27/04/2026
🫶 AUTISM 🫶
“There isn’t just one ‘type’ there’s an entire spectrum.”
I used to think autism looked one specific way, until I became a mum to my own little neuro-spicy miracle 💙Then began supporting and working families just like you.
That’s when everything I thought I knew shifted.
The truth is, autism is far more complex and nuanced than the narrow picture we’re often shown.
Some people are non-verbal, some communicate in different ways, and many experience differences across the core domains, social communication, sensory processing, and patterns of behaviour, in ways that are completely unique to them.
There isn’t one box. ✅
Every person sits somewhere different, with their own strengths, challenges, and level of support needs.
And for many, autism doesn’t exist on its own.
Research shows that around 50–70% of autistic individuals also have ADHD traits or a diagnosis, and many people with ADHD show autistic traits too.
Both are neurodevelopmental, meaning they’re linked to how the brain develops and functions. They share differences in attention, regulation, executive functioning, and sensory processing, and there’s a strong genetic connection to both including most also have intelletual disability so many complex layers to navigate.
So it’s not always “one or the other” often it’s many, layered together.
It can look like craving routine but struggling to follow it. Feeling overwhelmed by sensory input, yet also seeking stimulation. Wanting connection, but finding communication and focus challenging in different ways.
There’s also a lot of conversation right now, about autism “levels,” potential changes to the NDIS, and headlines suggesting large numbers of people may come off the scheme. And understandably, that’s creating real fear and stress for families.
But it’s important to separate the noise from the reality.
❌ Whilst there may be figures suggesting up to 160,000 people are being reviewed or targeted within the NDIS, it’s important to understand this is not about majority of autistic children.
These numbers lack context and are being reported in a way that doesn’t reflect the reality of children with genuine, lifelong functional impairment. It’s not a blanket removal of autistic children, and it’s not a reflection of those with clear and complex support needs.
❌ The narrative being shared is oversimplified and, in many cases, inaccurate and it’s causing unnecessary fear for families who are already navigating so much.
Families raising children with clear, lifelong neurodevelopmental disabilities, where daily functioning is significantly impacted are not the problem.
🛑And this matters:
For Majority !! That’s not you, nor your child.
There are broader conversations happening about consistency of diagnosis and protecting the sustainability of the NDIS long-term so it remains there not just for now, but for our children as they grow into adulthood and need that support long after us.
A diagnosis isn’t a label that limits a child, it’s a tool that helps us understand them, advocate for them, and access the right supports.
Autism and ADHD are layered, complex, and deeply individual.
And it’s in truly understanding that without comparison, judgement, or blame that real acceptance begins. 💙
