Specialisterne Australia

06/08/2025

🚨 Limited Spots Available, Book Now! 🚨

After a sell-out first round, the Neurodivergent Leadership Excellence Series is back!

This 3-part, accessible and inclusive workshop series is designed by and for neurodivergent leaders to learn from a small group of like-minded neurodivergent leaders. This course is designed to help you grow confidence, communicate effectively, and lead effectively in a neurotypical workplace.

📅 Starts: 21 August
⏱ 3 x 1-hour sessions
🎟 $595 (GST incl) – one ticket, full access
👥 Max 10 participants
👩‍🏫 Facilitated by Vicky Little, COO of Specialisterne Australia

Ready to lead your way?

Register here: https://lnkd.in/g2r5pX5K

31/07/2025

At Specialisterne, we believe accessible hiring starts before the interview.

That’s why we’ve reimagined the traditional resume, moving away from simply summarising a candidate's education and work experience to better showcase their skills, competencies, and potential for the job.

➡️ Instead of relying solely on past work history, we build candidate profiles that showcase role-related skills and competencies and demonstrate knowledge and expertise.

➡️ No names. No ages. No diagnoses. Just job-relevant skills.

Through anonymous hiring, we help reduce unconscious bias and keep the focus where it belongs, on what a candidate can do.

Bias-free. Barrier-free. Skills-first.

That’s how we create more equitable opportunities for neurodivergent talent. We’re proud that this commitment to accessibility helped earn Specialisterne a spot on the Forbes Accessibility 100 list.

24/07/2025

Are you a neurodivergent woman thinking about work, career changes, or study? We want to hear from you!

Your insights can help shape more inclusive employment and education opportunities. Our short, confidential survey is designed to centre your voice and experiences.

It only takes a few minutes, but your input can make a big difference.

Take the survey here: https://forms.office.com/r/GszXAEwAL9

Please share with anyone who might be interested!

Have Your Say: Shaping Employment Opportunities for Neurodivergent Women

We are inviting neurodivergent women to share their voices through a survey designed to inform and improve access to meaningful employment and learning opportunities.

Participation is completely voluntary and confidential. Every response matters. By taking just a few minutes to complete the survey ensures that neurodivergent voices are at the center of the conversation. This survey is part of our commitment to better understand the unique experiences, strengths, and barriers faced by neurodivergent women as they enter or re-enter the workforce, change career paths, or pursue education.

Whether you’re considering work for the first time, returning after a break, looking to switch careers, or thinking about study or training, your perspective is valued.

To complete the survey, visit: https://forms.office.com/r/GszXAEwAL9

17/07/2025

True inclusion starts from within.

At Specialisterne, we believe that building truly inclusive workplaces means embracing co-design and going beyond compliance, especially when it comes to mentorship and career development for neurodivergent employees.

For years, we’ve been working alongside neurodivergent professionals and forward-thinking organisations to design systems that are not just inclusive in intent but inclusive in structure. When neurodivergent people are involved as co-creators, not just participants, outcomes become more equitable, effective, and sustainable.

This is the approach we bring to mentorship, too: participatory, flexible, and grounded in lived experience.

Want to learn more about what neuroaffirming mentorship looks like in practice? Read this piece by Ludmila Praslova, “Making Mentorship Neuroaffirming.": https://www.specialisterne.com.au/post/making-mentorship-neuroaffirming

16/07/2025

💡 Neuroinclusion isn’t just a “nice to have”, it’s a powerful business strategy.

We’re proud to see The Institute of Community Directors spotlighting the strength of neurodiverse talent in their latest piece: People with purpose: Unlocking the power of a neuroinclusive workplace.

As Michelle Crawford, Executive Director of Specialisterne Australia, says in the article: “Neurodivergent people are so often creative, outside-the-box thinkers. They’re your strategists, your innovator, but the corporate world often doesn’t know how to support them to succeed.”

At Specialisterne Australia, we’ve seen the results when businesses do know how to support:

✅ 94% retention rates
✅ Greater innovation
✅ Stronger, more adaptable teams

It starts with understanding, support, and a willingness to reimagine traditional hiring and management practices.

Read more here: https://www.communitydirectors.com.au/articles/people-with-purpose-unlocking-the-power-of-a-neuroinclusive-workplace

15/07/2025

🆕Free Upcoming Webinar on Neurodivergence and Mental Health in the Workplace: A Deeper Conversation for Managers, Teams Leaders and Executives.

Following the interest in our recently co-authored whitepaper, Supporting Neurodivergent Employees to Thrive, developed in partnership with SuperFriend MHF, Specialisterne Australia invites you to join us for a follow-up discussion that goes deeper into this critical topic. In this session, we’ll further explore the intersection of neurodivergence, mental health, and psychological safety, and what this means for today’s leaders.

Hosted by Specialisterne, this webinar will feature whitepaper co-authors:

✴️Stephanie Thompson - Workplace Mental Health Advisor, SuperFriend
✴️Vicky Little - Chief Operating Officer, Specialisterne Australia

Together, they’ll unpack the key findings from the whitepaper and share practical takeaways for leaders committed to fostering inclusive, mentally healthy workplaces.

Attendees will learn how to:
1️⃣Understand key data trends impacting neurodivergent employees
2️⃣Recognise how workplace wellbeing and neuroinclusion are deeply connected
3️⃣Reduce burnout by creating psychologically safe environments
4️⃣Take meaningful, practical steps to support all employees to thrive

🗓️ Date: Thursday 14th August
⏰ Time: 12:30pm - 1:30pm AEST
👉 Register here: https://info.specialisterne.com/en-au/specialisterne-australia-webinar

Together, they’ll unpack the key findings from the whitepaper and share practical takeaways for leaders committed to fostering inclusive, mentally healthy workplaces.

10/07/2025

Have Your Say: Shaping Employment Opportunities for Neurodivergent Women

We are inviting neurodivergent women to share their voices through a survey designed to inform and improve access to meaningful employment and learning opportunities.

Participation is completely voluntary and confidential. Every response matters. By taking just a few minutes to complete the survey ensures that neurodivergent voices are at the center of the conversation. This survey is part of our commitment to better understand the unique experiences, strengths, and barriers faced by neurodivergent women as they enter or re-enter the workforce, change career paths, or pursue education.

Whether you’re considering work for the first time, returning after a break, looking to switch careers, or thinking about study or training, your perspective is valued.

To complete the survey, visit: https://forms.office.com/r/GszXAEwAL9

07/07/2025

📣 Announcement: A New Employment Program is Coming!

We’re proud to announce the launch of our Return to Work Pathways Program, with thanks to the Women NSW Breaking Down the Barriers grant.

This exciting initiative is designed to reduce the barriers that neurodivergent women in NSW face when entering or re-entering the workforce by raising awareness and cultivating neuroinclusive workplaces, and creating inclusive pathways for improved access to meaningful, sustainable careers.

Over the next two years, we’ll partner with forward-thinking employers to create neuroinclusive workplaces where neurodivergent women are empowered to thrive.

Our first program will launch in early 2026, and we’ll be sharing more details in the coming months on how neurodivergent women and organisations can get involved. Stay tuned!

Women NSW

27/06/2025

This EOFY, help us honour Tom’s legacy by supporting us to build a better future for neurodivergent individuals.

In February 2025, we lost Tom, a remarkable neurodivergent individual who we are lucky to have known and supported in his journey to meaningful employment, whose life was tragically cut short. His story, strength, and legacy continue to inspire us every day.

Before finding Specialisterne, Tom had been unemployed for over a decade. Traditional pathways didn’t work for him but within six months of connecting with us, he gained meaningful, stable employment where he thrived for over five years.

He didn’t stop there.

Tom became Chair of his workplace’s Neurodiversity Advocacy Network, using his voice to champion change, shape inclusive policy, and amplify others.

We are deeply moved by Tom’s impact, and we’re proud to have walked alongside him. In honour of his life, please consider making a tax-deductible donation to Specialisterne Australia before June 30.

Together, we can continue the work Tom cared so deeply about empowering neurodivergent people to thrive in inclusive workplaces and meaningful careers.

👉 You can support our mission in Tom's legacy here: https://www.specialisterne.com.au/donate

24/06/2025

🗣️ “Neurodivergent people are not burning out because they’re broken, they’re burning out because the systems around them are.” – Vicky Little, COO, Specialisterne Australia

Thank you to the Institute of Community Directors for spotlighting key findings from our from our SuperFriend MHF x Specialisterne Whitepaper on the intersection of neurodivergence and mental health.

The article underscores what we highlighted, that burnout among neurodivergent workers stems not from their neurodivergence, but from workplaces designed without neurodiversity in mind.

Key findings include:

🔹 66%+ of neurodivergent professionals report burnout
🔹 Many feel forced to mask their true selves to fit in
🔹 A safe, inclusive culture has the greatest impact on wellbeing

💬 “I spend so much energy pretending to be okay, there’s nothing left at the end of the day.” — Survey participant, SuperFriend ITW.

We found that psychological safety is the key to unlocking neuroinclusive workplaces. When organisations start to understand the intersection between neurodivergence, mental health, and psychological safety, they open the door to truly inclusive environments, where all employees can thrive, not just survive.

This is a chance to redefine what inclusion really looks like.

What’s one thing you can do differently today to help build a workplace where neurodivergent people feel safe, valued, and supported?

📖 Read the article: https://www.communitydirectors.com.au/articles/burnout-risk-for-neurodivergent-workers-report

📄 Download the whitepaper: https://www.specialisterne.com.au/post/whitepaper-neurodivergence-mental-health

17/06/2025

We are thrilled to be included in the Forbes first-ever list, which recognises Specialisterne as one of the world’s leading innovators and impact-makers in accessibility.

The Accessibility 100 list highlights organisations across 15 countries working on key areas such as mobility, sensory accessibility, and neurodivergence. It is in this last category that Forbes recognised Specialisterne for its work in creating real access to education and meaningful employment for neurodivergent individuals.

Today, an estimated 80% of autistic individuals are unemployed, and up to 40% of neurodivergent adults face barriers to entering the workforce. Yet 15–20% of the world’s population is probably neurodivergent: investing in accessibility is not only an ethical imperative, it’s a strategic advantage for forward-thinking organisations.

With over 20 years of experience, operations in 26 countries, and partnerships with more than 500 public and private sector companies, Specialisterne continues to shape a more inclusive labor market by focusing on individual strengths, not labels.

Discover how we’re making accessibility a driver for innovation. Click here to learn more! www.specialisterne.com.au/specialisterne-named-forbes100-leading-accessibility

27/05/2025

In today’s fast-changing and unpredictable world, traditional leadership models aren’t keeping up.

Neurodivergent leaders bring the kinds of strengths organisations need to navigate complexity, such as critical thinking, value-driven decision-making, and the ability to challenge groupthink. Yet these strengths are often overlooked in conventional leadership pipelines and environments.

In our latest blog, Neurodivergent Strengths in Leadership, Ludmila Praslova, Ph.D., explores why strengths commonly found in neurodivergent individuals are essential in today’s uncertain business landscape. She also outlines what employers can do to ensure these leaders are supported and set up to succeed.

Check out the blog here: https://www.specialisterne.com.au/post/neurodivergent-strengths-in-leadership

At Specialisterne Australia, we see first-hand the impact of leaders not feeling valued or understood - including increased burnout and lower retention, highlighting the need for more awareness and representation at a leadership level. That's why we developed our Neurodivergent Leader Excellence Series to empower neurodivergent professionals to lead with confidence, authenticity, and purpose. You can out more about this series on our website or contacts us.

It’s time to stop filtering out neurodivergent talent and start building workplaces that support leaders to thrive!