Seymour and District Community House’s Raising Diverse, which has been running since early July, was created as a way to provide local people raising children with Autism Spectrum Disorder or ADHD with the resources and knowledge to navigate their experience with empowerment.
House manager Krystal Bolejko said the idea came after she perceived what appeared to be a gap in the community.
“From my perspective as manager of the house, being on the ground with other services and speaking with the community, it was something I flagged as an opportunity to support people living the neurodiverse experience,” she said.
After putting up a post on Facebook calling for a facilitator with lived experience, Ms Bolejko appointed Dee McCulloch, who calls herself “a late diagnosed ADHD-er”, to run the sessions.
Ms McCulloch, whose daughter is diagnosed with autism, has a background in community services and mental health, and was also a teacher’s aide at a specialist school in Ascot Vale.
Ms Bolejko said it was important that the facilitator had a first-hand understanding of ADHD and ASD.
“It is such a niche experience,” she said.
“If you have somebody with lived experience, or even a diagnosis themselves, then that’s just a wealth of knowledge and understanding, and people seem to connect better with people who have those shared experiences.”
Each session is led by the participants, enabling them to get the information they need to support their parenting or caregiving.
“We just sit together and we talk about our experiences, our challenges and the positive things as well — we always try to incorporate the good that’s happened,” Ms McCulloch said.
“It’s shared knowledge ... Having something that’s community-led, where one person may have access (to a certain service), they can share resources from their allied health support in this space.
“It really is informal, community-led and relaxed education.”
Although it can be difficult to navigate the healthcare system and hard to know which services you can and can’t access, the group provides a comfortable environment for information sharing.
“There are definitely a few barriers, but being able to form a group where people can share knowledge, resources and pathways to access different services is the key purpose,” Ms Bolejko said.
“And if people walk away with their shoulders feeling a little lighter or they feel a little more validated, then that’s a job well done.”
Ms McCulloch said there was no real end-date for participants.
“It’s all learning, it’s continual,” she said.
“Kids are all different, and what works for one might not work for another.
“We’re always hungry for knowledge, resources and new things.”
The group runs every Monday between 10.30am and noon.
Attendance is free, and all parents, guardians and carers raising children with ASD or ADHD are welcome to attend.
For more information, contact Seymour and District Community House on seycom01@bigpond.net.au or 5792 3152.
