines, sleep, sensory demands, and executive functioning challenges.
This presentation will explore how OTs can move beyond direct child-focused intervention to address the occupational demands of caregiving, provide practical, neurodivergent-affirming co-regulation strategies, and advocate for systemic supports that reduce maternal stress. By doing so, we can break the cycle of burnout and create a foundation for long-term family wellbeing, ensuring that both children and their caregivers have the tools they need to thrive.
1. The impact of maternal burnout on neurodivergent children's emotional and sensory regulation and participation.
2. How OTs can support maternal occupational balance through routines, self-care that is actually accessible, and nervous system regulation.
3. Strategies for embedding supports for mothers within paediatric OT sessions—including capacity-building, advocacy guidance, and environmental modifications.
The wellbeing of neurodivergent children is deeply connected to the wellbeing of their caregivers—yet the mental load, advocacy demands, and emotional labour placed on mothers of neurodivergent children often lead to maternal burnout. This burnout not only affects maternal mental health but also impacts a child’s ability to access co-regulation, autonomy, and meaningful participation in daily life. When a mother is in a state of chronic stress, her nervous system is compromised, limiting her capacity to provide co-regulation and creating a cycle of dysregulation within the family system.
Occupational therapy offers a unique and holistic approach to supporting both the child and their caregiver, viewing the family unit as an interdependent system. As experts in daily function, environmental modification, and nervous system regulation, OTs can embed maternal wellbeing into paediatric interventions, ensuring that strategies are sustainable, accessible, and individualised. Unlike professions that focus solely on the child or caregiver separately, OTs consider the dynamic relationship between the mother, the child, and their environment—including the impact of daily routines, sleep, sensory demands, and executive functioning challenges.
This presentation will explore how OTs can move beyond direct child-focused intervention to address the occupational demands of caregiving, provide practical, neurodivergent-affirming co-regulation strategies, and advocate for systemic supports that reduce maternal stress. By doing so, we can break the cycle of burnout and create a foundation for long-term family wellbeing, ensuring that both children and their caregivers have the tools they need to thrive.
Biography
Megan Doherty is a late-diagnosed AuDHDer, mother, and dedicated occupational therapist. She graduated with Honours from the University of Queensland and is the founding director and principle Occupational Therapist of Eli's Place Allied Health. Throughout her extensive career over the past 6 years, Megan has utilized evidence-based practice with clients and their families to achieve their goals. Her personal journey with neurodivergence has deepened her commitment to neurodiversity-affirming practices, enriching both her professional and personal life.
