Free white paper ยท Peak performance through a neuroinclusive lens
Designing for Difference
There's no normal baseline to return to.
You already lead, coach or work alongside neurodivergent people, and most of the support around them was built for a temporary state. This paper introduces Power's State-Trait Mismatch Hypothesis, with evidence from training delivered for the Australian Institute of Sport and Paddle Australia.
By Mariane Power, behavioural scientist and former clinical psychologist
Watch the short version
Mariane walks through the hypothesis and what changed when coaches were trained to work with it.
What changed after the training
+22%
rise in coach knowledge and confidence (Paddle Australia, 2026)
5 of 6
coaches changed how they coach
82.7%
of AIS respondents wanted further training (AIS, 2024)
What's inside
- Why support built for a temporary state misses athletes whose differences are lifelong
- Power's State-Trait Mismatch Hypothesis, and its scope and limits
- Findings from training delivered for the AIS and Paddle Australia
- What a train-the-trainer approach makes possible across a whole program
- Practical starting points for coaches, practitioners and high-performance leaders
Read it online, or download the 24-page PDF.
Who it's for
You coach, lead or support athletes in a high-performance program. You can see that some of your athletes think and train differently, and the usual tools aren't landing. This paper gives you language for what's happening and a clear place to start.
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About Mariane Power
Mariane Power is a behavioural scientist (MPsych.Clin), former clinical psychologist and founder of Sesame Seed Pty Ltd. She designs neuroinclusive training for high-performance sport and organisations, and has delivered programs for the Australian Institute of Sport and Paddle Australia.