I’m a 43-year-old dad originally from the Central Coast NSW, now living in Western Sydney and working as a linemarker. I’m a father to three boys — Tristan, Benji and Tommy.

My autism journey started with Benji. From a really young age, we knew something wasn’t quite adding up. When he’d get overwhelmed, he would bash his head on things, and honestly, we had no clue what we were dealing with or where to even begin.

From our very first meetings with Northcott, it all came at us pretty full-on — the information, the questions, the appointments, the decisions. It was a lot. Proper head-spin stuff.

Kat and I didn’t have much support around us at the time. We’d moved away from family, so we were pretty much on our own out here, and it felt incredibly isolating at times. Looking back now, that’s a big part of why Autism Dad exists today.

What started as just sharing our journey has grown into a community of parents, carers and families who genuinely get it — the tough days, the funny moments, the chaos, and the little wins that mean the world when you’re raising neurodivergent kids.

Building this community has also made something very clear: there’s a massive gap in support and access for neurodivergent kids and their families. Too many of the things our kids need aren’t easy to get — they’re things families end up chasing, frustrating over, and fighting for… and that shouldn’t be the norm.

That’s why partnerships, sponsorships and collaborators matter so much in what we’re building. They help us create and deliver services we’re working towards making as accessible — and as free as possible — for families. Because support shouldn’t depend on how deep your pockets are.

Too often, the supports and opportunities we’ve accessed have come at a cost — not just financially, but emotionally too. And honestly, it shouldn’t be that way. Families shouldn’t be out here forking out big money just to get their kids what they need to get through the day.

Support should be there, easy to access, no hoops to jump through — just as it is for neurotypical families. No stress, no barriers, no nonsense.

Autism Dad isn’t about pretending everything’s perfect. It’s about keeping it real, backing each other, and making sure no one feels like they’re going through it alone.

If you’re here, welcome 💙