Embrace Neurodiversity

10/02/2026

Did you know our OT Frances is also a Peer Researcher for the Westmead Children's Hospital?

A peer researcher is someone who uses their own lived experience to help shape, guide, and improve research.

As an Autistic person, Frances has used her lived and professional experience to amplify the voices of Autistic children, young people, and carers in mental health research.

| “The most meaningful aspect of my role as a Peer Researcher with the Westmead Feelings Program team is amplifying the voices of autistic children, young people, and carers in shaping research. In this role, I draw on my lived and professional experience as an autistic clinician, carer, and consumer to help shape the team's research.

There is no typical day! Much of my work involves advising on accessibility, neurodiversity-affirming practice, and co-design so that the program materials better reflect the needs and perspectives of autistic children and their families. I value bringing lived experience to conversations where it has often been missing, and increasing awareness of the research questions and priorities that matter to our community.

I was drawn to paediatrics by the incredible impact my own children’s therapists have had on their quality of life, well-being, and development. Seeing the difference the right support can make for a child and their family motivates me to contribute to this work.

I recently presented at the Asia Pacific Autism Conference 2025, an international event and the largest audience I have spoken to so far! Having the opportunity to share the progress that is being made in public health research and the benefits of autistic leadership was a moment I felt proud of.

I hope that, in the future, roles like mine become standard across health services, so that people with lived experience are not only involved in shaping the research and services that affect their lives but also leading them” – Frances McCafferty, Peer Researcher and Occupational Therapist, Westmead Feelings Program, The Children’s Hospital at Westmead.

26/01/2026

We recognise January 26th as a date that is not neutral, and is widely experienced as painful and harmful by many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We acknowledge the ongoing impact of colonisation that continues to shape the present.

Allyship means listening to those most affected when they speak about the issues that affect their own lives and communities, respecting their leadership, and acting in ways that support what they say is needed. Our commitment to this practice continues beyond today.

19/01/2026

We provide neuroaffirming speech therapy for children and young people.

At Embrace Neurodiversity, we work alongside families using collaborative strategies that promote self-expression, regulation, autonomy, advocacy, and success. Speech therapy is delivered in children's schools, homes and communities so strategies can be used where communication actually happens.

Matt (he/him) is a speech pathologist at Embrace Neurodiversity. His lived experience as a neurodivergent adult and parent shapes his strengths-based, family-centred approach.

Matt supports a range of communication needs, including augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and PDA-informed approaches. He also provides support in articulation, language, fluency, and literacy, while recognising and valuing the unique ways each child’s brain and communication style work. Matt has immediate availability, so if neuroaffirming, family-centred speech therapy sounds like the right approach for your family, enquire now to discuss next steps.

Embrace Neurodiversity is an occupational therapy, speech therapy and disability support service based in the beautiful city of Newcastle NSW, committed to embracing neurodiversity and providing personalised care. Partner with us on this incredible journey to live a vibrant and fulfilling life.

29/12/2025

🌈 Immediate Capacity for Speech Therapy & Disability Support 🌈

Embrace Neurodiversity is currently accepting referrals for speech therapy and disability support services for 2026.

Our supports are neurodiversity-affirming, strengths-based, and founded on respect for each person's communication style, autonomy, and lived experience.

◦ No waitlist - appointments available from January 2026
◦ Evidence-informed speech, language and communication therapy
◦ Individualised disability supports at home and in the community
◦ Flexible scheduling
◦ Support for children, teens and adults

📍 Mobile services available in Newcastle & Hunter, NSW
🌈 Telehealth available nationwide for speech therapy
📞 Contact us on (02) 4965 7635 to get started!
🔗 Enquiries via https://embracend.com/request-our-services

24/12/2025

🌈 Immediate Capacity for Speech Therapy 🌈

Embrace Neurodiversity is accepting referrals for speech therapy services in 2026.

Matt is an Autistic adult and father of Autistic children, who offers strengths-based, neurodiversity-affirming speech therapy services built around the respect and celebration of neurodivergent communication styles.

• No waitlist - appointments available January 2026
• Neurodiversity-affirming support for speech, language, and communication needs
• Evidence-based approaches in a fun, engaging environment
• Flexible scheduling
• Serving toddlers to adults
• Accepting new referrals now

📍 Mobile services available in Newcastle & Hunter, NSW
🌈 Telehealth available nationwide
📞 Contact us on (02) 4965 7635 to get started!
🔗 Enquiries via https://embracend.com/request-our-services

29/10/2025

Happy OT Week 2025 🌈

This year’s theme, Occupational Therapy in Action, shines a light on the role OTs play in supporting independence, dignity, and participation across all stages of life.

14/08/2025

Thank you! I’m so grateful for the support of our community 🌈✨

After presenting our work embracing lived experience voices in mental health and autism research, The Feelings Program Team were honoured to be awarded the Australian Consumer Partnerships in Research 2025 Award for Excellence in Consumer Partnerships in Non-Commercial Research presented by AccessCR. 👏

It’s been a privilege to amplify lived experience voices in research in a role that is the first of its kind in public health, years in the making, and shaped through the long-standing consumer partnerships that make our work possible.

- Frances
🙏🌈✨

Alt Text: A glass award is displayed on a wooden table with green plants in the background. The inscription reads: Congratulations The Feelings Program Team Judge’s Choice Award Winner A: Excellence in Consumer Partnerships in Non-Commercial Research ACCESSCR AUSTRALIAN CONSUMER PARTNERSHIPS IN RESEARCH AWARDS 2025

28/07/2025

The Feelings Program team are finalists in the 2025 Australian Consumer Partnerships in Research Awards! 👏

Thank you to everyone who voted and supported our work.

The existence of this award speaks to the ongoing work of countless consumer advocates who care deeply about making research useful to the communities it's meant to serve.

We believe that research is better when we do it together. A belief that is reflected in our genuine partnership between Autistic people, families, and researchers. It has been a privilege to contribute as NSW Health's first Autistic Peer Researcher, alongside colleagues who value lived experience.

Congratulations to my team and to the young people and families whose voices lead the way.

This recognition belongs to all of us.

Alt text: Graphic announcing that The Feelings Program Team is a finalist in the 2025 Australian Consumer Partnerships in Research Awards, Category A: Excellence in Consumer Partnership in Non-Commercial Research, presented by AccessCR.

18/06/2025

🌈 June 18th is Autistic Pride Day! ♾️

Did you know Autistic Pride Day was started by Autistic people, for Autistic people?
Unlike many awareness campaigns often led by outsiders, today is about celebrating neurodivergent identity on our own terms.
What Autistic people want is simple:
✔️ To be accepted
✔️ To be heard
✔️ To be supported in ways that respect how we think, feel, move, and connect

We don’t need to be “fixed”, we need to be understood.
Not just acceptance, but appreciation for Autistic people.

05/06/2025

So happy to represent the Embrace Neurodiversity team at the Yellow Ladybugs 2025 Conference, an event dedicated to the happiness, success, and celebration of Autistic girls, students, and gender-diverse individuals 💛

03/06/2025

Today, Frances spoke on a panel, hosted by Gidget Foundation and Commonwealth Bank. She was joined by Eliza Hull (writer, musician and disability advocate) and Nastasia Campanella (ABC's National Disability Affairs Reporter) where they discussed parenting with disability.

The conversation centred on their lived experiences, and the need for systems to better recognise and support parents, especially during pregnancy and early parenthood, a period where many neurodivergent parents are still missed and unable to access support.

It was a privilege for Frances to stand alongside change-makers working towards better mental health outcomes for parents who are disabled or living with disability.

Thank you to the families we support for your flexibility this week. Your understanding helps make this work possible.

🌈♾️

[Alt Text]
Image 1: Frances McCafferty, wearing a pink suit and glasses, speaks into a microphone while seated on stage beside Eliza Hull, in a dark green suit, and Nas Campanella, in a yellow top and dark pants. A screen behind them displays their names and the Gidget Foundation logo.

Image 2: Frances, wearing a pink suit and glasses, stands smiling with Eliza, in a dark green velvet suit, and Nas, in a navy blazer with gold buttons and a yellow top. They're standing in front of a Gidget Foundation Australia backdrop.

28/05/2025

Thank you to everyone who stopped by our stall at The University of Newcastle, Australia Allied Health Expo yesterday! It was such a pleasure to meet future clinicians, connect with other providers, and share more about Embrace Neurodiversity.

We came away inspired by so many thoughtful conversations with neurodivergent staff, students, and their allies, and by the genuine curiosity around neurodiversity-affirming practice. We can't wait to do it all again!

If you'd like to learn more about us, or if you're interested in working together, head to
🔗 embracend.com/join-our-team