Overview

Supporting Parents of Neurodivergent Children: A Polyvagal-Informed Approach to Regulation and Co-Regulation

Parents of neurodivergent children and children with developmental disabilities often face high levels of stress while supporting children who experience heightened sensory sensitivity, emotional reactivity, and difficulties with regulation. Traditional behavioural approaches can sometimes overlook the role of the nervous system in shaping how children experience and respond to their environment.

This webinar introduces a polyvagal-informed framework for understanding behaviour through the lens of autonomic regulation. By recognising how nervous system states influence a child’s capacity for connection, learning, and behavioural control, clinicians can better support parents and carers in responding to challenging situations in ways that promote safety and co-regulation.

The presentation will explore practical ways psychologists working in the disability and developmental sector can support parents of neurodivergent children. Topics will include recognising autonomic cues, understanding escalation through a nervous system lens, supporting co-regulation, and helping parents create environments that foster greater emotional safety and regulation over time.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this event, participants should be able to:

• Understand how autonomic nervous system states influence behaviour, regulation, and social engagement in neurodivergent children.
• Recognise signs of nervous system dysregulation in children with developmental differences and how these may present in behaviour.
• Apply polyvagal-informed strategies to support parents and carers in fostering co-regulation and emotional safety.

Presenter(s)

Mr. Paul North

About the presenter(s)

Paul North is a psychologist, author, and international speaker specialising in trauma, neurodiversity, and Polyvagal Theory–informed approaches to therapy and parenting. His work focuses on translating contemporary neuroscience into practical clinical tools that help therapists and parents support regulation, safety, and connection in children, particularly those with developmental differences or disability. Paul works in private practice and also provides mentoring to psychologists interested in applying polyvagal theory in their work. He is the author of the upcoming book Polyvagal Parenting ; Vagus Nerve Practices to Stay Calm, Coregulated and Connected with Your Child. (New Harbinger, 2026) and regularly presents on the clinical application of autonomic science in developmental and family contexts.

Notes

Target Audience

This event is aimed at Psychologists and allied clinicians working with neurodivergent children and individuals with developmental disabilities across the lifespan, including those working in the disability sector, early intervention, schools, and the NDIS context. Suitable for early career through to experienced clinicians. No prior knowledge of Polyvagal Theory is required.

Please note:

• This is a Member Groups event. All communication will be sent to the registrants’ registered email address. This includes event reminders with details (such as the Zoom Link) and any pre-event or post-event resources, if provided by the facilitators.
• A post-event email will be sent within two weeks of the event’s completion to each registrant’s registered email address. This email will include the CPD certificate, event-recording, and any additional resources shared during the event.

Duration of Access

This event will be recorded. The recording will be emailed to all registered within 2 weeks post event and available for viewing up to 90 days.

CPD

It is up to attendees to assess and determine how learning from this event aligns with the requirements of their learning plan. The providers accordingly do not make any representation that the event counts towards attendees’ CPD learning requirements. If an attendee determines themselves that the learning they complete aligns to their learning plan, then they can decide to count those hours towards their CPD requirements for the registration cycle.

The information in this presentation has been prepared in good faith and for educational purposes only. Therefore, the information is general in nature and should not be relied upon in the treatment of any condition and you should seek your own independent professional and/or legal advice concerning any specific issue. The APS accepts no responsibility for any errors, omissions or decisions relating to the information. The content should not be reproduced without permission or unless permitted by law.

If you are experiencing registration difficulties please contact APS Events Support.