Our Programs| Neurodivergent Empowered

Our NDIS Programs

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Where Neuroaffirming Support Meets Global Innovation.

At Neurodivergent Empowered, our NDIS-registered programs aren’t just about meeting standards — they’re about setting new ones. We offer a range of innovative, world-class supports designed to nourish the nervous system, celebrate authentic identity, and empower neurodivergent individuals to thrive on their own terms.

Programs Aligned with NDIS Practice Standards

Our services are fully aligned with the latest NDIS Practice Standards and are designed to provide a seamless, supportive, and affirming experience. Whether it’s therapeutic groups, early intervention, mental health occupational therapy, or collaborative family supports, each program is built on a foundation of safety, authenticity, and genuine care.

A Global Standard of Care

We’re honoured to have received national and international awards for our innovation in neurodivergent-led practice, disability inclusion, and ethical care. Every accolade is a testament to what’s possible when lived experience leads the way and when supports are designed not just to meet needs, but to honour the brilliance of neurodivergent identity.

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What We Offer:

Our NDIS-registered supports span four registration groups - 0106, 0117, 0118 and 0128 - ensuring participants can access safe, affirming, therapeutic programs that build skills, confidence, and nervous-system capacity.

KIDS SESSIONS

Session Details

TEENS SESSIONS

Session Details

ADULT SESSIONS

Session Details

LGBTQ+ Pride

We are proud members of the Welcome Here Project, a nationwide initiative supporting businesses and services to create visibly welcoming and inclusive environments for the LGBTQ+ community. As members, we display the Welcome Here rainbow sticker and charter to show that LGBTQ+ diversity is not only welcomed but celebrated within our space.

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Image reads: "We are holding deep grief for the innocent lives taken in the recent shooting.

As sensitives, as neurodivergent humans, as people who feel everything deeply, there are acts of violence that do not make sense to our nervous systems. And right now, we are not trying to make them make sense.

At Neurodivergent Empowered, we lead a Nest full of children, young people, and families who already carry a lot. Our priority is safety, steadiness, and care. We are choosing not to analyse, debate, or dissect this violence. We are choosing to mourn.

We stand with the Jewish community in sorrow and solidarity.
We grieve the loss of life.
We grieve the fear this creates.
We grieve that this has happened at all in Australia.

If you are hurting, you are not weak.
If you are overwhelmed, that makes sense.
If you need to step back from the news to protect your nervous system, that is wisdom.

Our hearts are with you.
Always.

Neurodivergent Empowered"

💔 💔 💔 💔 💔 💔 💔 💔 💔 💔 💔

The image has a black background with coloured writing to represent how our differences can be beautiful if we work together instead of what has happened.

Thank you to Sunshine Coast Council and Libraries for asking us to partner with you to bring neurodivergent-affirming wellbeing into community spaces. 💜

#NeurodivergentAffirming #ActuallyAutistic #ADHDAwareness #NeuroSpicy #SunshineCoast #CommunityWellbeing #NeurodivergentJoy #AutismAcceptance #InclusiveWellness #LivedExperience #NeurodivergentEmpowered #MeditationForAll #AccessibleMindfulness

🌈 Did you know…?
Neurodivergent Empowered has been a proud member of the Welcome Here Project since July 2023.

The Welcome Here Project supports businesses and services across Australia to create environments that are visibly welcoming and inclusive of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer and gender-diverse communities.

As members, our spaces send a clear message:

You are safe here.
You are seen here.
You are celebrated here.

In a world where so many LGBTQ+ people still face misunderstanding, judgement or unsafe environments, visibility matters, and we are committed to doing our part.

Creating affirming spaces isn’t just a belief for us.
It’s something we practise every day.

🌈❤️ #WelcomeHere #LGBTQIA #InclusiveCommunities #NeurodivergentEmpowered #SafeSpacesMatter #VisibilityMatters #CommunityCare #PrideEveryDay

Together we can.

I have been saying that for what seems like a long time as I believe it takes the collective... and today I honestly felt like we actually will. Together.

Sending big love.
- Tan xx

#NeurodivergentEmpowered
#NeurodivergentLeadership
#AutisticCommunity
#NeuroaffirmingPractice
#InclusiveWorkplaces
#TraumaInformedSupport
#CommunityCare
#LGBTIQPlusInclusive
#FirstNationsRespect
#SaferSpaces
#LivedExperienceLeadership
#NothingAboutUsWithoutUs

Today we celebrated someone very special to all of us at the Nest.

Our Volunteer of the Year was awarded to Dion, and it could not be more deserved. Dion also reached a huge milestone this week, receiving his DIGLETT certificate for surpassing 50 sessions at the Nest, along with his one-year service certificate. Both are remarkable achievements.

Dion is an enormous support to our team and to me personally. His versatility means he steps into whatever is needed on any given day, but everyone knows where his heart truly is: our guinea pigs. The level of care, gentleness, and consistency he offers them (and us) is something we treasure deeply.

Dion, thank you for everything you bring. You are a crucial part of our team, and we hope you always know how valued your presence is.

I am so freaking proud of you!!!

#NeurodivergentEmpowered #TheNest #VolunteerOfTheYear #CommunityCare #SparklyAF #CrownsOnHeartsOpenSparklyAF

Today is National Disability Day, and it feels especially fitting that our Junior Team member, Kianni, received a Special Commendation from the Governor at Government House yesterday as part of the Autism Queensland Awards.

Kianni is a powerful example of what becomes possible when a young person is loved, wanted, and supported for exactly who they are. She has done extraordinary things, including getting on stage during our global advocacy talks, even though speaking is one of the hardest things for her. At the Nest, she brings magic to our littlest participants through dolls, puppets, and make-believe worlds, and she now designs her own card, board, and virtual games for our teen groups as well.

Our Emerging Leaders Program is something I have personally funded, because I believe deeply in empowering the next generation with the skills, confidence, and community needed to do incredible things in the world while staying true to their authentic wiring. It’s where skill development meets self-acceptance, where spiky profiles are embraced, and where young people have a safe place to scrape their knees along the way.

Well done, Kianni. You have earned every bit of this recognition. And well done to Sprinkle for your nomination at these AQ Awards too. I have no doubt that you are both the first of many Emerging Leaders who will be recognised for the brilliance and impact you bring.

This is only the beginning.

#NationalDisabilityDay
#AutismQueenslandAwards
#NeurodivergentEmpowered
#EmergingLeaders
#YouthLeadership
#DisabilityPride
#AuthenticSelf
#Neuroaffirming
#InclusionMatters
#CommunityImpact
#NDYouth
#AutisticStrength
#TheNestCaloundra
#FutureChangemakers

This will be my one and only public post about this: The new NDIS Integrity & Safeguarding Bill is here, and providers need to understand the consequences.

The last year has taken a real toll on me, trying to empower and educate the community and NDIS clients for their own protection, only to discover that doing so publicly is not safe, especially as an autistic provider.

You have got this. Over to you xx

#NDISProvider #NDISSafeguarding #NDISCompliance #DisabilitySupports #NDISReform #CapacityBuilding #AustralianDisabilitySector #NDISRegisteredProvider #IntegrityInPractice #AutisticProfessionals #DisabilityCommunity

I’ve spent my whole life seeing things before others, patterns, consequences, shifts, solutions, and it’s been both the biggest gift and the hardest burden.

When I was in my early 20s working in the federal government, I got called into HR because I was “impacting team morale” by getting too much work done too quickly.
Not because I was doing anything wrong.
Because my pace made other people uncomfortable.

That was my first real lesson in tall poppy syndrome:
If you think fast, feel fast, or work fast, people don’t celebrate you, they try to prune you back into the average.

So I learned to hide it.
To slow down.
To wait while everyone else caught up.
To make myself smaller so others didn’t feel threatened.

For every neuro-complex, fast-brain human who sees things early and feels things deeply, I know how exhausting the waiting game is. I know what it costs to decelerate yourself just to belong.

I don’t want that for us anymore.

I want a world where it’s safe to be as fast or slow as your nervous system truly is.
Where your natural pace isn’t punished.
Where tall poppy syndrome doesn’t cut brilliance down to size.
Where we stop calling sensitivity and pattern-recognition “too much” and start recognising them as gifts.

That’s my hope, that every one of us gets to exist at the speed we were built for, without apology.

#Neurodivergent
#Neuroaffirming
#AutisticWomen
#FastBrain
#PatternThinker
#TallPoppySyndrome

I have absolutely loved today!! Seeing our Jnrs walk in and the absolute delight in seeing each other.

Listening to their natural conversations about challenges at school, what Christmas is like when your parents are not together, what it’s like to have anxiety / depression and also what it’s like to witness someone you love have it. Hearing their advice to each other … “this is what I do”, “this works for me”, “don’t do this”.

And of course a safe space to talk about topics with passion that children are usually not invited to participate in… like debating their ban from social media, and hearing points raised like being concerned about having to use their face as ID and how that made them feel less safe.

All powerful perspectives from a generation who are existing in a different world to the one I was raised in. I always learn so much when I stay curious. Even “horror” is different now to when I was their age. No more defined by blood and gore like it was in my traumatising Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday 13th days.

I love days like today. It makes me realise that there is more to learn and more to be open about. And also what is possible when you are genuinely liked for who you are.

My happy place ❤️🌈❤️

For anyone looking at the stats I’ve been sharing this week, the rates of violence, coercive control, medical gaslighting, financial exploitation and burnout in autistic women, I want to be honest about something:
I’ve lived every single one of them.
Not in theory.
Not in research.
In my actual life.
I’ve had my generosity exploited.
I’ve been emotionally abused by people who knew exactly how to use my trust, openness and literal interpretations against me.
I’ve been verbally and physically abused, including in my work, and even by people who positioned themselves as “safe” in my life.
I’ve been financially exploited, had things taken from me and turned into someone else’s personal gain.
I’ve been on the receiving end of third-party DV behaviours, manipulation, intimidation, and reputational threats the moment I started naming the harm and saying, “This is wrong.”
And for years, I genuinely believed I was the problem. And then I started the peer reviewed, evidence base research, and I also expanded my circle to include incredibly successful, heart centred woman who absolutely set me straight.
Because that’s what autistic women are conditioned to think.
We’re trained from childhood to take responsibility for everyone else’s discomfort.
To absorb other people’s projections.
To keep the peace.
To never name harm because “maybe we misunderstood”, “maybe it’s our tone”, or “maybe we’re too sensitive”.
But here’s the truth I’ve had to face:
When your nervous system goes into full alarm because someone has verbally attacked and projected their own shit onto you, that’s not you being dramatic.
That’s your body recognising danger before your brain has time to rationalise it.
And maybe, instead of piling more shame onto autistic women, we need to start looking at the micro-aggressions, dismissals, minimisations, and entitlement that so many people direct towards autistic women without ever naming it as harm.
Because I’m not the only one.
I’m just one of the ones willing to say it out loud, which is very uncomfortable for the people who have benefited from taking from me, silencing me, or standing by while harm was happening.
What I’ve been through has been horrendous...

The last few years have been hard.
Beautiful, meaningful… but hard.

People often see The Nest the way you see a duck on a lake - calm on the surface, kids laughing, adults connecting, our community looking like they’re simply having fun in a safe place.

But underneath the surface, our little legs are paddling fast.

What looks like “just a social program” actually sits on layers of neurodivergent-affirming design, risk management, therapeutic reasoning, and compliance, all engineered so people can access this safe space for autistics on their NDIS plan across six different registration codes.

Behind every Minecraft session, every Dungeons & Dragons campaign, every sensory-friendly activity is hours of writing, documenting, linking, justifying, reviewing, safeguarding, and redesigning all of our programs from scratch too be totally unique in ways that most people will never know.
Because safety doesn’t happen by accident: it’s built.

Accepting this nominating meant sharing all of that detail with the judges: the frameworks, the training, the advocacy, the evidence trails, the reinvestment of profits straight back into programs, the policies no one sees, challenging the current therapeutic practices doing my Masters of Counselling and the hundreds of quiet decisions made to keep this space open, ethical, and accessible... and that my friends can not be duplicated without this brain and this amazing team that trusted me even when they did degrees that didn't teach the non-negotiable neuro-affirming frameworks the Nest thrives on here.

And that doesn’t even touch the advocacy work in the background, changing how therapy is done with autistic clients, challenging harmful practices, and pushing for a world where sensitive, intense, hyperconnected humans are finally understood.

Thank you so much The Women Changing the World Asia Pacific Region judges for seeing value in what we do and awarding us:
- Honourable Mention - in Thought Leader of the Year
- Silver Award - In Education and drum roll.....

GOLD WINNER IN THE RISING STAR AWARD!!!!

(ie the Business is less than 5 years old). This Award means we are heading back to the Worlds in Paris next year!!!!!

Thank you so much to the @sunshinecoastcouncil for asking us to deliver these sessions for them as part of Council's Disability Action Week Program!

Sitting still, breathing deeply and quietening thoughts is not as easy as it sounds with a neurodivergent mind.

Massive thanks to Cat and Taija from our Neurodivergent Empowered team for delivering these uniquely tailored relaxation sessions designed to nourish your nervous system at Sunshine Coast libraries all week!

They have been delivering workshops that blend mindfulness techniques with sensory-friendly practices to help you find calm, focus and connection in a way that feels natural.

So far we have had sessions at the following Sunshine Coast Council libraries:

Beerwah - Saturday 22 November, 10.00-11.30am
Nambour - Monday 24 November, 10.00-11.30am
Maroochydore -Tuesday 25 November, 10.00-11.30am
Coolum - Wednesday 26 November, 2.00-3.30pm
Maleny - Thursday 27 November, 10.00-11.30am

If you missed out and are still keen, we still have spots available:

Kawana - Friday 28 November, 10.00-11.30am - Register here: https://sunshinecoast.spydus.com/cgi-bin/spydus.exe/ENQ/OPAC/ALLENQ?SETLVL=&IRN=69348402

Caloundra - Saturday 29 November, 10.00-11.30am - Register here: https://sunshinecoast.spydus.com/cgi-bin/spydus.exe/ENQ/OPAC/ALLENQ?SETLVL=&IRN=69348403

We hold Chaos to Calm workshops at the Nest each Tuesday 10.30 - 11.30am (we will do more if there is demand). You can express your interest here: https://www.neurodivergentempowered.com/contact

It’s with mixed emotions that I share that one of our two Junior Team nominees has been named as a finalist!!!

Two of our incredible young team members, Sprinkle and Kianni, were nominated for the Autism Queensland Recognition Awards, which celebrate exceptional achievements by autistic Queenslanders under 18. This award honours young people who are creating impact through art, sport, advocacy, education, resilience and leadership - and both of these legends were recognised for exactly that.

We are unbelievably proud of both of them. Their courage, their heart, and the way they show up for our community every single day is what matters most. They are living proof of what autistic brilliance looks like when it’s supported, celebrated and allowed to shine.

A huge congratulations to Kianni, who has been named a finalist and invited to Government House next Tuesday for the winner announcement. Kianni shows up in our community with an authenticity and self-knowledge far beyond her years, navigating the world as a young autistic, transgender girl with unapologetic truth and leadership. Her presence matters, her representation matters, and we are so proud of the strength and clarity she carries at such a young age.

And to Sprinkle and Kianni, finalist or not, you are already changing the world just by being who you are and we love you both very much.

#AutismQueensland #AutisticPride #NeurodivergentExcellence #SparklyAF #SunshineCoastNDIS #YoungLeaders #RepresentationMatters

During these 16 days, we refuse to stay silent.

When we say “autistic women” here, we explicitly include:

- cis autistic women

- trans autistic women (including those who are AMAB and now identify as women)

- and we stand alongside non‑binary and gender‑diverse autistic people, whose risk is at least as high.

Autistic women and gender‑diverse autistic people deserve:

✦ To be believed
✦ Healthcare that listens, accommodates, and does no harm
✦ Relationships free from exploitation and coercive control
✦ Environments that support our nervous systems instead of assaulting them
✦ The right to exist without performing neurotypicality to be safe, loved, or taken seriously

We see you.
We believe you.
You are not alone.

#16DaysOfActivism
#EndViolence
#ViolenceAgainstWomen
#ViolenceAgainstDisabledWomen
#AutisticWomen
#AutisticGirls
#AutisticSafety
#SafetyForAll
#DisabilityJustice

NEW SESSION ALERT: Anime Community Participation & Capacity Building Group (Teens & Adults)

NDIS Claimable: $35/hr

Supports: 0125, 0106, 0117, 0128
Location: Behind Hoggs Breath, Caloundra Rumba Resort

This interest-based session uses anime themes and activities to build functional skills, emotional regulation, and safe peer connection. It is delivered in a structured, neurodiversity-affirming, trauma-aware environment and can be claimed under 0125, 0106, 0117, and 0128, depending on plan type and individual goals.

What We Work On (while having heaps of Anime fun!):

Social & Communication Skills (0125, 0106, 0128)
Turn-taking, shared attention, flexible communication styles, collaborative conversations and boundary-setting through anime themes.

Emotional Regulation & Coping (0128, 0117)
Identifying emotions, sensory cues, and stress responses using character arcs and story moments. Practising personalised regulation strategies with staff support.

Daily Living, Learning & Executive Functioning (0117, 0106)
Planning, organising, sequencing tasks, managing transitions, and problem-solving across activities to support daily skill development.

Community Participation & Belonging (0125, 0106)
Supported peer connection, confidence building, and interest-based inclusion in a safe group setting.

Therapeutic Support Elements (0128)
Regulation mapping, communication profiling, sensory needs identification, and identity-strength work aligned to participant NDIS goals.

To book in, please complete the contact form by clicking 'Register Your Interest In Our Programs' in our Linktree above.

#CapacityBuilding
#ImprovedDailyLiving
#LifeSkillsDevelopment
#NeurodivergentSupport
#NeurodivergentCommunity
#Neuroaffirming
#InterestBasedLearning
#AnimeGroup
#AnimeCommunity
#AdultNDIS
#TeenNDIS

Together we can ♡

Before we pull apart what's not changed, let's take a moment to recognise the massive amount of advocacy, peer reviewed research and evidence and pushbacks and dismissals were endured to get to this point.

Thank you xx

More info here: https://www.psychologyboard.gov.au/News/2024-08-07-Professional-competencies-for-psychologists-released.aspx

#NeurodiversityAffirming
#AutisticRights
#PsychologyReform
#AHPRA
#PsychologyBoardOfAustralia
#HealthEquity
#HumanRightsInHealthcare
#DisabilityJustice
#NeurodiversityAustralia
#AutisticAdvocacy

2 of my favourite things this week 🤍🌈❤️

Shirt reads, “Sorry, my Mum took Tylenol”

🤣🙄 🤣🙄 🤣🙄 🤣🙄

Being uninformed is fixable.
Being hateful is a choice.

Confusion is normal.
Cruelty isn’t.

You’re allowed not to know things.
You’re just not allowed to weaponise it.
I got you, boo.

#SocialChange
#CommunityCare
#CollectiveLiberation
#InclusiveFuture
#AntiOppression
#ChangeTheNarrative
#CultureShift
#MakeSpaceForEveryone #QueerAndHere
#NeurodiversityAffirming
#DisabilityPride
#AutisticAndValid
#PeopleOfColour
#ChronicIllnessCommunity
#IntersectionalJustice
#WeAllBelong #SimpleSolutions
#ItIsNotThatDeep
#TheRealProblemIsPrejudice
#CommonSenseIsFree
#UnlearnTheNonsense
#TheWorldIsNotYourComfortZone
#SatireWithPurpose
#PeopleAreNotProblems

@sunshinecoastpridenetwork @qld.lgbtqia.alliance @qnewsmag @transequalitynow @altspace_therapies @aqualicioussunshinecoast @transcend_australia @freemumhugsaus @gayskatebrisbane @diversevoicesqld @gaysunshinecoast @lgbtilegalservice

Raw and real. ‼️language warning ‼️

No caption needed for this one, just a Mum speaking into her truth, love and of course some fear having a MAB child that is now my daughter.

#transdayofremembrance

@sunshinecoastpridenetwork @qld.lgbtqia.alliance @qnewsmag @transequalitynow @altspace_therapies @aqualicioussunshinecoast @transcend_australia @freemumhugsaus @gayskatebrisbane @diverservoicesqld @gaysunshinecoast @lgbtilegalservice

Maybe this is the conversation we’re not having loudly enough:

Instead of asking,
“Why is this person shaking?” "What's wrong with THEM?"
we should be asking,
“What is being said or done in this interaction that a human nervous system is reacting to as danger?”

Because shaking, speech loss, freeze - these aren’t character flaws.
They are autonomic alarms.
The body saying,
“Something happening here is not safe.”

Raised voices.
Accusations.
Gaslighting.
Violent language.
Unpredictability.
Emotional volatility.
Power imbalances.
Ignored boundaries.

These are danger cues, and the human body - autistic or not - responds to danger.

So if someone’s system locks up in front of you,
the real question isn’t
“What’s wrong with them?”

The real question is:
“What just happened in this room that made their biology fire a survival response?”

Because my intelligence is intact.
My leadership is intact.
My capacity is intact.

My body reacts because it’s doing its job - not because I am weak, unprofessional, or incapable, but because something in the interaction crossed a line my nervous system recognises as threat.

And that is where our attention needs to go.
Not to the shaking.
Not to the speech loss.
Not to the shutdown.

But to the behaviour, conditions, or dynamics that made any of this necessary in the first place.

#Neurodiversity
#AutisticAdults
#TraumaInformed
#ComplexTrauma
#AutonomicNervousSystem
#AutisticBurnout
#FreezeResponse
#Polyvagal
#TraumaScience
#Neuroception
#NDLeadership
#DisabilityJustice
#SomaticHealing
#Neuroaffirming
#LivedExperience

Go check out @projecthopefoundation for this and other cool ND merch.

Someone finally made a shirt of something that has caused most of the miscommunication in my life, and I have literally said multiple times something along the lines of “unless I have specifically said something, I didn’t say that, nor was that my intention”… so don’t put YOUR meaning on my words!

T-shirt reads, “Don’t hear what I didn’t say”.

Considering they were sold out last time I looked it seems a lot of my other ‘tism family agree!

Please go and support our neurokin. The video they made of this is au-some 😉 too.

AuDHD side quests while I am supposed to be doing other things...

Did you know that the Nest started off as a side quest... until it demanded so much attention that it became the main event?

That was an unexpected, but very grateful, plot twist!

#AuDHD #SideQuestEnergy #IWasDoingAThingButNowImDoingThis #PlotTwistBrain #OopsIStartedABusiness #SideQuestChampion #MainQuestWho #HyperfocusChaos

I can't find adequate words - just a lot of happy tears right now.

To say this is my favourite recognition post ever is an understatement.

Two of our incredible junior team members, Sprinkle and Kianni, have been nominated for the Autism Queensland Recognition Awards - celebrating exceptional achievements by autistic Queenslanders under 18.

This award honours young people making a difference through sport, art, advocacy, education, and resilience - and both of these legends have been recognised for exactly that (see their images for what they’ve been nominated for!).

We are beyond proud of them - not just for what they’ve achieved, but for who they are. They show up with heart, courage, and spark every single day, and they represent everything our community stands for.

Congratulations, Sprinkle and Kianni - you’re already changing the world just by being you. ♡

#NeurodivergentEmpowered #SparklyAliensCollective #AutismQueensland #NeurodiversityPride #YoungLeaders #RepresentationMatters #ProudMoment

The funny thing about doing my Master’s at 48 with ADHD meds now, compared to “raw-dogging” uni at 18, is… balance.

At 18, I couldn’t focus long enough to finish a paragraph.
At 48, I can focus for hours — which is apparently long enough to injure my lower back, glutes, and hamstrings.

So yes, the executive function is thriving.
The musculoskeletal system? Filing a formal complaint.

#ADHDLife #MatureAgeStudent #NeurodivergentHumour #MastersAtMidlife

We did it.

It’s an honour to be recognised by @TheStevieAwards in the 22nd annual global Stevie® Awards for Women in Business:

🏆 GOLD STEVIE® WINNER – Organisation of the Year – Government or Non-Profit (10 or Less Employees – In All Other Nations)
✨ Sparkly Aliens Inc. – Nourishing the Nervous System, Reclaiming Authenticity

🥈 SILVER STEVIE® WINNER – Achievement in Diversity & Inclusion (All Other Industries)
✨ From Margins to Mainstream: Building a Global Ecosystem of Authentic Inclusion

🥉 BRONZE STEVIE® WINNER – Most Resilient Women-Owned Business
✨ Neurodivergent Empowered & Sparkly Aliens Inc. – Rebuilding from Betrayal to Global Impact

Massive congratulations to all of the other winners who are out there creating change in their corners of the world: https://stevieawards.com/women/2025-stevie-award-winners

We weren’t able to attend the ceremony in the US - I didn’t feel safe travelling to the US as a neurodivergent woman, let alone with my neurodivergent trans daughter - but this recognition still feels super sweet. It’s proof that impact doesn’t require assimilation, and that you can build something extraordinary on your own terms.

To my Phoenix Fam Team - thank you for levelling up with me through every pivot, audit, restructure, and late-night “how do we survive this?” moment. You’ve stuck with a vision that sometimes feels impossible, and still, we fail forward together.

To our clients - some who’ve been with us from the very start - thank you for trusting us through every qualification, certification, and NDIS hoop we’ve had to jump through to keep your safe space open. You are why we keep fighting to make inclusion real.

With love,
Tan xxx

@abbeybaker4 @taijawilde_ @ax.rav @tidsguiden

#StevieAwards #NeurodivergentEmpowered #SparklyAliens #WomenInBusiness #DiversityAndInclusion #NDIS #Neurodiversity #DisabilityInclusion #PhoenixFam #FailForward #AuthenticInclusion #Leadership #Australia #NeurodivergentWomen #TransInclusion #SafetyMatters

Some days, doing my Master of Counselling feels heavier than it should.
Not because of the content - well some of the content too as its not trauma informed or neurodivergent affirming - but because of how ableist so much of education still is with a tonne of micro aggressions people don't even seem to realise they are doing.

The irony isn’t lost on me: studying to support people’s mental health inside systems that still ignore accessibility, sensory needs, and neurodivergent realities.

I keep showing up anyway - not because it’s easy, but because I still believe in the possibility of change.
If I can make even a tiny positive difference for our community, maybe that’s enough for today.

It’s a tough slog sometimes. I had a bit of a cry about how it feels like I am constantly "pushing shit uphill"... but the vision of a world where difference doesn’t have to equal disadvantage keeps me moving.

What about you? Have you found ongoing higher education accessible or disabling?

#Neurodiversity #TraumaInformed #Counselling #Accessibility #NDinHigherEd #ChangeFromWithin

Weighted blankets, plushies, stimming, Echolalia… you may not get it, but that’s the point. It’s why we need neurodivergent-affirming safe spaces that allow you to be “free 2b me”.

It’s why I work the hours I do, do the constant qualifications and upgrades that I do, focusing on the continuous improvements that I do… so that I can walk out of my office on a late Saturday afternoon and witness our teens group - all so very different - and yet exist so perfectly together in the Nest.

I’m tired but happy 🤍 this is what keeps me going 🤍

Considering I completed by Bachelor degrees 30 years ago, I have had quite a few "You are pushing 50 in a couple of years...WTF are you doing?" moments in the last week in the lead up to starting my Masters of Counselling this week.

Imposter syndrome is real and I considered not accepting the Masters placement offer (more than) a few times because AQF9 level feels scary... but... I have my ADHD meds (and don't drink or party any more - boring!) now and a LOT more information about how my neuro-complex brain and body works than I did when I "raw-dogged" not just Uni but life up until the end of last year.

But still, peri-menopause, single Mumma and running a highly regulated NDIS Business thrown into the mix... I have had a few face palms at myself already.

However, the "how far can I take this now that I have level playing field" project I gave myself when I got my ADHD meds last year continues.

As they say in Puberty Blues, and really showing my age... 'Game on Moles!'.

(lol... said in jest for those who don't understand the reference)

#NeurodivergentDesign #AccessibilityIsLiberation #NeurodivergentEmpowered #PBS #Counselling #SparklyAF #SystemsThatWork #NeurodiversityRevolution #EvidenceBasedLiberation

So much fun 🤩

#halloween #anychancetodressup

For everyone who feels too much, sees too far ahead, or carries the weight of what others can’t yet name - you’re not broken.
You’re Sensitive.
And that’s your brilliance.

Sensitives is one word I use to capture an entire constellation - the intelligent, embodied, inclusive, HSPs, Autistics, trauma survivors, hyper-empaths, chronically ill, deeply feeling, pattern-seeing humans with:

- High-capacity nervous systems tuned to nuance, intensity, and emotional data.

- Sensitivity that functions as an intelligence system, not a fragility.

- Minds and bodies that metabolise more input - sensory, social, and moral - and need structures that honour that capacity rather than suppress it.

So here are some Friday night musings from a deep-feeling, highly attuned, hyper-aware, neuro-intuitive Sensitive.

Sending big love,
Tan x

#SensitiveIsIntelligent
#TheSensitiveOnes
#HighCapacityHumans
#DepthAsData
#SensitivityIsStrength
#NuanceNotNoise
#AttunedLiving
#NeuroIntuitive
#DeepFeelers
#PatternSeers
#TraumaInformedTruth
#HyperEmpathic
#SacredSensitivity
#HighCapacityNervousSystem
#HonourTheSensitive

🌟 Team Milestone Moment! 🌟

Today we’re celebrating Will Smith’s recent one-year anniversary with us at The Nest!

Will has made a fantastic contribution to our team - bringing creativity, compassion, and a grounded sense of care to every session and every participant. Their dedication to neuroaffirming practice and collaborative support has helped strengthen what makes The Nest so special: our community.

We’re super, super grateful to have you as part of the team, Will.

Here’s to another year of impact, laughter, and making The Nest a place where everyone can truly belong. 💜

#NeurodivergentEmpowered #TheNest #NeuroaffirmingPractice #TeamCelebration #InclusiveWorkplace #AutisticLed #NDISSupports #NeurodiversityAtWork

What if... and stay with me here... we actually focused on the things that matter and not the BS that doesn't...

At the Neurodivergent Minds Conference, my goal in my MC role for Cammy wasn’t to host a lineup of polished speakers. It was to create a space where neurodivergent people - researchers, therapists, advocates, artists - could feel safe to speak and present in their own way, not perform in someone else’s.

Some presenters used notes. Some sat. Some paced. None of that mattered. What mattered was the message.

I spoke with my notes in hand, because I never know if ADHD will carry me or if autism will have me lose my words. That doesn’t make me less capable - it makes me human.

I’ve stopped expecting myself to be perfect. Instead, I’ve learned to play the cards that life deals me well. And I think if more of us did that, and got rid of the competition and judgement - we’d all have more compassion - for ourselves, and for each other.

So here is a bit of my opening speech on day 1 in my attempt to give permission to for everyone in the room to be "you".

And to paraphrase Brene Brown, if you are in the cheap seats with an opinion on anything other than another human's message, then you clearly aren't in the arena where all the action is.

So here's to continuing to fail forward in the arena... because as Glennon Doyle famously wrote, we can indeed do hard things. {even if it did take me 4 days to recover, lol}

Sending big love

- Tan x

#AuthenticLeadership
#SafeSpaces
#RealNotPerfect
#NeurodivergentVoices
#ProgressNotPerfection
#HumanFirst #NeurodivergentMindsConference
#NeurodiversityAtWork
#ADHDAutistic
#NeurodiversityAffirming
#NeuroInclusive
#actuallyautistic
#ADHDCommunity

Being autistic means I care deeply, feel deeply, and sense danger before most people see it coming.

That same sensitivity that helps me protect others has also meant being misunderstood more times than I can count.

I’ve lived the cost of that misunderstanding and nearly became one of the statistics that Catherine Lee, Director and Founder of Neurodiverse Safe Work Initiative spoke about at the Neurodivergent Minds Conference.

* Trigger Warning - Sensitive Topics on the Slides*

Autistic people aren’t broken.

We’re just tired of having to trade safety for belonging.

#ActuallyAutistic #NeurodivergentMinds #AutisticVoices #AutismAcceptance #Neurodiversity #DisabilityJustice #TraumaInformedCare #NDIS #InclusionMatters #SparklyAF

“The vibrancy you feel when your nervous system autodetects that it is safe to be you.”

That quiet click from survival to presence - the shift that happens when a room doesn’t require you to translate or tone yourself down.

Thank you to the ND Community at the @neurodivergentmindsconfau

My heart is full and as sparkly as my shoes

Love Tan xx

Wow. I don't think I have the spoons to fully articulate wrapping up Day 2 of the Neurodivergent Minds Conference, so I will once again thank the incredible Cammy from @lets.talkneurodiversity 's for bringing her beautiful idea of a Neurodivergent-led Neurodivergent Minds Conference, into such a beautiful reality

Day 2's speakers were
- Catherine Lee Director & Founder, Neurodiverse Safe Work who presented on Neurodiverse Safe Work;
- Emily Friedel Ph.D. Candidate, ADHD/puberty research who presented on Puberty and ADHD
- Michael Coles Autistic Advocate, Speaker, Podcast Creator who presented on Autistic Burnout
- Jane McFadden Neuroscientist, Host of ADHD Mums Podcast who presented on Managing Emotions as a Parent
- Sarah Vortman Autistic Visual Artist, Writer, PhD Candidate who presented on Late Autism Diagnosis & Identity
- Zoe Martin - Motherhood & Menopause Mentor AuDHD, PDA-er, Menopause Wellness Coach who presented on ADHD & Menopause

We had a Live painting by Zoe Raymond (Yindjibarndi & Pinikura artist) + Raffle for Jack's Place Foundation and an incredible panel by Vera Yeo, Selah Dimech, Alana Cameron, Tahlia-Rose Vanissum.

Thank you to the other sponsors alongside Let's Talk: Neurodiversity Supports and Neurodivergent Empowered - Autism Support Directory, Understanding Zoe, @kalos.therapy , Amanda Lee Consulting, Autistic Self Advocacy Network of Australia & New Zealand. These incredible events cannot run without your support so I thank you so much!

On a personal note, I offered to do the MC role to be of service to Cammy in making her vision come together and I am so glad I did! I have never MC'ed before and had some imposter syndrome jumping in leading up to the event, so I decided to just speak from the heart and keep remembering this is bigger than me. It must have landed enough as I am told that I am up for the MC gig again next year which of course I would be honoured to be of service in this way again.

So much gratitude for those who showed up and made it what it was - a safe space to present and receive in non- neuronormative ways and I feel privileged to have been a part of it.

Let's do it all again next year!

Thank you Michael from @thedeepdiveau for this mini interview - I was honoured you asked me and so looking forward to your presentation tomorrow!

Neurodivergent Minds Conference – Day One 💜

I just wanted to share what an honour it’s been to MC and present the opening keynote for Day One of the two-day Neurodivergent Minds Conference.

A massive shout-out to Cammy from Let’s Talk Neurodiversity Supports, she and her team have done such an incredible job creating a truly neurodivergent-led conference. I’m so proud to be part of it and really hope it’s the first of many here on the Sunshine Coast.

Today’s speakers were extraordinary:
• Angie and Casey from Curious Me leading the way as Playworkers and the importance of play for our children
• Rachel Fletcher, speech pathologist give us evidenced based information on the importance of using nature-based therapy,
• Yenn, whose work has guided me (unknowingly!) in supporting my own transgender daughter, educating us on Autigender and Allies
• Caitlin Hughes, whose session on “When Lived Experience Speaks: Ethical and Embodied Self-Disclosure of Neurodivergence in Therapy” was outstanding, with all of their amazing resources and wisdom
• And our panel, “Rewriting the Rulebook: Parents, Clinicians and the Push for Neuroaffirming Systems” — Teresa Smith, Grace Wilkins, Emma Neil, Kylie Gallagher, and Laetitia Andrac — who all shared such powerful insight and wisdom.

We closed with Tim Chan, autism advocate, author, and non-speaking communicator, whose presentation was deeply eye-opening and moving.

I’m completely spent (in the best way possible) and heading home to rest and recharge before doing it all again tomorrow.

What an incredible day! Feeling so incredibly grateful 🤍

I don’t have many photos as I’m up on stage so thank you so much for Cat for coming along and to everyone who took footage and messaged me with it.

Now it’s #Hicksout for the day. Mwa!

#NeurodivergentMindsConference #NeurodivergentLed #SunshineCoastEvents #NeurodiversityInAction #RestRechargeRepeat

Feeling a little melancholy tonight.

I was looking back over a tiny video I took of our Phoenix Friends at the Nest - helping me piece together something new and quirky instead of a simple flyer to be distributed at the NeuroDivergent Minds Conference next week.

It made me pause and reflect. The Nest was never part of my intended career. It started as a side quest, something I quietly built in the background until life - and a few unexpected turns - pushed me out of the shadows, literally kicking and screaming, and opportunities for our team have presented themselves in ways that have kept me there…. Feeling like a deer in headlights when most of the time I want to climb back into my hidey hole of invisibility… and yet here we are ago with me presenting a key note and mc-ing the Neurodivergent Minds conference next week. How strange life turns out at times!

I’m grateful for everyone who’s shown up, walked alongside us, and helped navigate the constant changes that come with this NDIS world. The last three years have been full of them, and yet, somehow, we keep rising to meet each one, so far any way x

To my special friends at the Nest - thank you. Our little safe-space we’ve created together is made sacred by your presence.

#NeurodivergentEmpowered
#SparklyAliensCollective
#PhoenixFriends
#TheNest
#NeurodivergentMindsConference

Countdown is on til @neurodivergentmindsconfau next Tuesday!!

#NeurodivergentEmpowered #SparklyAliens #TraumaInformed #Neuroaffirming #InclusionReimagined #SafetyNotCompliance #AutisticLed #DisabilityJustice #CommunityCare

So excited to be presenting a keynote at the @neurodivergentmindsconfau NeuroDivergent Minds Conference next Tuesday - and to also be emceeing the 2 day event - what????!!!

The quote on this image says it best:

What looks like defiance is often a nervous system screaming for safety.

That message sits right at the heart of what I’ll be sharing next week - how behaviour that challenges us is so often communication that hasn’t yet been heard.

Huge shoutout to Cammy from Let's Talk: Neurodiversity Supports for the incredible job she’s done pulling this event together.

If you haven’t grabbed your ticket yet, there are still a few available (I think). You can find them here: https://neurodivergentmindsconference.com.au/tickets

Can’t wait to witness with so many brilliant minds in this space!!!

#NeuroDivergentMindsConference #Neurodiversity #Autism #ADHD #TraumaInformed #KeynoteSpeaker #NeurodivergentEmpowered

✨ Happy International Lesbian Day - October 8, 2025 ✨

Today we celebrate lesbian joy, resilience, and visibility, especially for those of our community living at the intersection of queerness and neurodivergence.

🌈 Why this matters:
Autistic and neurodivergent people are significantly more likely to identify as lesbian, bi, queer, or asexual than the general population. Yet autistic lesbians often face compounding stigma from both ableism and heteronormativity, while having fewer spaces that truly honour both parts of who as a collective community we are.

As proud corporate members of the Welcome Here Project, we are committed to doing more than displaying a rainbow sticker (though we do that along side our flag too 🏳️‍🌈).

Here is what inclusion means to us:
✅ Creating spaces where neurodivergent lesbians are not an afterthought, you are central to everything we do
✅ Training our team to understand intersectional identities and support you authentically
✅ Centring queer, neurodivergent voices in our programs, policies, and decisions
✅ Listening, learning, and evolving, always

To every autistic lesbian reading this: you are not alone. Your identity is whole, valid, and beautiful exactly as it is.

Your love matters. Your voice matters. Your joy matters.

We see you. We celebrate you. Today and every day. 💜

With love and solidarity,
The Neurodivergent Empowered Team

#LesbianVisibilityDay #HappyLesbianDay #Neuroqueer #AutisticAndProud #IntersectionalPride #WelcomeHere #LGBTQInclusion #ActuallyAutistic #QueerJoy #NeurodivergentEmpowered

Protecting our clients’ dignity, privacy, and safety always comes first.

You may have noticed that this year we’ve quietly shifted away from posting identifiable photos or videos of our clients, children, and young people on social media. We want to share why.

Even when families give permission, the reality is that once an image is online, we lose control over where it goes or how it is used. Increasingly, law enforcement and child protection agencies are finding that photos of children, even completely innocent ones, are being downloaded, altered, and circulated by people with harmful intent.

This is not about fear. It is about responsibility.

Our client photos have always brought the most interaction, and to be honest, they bring me the most joy to watch. Seeing those smiles and moments of connection captured has been one of my favourite parts of this work. To be honest, it has made me pretty sad to not have this as part of reliving the magic each night over a cuppa, scrolling through the day’s memories. But knowing what we now know, we can no longer justify the risk.

We are beginning the process of trawling through our existing content to remove identifiable images. This will take some time, but we are fully committed to doing it carefully and thoroughly.

As an organisation built on safety, respect, and trust, we believe every person deserves to have their story told without their face needing to be shared. There are many creative ways to celebrate growth, joy, and courage that do not compromise anyone’s right to privacy.

From now on, we will continue to share updates, stories, and milestones, but we will use images that protect identity: artwork, silhouettes, hands at play, group activities photographed from behind, or symbolic visuals that still reflect the heart of our work.

We know how much these programs mean to families, and we are deeply grateful for your ongoing trust as we continue to evolve our practices in line with the highest ethical and safeguarding standards.

Safety is not just about what happens in the room.
It is about how we honour every person, everywhere.

cont below...

🎉 One Year of the Unicorn that is Taija Wilde 🎉

Chief Alliance Officer – People, Practice, and Partnerships.
Neurodivergent Empowered.

There simply aren’t enough words to capture the positive impact Taija has had not just on me, not just on this organisation, but on every single person who’s crossed her path at Neurodivergent Empowered.

She began in a tough gig - Compliance Officer - and from day one, it was clear she brought not just skill, but complete belief in the Vision of the multi-level eco system that is Neurodivergent Empowered.

She’s not just our Chief Alliance Officer - People, Practice and Partnerships. She embodies the OG vision that Neurodivergent Empowered was built with - neurodivergent affirming scaffolding with best practice standards & high care.

It makes me happy teary to reflect on how our partnerships are thriving, our team feels held, and our movement is stronger than ever. So thank you Taija for shining your wings bright a year ago when I needed to see them.

You’ll see her collaborating with like-minded practitioners in our VIP Neuro-affirming Collective.

You’ll see her in schools, fiercely advocating beside parents for clients who deserve better.

You’ll see her delivering team PD to Educators and building our culture from the inside out.

So today, we celebrate her first full year in the Nest and
we are endlessly grateful.

— Love Tan, and your whole Sparkly Phoenix Fam

#LeadershipThatLasts
#NeurodivergentLeadership
#VisionAndValues
#MovementMakers
#CultureCreators
#TeamThatBuildsLegacies #ChiefAllianceOfficer
#PeoplePracticePartnerships
#CollaborationInAction
#StandardsWithSoul
#ScaffoldingMatters
#AdvocacyInMotion #NeurodivergentEmpowered
#NeuroaffirmingAllTheWay
#ChangingSystemsTogether
#NDAdvocates
#AlignedAndEmpowered
#SustainableCare

We’re proud major sponsors of today’s Empowering Women Expo at Venue 114!

While I won’t be presenting due to illness, I really encourage you to still head along as it's going to be an incredible event filled with inspiration, connection, and celebration.

🗓 Friday 4 October
📍 Venue 114, Lake Kawana
🕒 3pm to 7pm
🎟 Grab your free ticket here: https://bit.ly/3KrTTUV

Here’s what you can expect:
- Champagne on arrival for the first 100 guests
- Over 50 pop-up shops and exhibits
- Empowering speakers
- A fashion parade
- Dance class
- Food trucks
- Prize draws

And an amazing community of like-minded women to connect with
Whether you’re in the mood to sip, shop, explore or just soak up the energy, this event has it all.

Please show your support, make some magical new connections, and tag me in your favourite moments. I’ll be cheering you on from afar!

#EmpoweringWomen
#WomensExpo
#SupportLocalWomen
#WomenSupportingWomen
#StrongerTogether
#communityovercompetition
#WellnessJourney
#AuthenticallyYou
#UnapologeticallyMe
#AlignedAndEmpowered
#SparklyAF

This is such a crucial topic for our ND Kids!

Amazing work to Will who completed their professional development on using Roblox safely professional development this week.

Will supports the following sessions at the Nest:

Mondays
9:30am to 11:30am - Video Game Creation
Mondays 2pm to 3:30pm - Dungeons and Dragons
Mondays 3:30 to 5pm - Minecraft

Tuesdays
5:30 to 7:30pm - Dungeons and Dragons

Wednesdays
3pm to 5pm - Landscape Painting
5:30 - 7:30pm - RPG Club

Thursdays
9am to Noon - Little Phoenix
3:30 to 5pm - Creative Games
5:30 to 7:30pm - Phoenix Connections

Fridays
3:30 to 5pm - Dungeons and Dragons

And amazing work Dion for compiling the social media slides from Will's learning points!

#SafePlayMatters
#RobloxSafetyPD
#NDKidsDeserveSafeSpaces
#DigitalWorldsSafeHands
#NeurodivergentOnlineSafety
#EmpoweredGaming
#safespacesforndkids #PhoenixFriends
#NDChampions
#SafeSmartSparkly
#CrownsOnHeartsOpen
#EmpoweredLearning
#TheFutureIsSparklyAF

Energetic PSA (With Love… and the Occasional Energetic Throat Punch)

If you’ve landed on this page expecting me to constantly defend and articulate the fact that I, a 48-year-old AuDHD woman with PMDD, POTS, Hypermobile EDS, PTSD and (ok it doesn't let me fit them all the letters in here), sliding into perimenopause like a disco ball on fire, actually does have substantial challenges too...

Let me stop you right there.

We don’t do that here.
I don’t have a high enough dose of estradiol daily to counter that level of willful ignorance.
And I’m not here to spoon-feed basic human decency to people with Wi-Fi.

If you have medium-range intellect and access to the internet, it’s a given to know that Autistic, ADHD, sensory-rich, trauma-wired, emotionally intense people, live in a world that wasn’t built for us.

I am not here to re-litigate the legitimacy of my experience for your comfort.
I’m here to build systems that actually work for the rest of us still standing after being failed by all the ones that didn’t.

If that makes me “difficult,” good.

Difficult women change things.
Agreeable women maintain them.

So yeah.
Estrogen’s on the decline.
Bullshit tolerance is at an all-time low.
And this space?
It’s not for convincing.
It’s for building what comes next.
And making it unapologetically SparklyAF.

Carry on accordingly.

#SparklyAF #CrownsOnHeartsOpen #DifficultWomenChangeThings #BullshitToleranceLow #WeDontDoThatHere #EnergeticThroatPunch #NeurodivergentAndDoneExplaining #SystemBuildersNotSymptomExplainers #PerimenopausePower #PMDDWarrior #AuDHD #NeurodivergentLife #AutisticAndProud #PMDDLife #EDSwarrior #LivingWithPOTS #SensoryRichAndSovereign #SayItLouder #StopExplainingStartBuilding #BuiltDifferent #LetUsRest #UnmaskingIsRevolutionary #NoMorePerforming #MakeItSparklyAF

How amazing is our Sprinkle!!!

Just 16 years old and completed the professional development on Vestibular and Proprioceptive input. She never ceases to amaze me!

Sprinkle supports the Roblox session on Wednesdays 11am to 2pm and Saturday Jnrs sessions 10 am to 2pm!

And amazing work to Dion for putting together the Canva slides from Sprinkles learning points!

#YoungLeaderMagic
#SprinkleOfBrilliance
#RisingStar
#NextGenChangemaker
#NeurodivergentExcellence
#TeenPower #ProprioceptionPower
#VestibularVisionary
#PDProAt16
#SensorySmart
#LearningInAction
#BodyBrainConnection
#SensorySupportMatters

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