The GROW™ Framework Has Officially Launched: A New Neuroaffirming Approach to Behaviour Support
- Carol Hegan
- Jun 28
- 2 min read
We are so thrilled to share some big news from Grow Therapy Services: the launch of our GROW™ Neuroaffirming Behaviour Framework and its full suite of practical resources, online training and tools.
Where the GROW™ Framework Comes From
The GROW™ approach was created through years of working alongside neurodivergent people and families — and shaped by my own experiences as a neurodivergent professional, parent and advocate. I have witnessed how traditional, compliance-focused behaviour supports can sometimes cause harm, encourage masking, or leave people feeling unseen.
For many in our community, behaviour is often misunderstood or labelled as “challenging” when, in reality, it’s communicating an unmet need, sensory experience, or a deep need for autonomy.
What Makes GROW™ Different
Instead of trying to control or “fix” behaviour, the GROW™ Framework guides practitioners, educators and families to look at the whole person.
GROW™ stands for:
Grounded in Identity – Honouring neurodivergent identity and self-understanding.
Responsive to Needs – Understanding behaviour as a clue to unmet needs.
Open to Communication Differences – Embracing all the ways people communicate, including behaviour itself.
Whole-Person, Whole-System Lens – Recognising that environments must adapt to the person, not the other way around.
GROW™ empowers us to move away from rewards and consequences alone — and toward authentic relationships, real safety, and lasting wellbeing.
A Movement, Not Just a Model
This framework is about more than a training course. It’s a community-wide commitment to shifting how we deliver behaviour support — so neurodivergent people feel safe to be themselves and can thrive in the systems around them.
We want to see practitioners and educators using GROW™ to build identity-affirming, connection-focused, trauma-informed support for all neurodivergent people — whether that’s a child with a PDA profile or a young person navigating a complex school environment.
Who is the GROW™ Framework for?
We believe that behaviour support should not be limited to those who have funding through the NDIS or only provided during times of crisis. All neurodivergent people — and the families, educators and communities who walk alongside them — deserve access to meaningful, neuroaffirming support that respects their identity and autonomy.
The GROW™ Framework is suitable for:
Parents wanting to better understand their child’s behaviour through a neuroaffirming, connection-based lens.
Educators and support staff seeking to shift from traditional compliance strategies to truly inclusive practice.
Allied health professionals ready to embed practical, person-centred strategies that complement their therapy.
Anyone supporting neurodivergent individuals with co-occurring profiles such as PDA, ADHD, sensory processing differences, or anxiety.
This framework helps families build supportive, realistic strategies they can carry into daily life — not just “programs” that feel disconnected or overly intensive. It’s about creating reasonable, practical approaches that benefit the whole family and community for the long term.
Join our early bird Foundations training or express your interest to become one of our first Certified GROW™ Practitioners — and let’s reframe behaviour support together.
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