In recent months, public debate — particularly in parts of the world such as the United States — has shown how quickly ill-informed discussions and propaganda about Autism/Neurodiversity and identity can become polarized.  It has been both distressing and deeply disheartening to witness ignorance and misinformation being perpetuated in ways that undermine safety, respect, and understanding. The tone of these debates has been deeply harmful and a set back to the decades of advocacy that has worked to centre lived experience and expertise for Autistic and/or otherwise Neurodivergent communities (which also include the LGBTIQA+ community members).  At NAN Inc, we know we stand on the shoulders of giants — those whose courage, persistence, and vision carved the pathways that continue to guide us in our work today.

Closer to home, similar patterns can be felt where programs and initiatives continue to be developed about Autistic people rather than with them. When lived experience, high-level expertise, and genuine co-design are missing — particularly across lines of intersectionality such as gender, culture, disability, and sexuality — progress risks being shaped by partial perspectives.  For many families, young people, and children in our  network, this exclusion is not theoretical; it’s lived daily, in the ongoing ways systems fail to reflect who we are.

Although these developments are difficult to bear — both as individuals and as a not-for-profit working in this space — they also reaffirm why community-led, grassroots movements and systemic advocacy are so important.  Within our community— and far beyond it — there are countless examples of the antidote: people and allies who stand alongside us. Autistic-led networks, community stakeholders, educators, parent representatives, volunteers, and individuals in positions of influence continue to model understanding and integrity. Some of these people are not part of the neurodivergent or LGBTIQA+ communities themselves, but have reached out in solidarity as allies — recognizing the systemic barriers we face and helping to dismantle them.

It’s through these partnerships that hope continues to grow — reminding us that inclusion is built collectively, not in isolation. At times like these, holding space for empathy, safety, and belonging becomes essential. Inclusion is not simply an aspiration; it’s an act of care, a shared responsibility, and a cornerstone of human rights — reminding us of our collective capacity to listen, learn, and stand alongside one another.

We know that change takes time, and when long-standing practices continue to overshadow lived experience, progress in reality is painfully slow. Yet there is hope — hope that our education system, government policy, and broader culture will continue to move toward inclusion that is authentic, intentional, and embedded in every space where we live, learn, and connect. This means designing with, not for — ensuring that inclusion is built in from the start through genuine co-design, particularly within schools, where so much of the impact — and too often, the trauma — first occurs for families and young people.

Within the spaces and communities where NAN Inc now operates — including across regional Victoria — we see that hope taking shape in meaningful ways.

Lisa