“This is my protected timeslot. It is saved in my calendar and my partner knows that this is a non-negotiable for me. I have learnt so much from everyone in the group and I love being able to share and help other parents.”
Who we are
Belongside Families is an independent, not-for-profit peer support organisation for families of children with disability, developmental delays and autism. We help families to navigate complex disability systems and services and build the skills, knowledge and confidence that will see their children and family thrive. Our peer groups and programs, trusted resources, and supportive community are online and free. We're passionate about all children and families living their best lives and discovering a future full of possibility.
Learn MoreNo family should start their journey alone
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Don’t worry, we’re not here to overload your inbox. What you’ll get from us will be inspiring stories, details of upcoming events, helpful resources and other opportunities to be part of our community. From our family to yours, every fortnight or so.
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To connect, celebrate and learn with parents and carers on their own beautiful journeys. Ours is a safe space where you can come to ask advice and share experiences on anything from your child's diagnosis to navigating the NDIS.
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@belongsidefamilies Guilt. It`s so easy to beat ourselves up about what we didn’t know back in the early days of our journey. What we wished we’d learned sooner, how we would have parented our children differently or made different choices ...
While we can`t go back in time. What we can do is this:
🧡 Let go of the guilt — we’re all doing the best we can with what we know.
🧡 Keep learning — about our children, and how best to support them.
At Belongside Families, our free webinars and workshops are here to help you do just that. To feel more confident. More informed. And more supported, wherever you are on your journey.
Find out more via Linkin.bio
Jun 6
Sometimes connection happens when you slow down.
No pressure, just presence (oh, and the patience to wait 😆).
That’s @breepennie ‘s from @belongsidefamilies Son Dax putting her through her paces with the high 20s ✋✋✋✋✋
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#BelongsideFamilies #ByFamiliesForFamilies #PeerLed #ParentingDisability #SpecialNeedsParenting #FindingJoyInTheJourney #KidsWithDisabilities #TeamBelongsideFamilies
Jun 4
Swipe ➡️ to see what’s coming up over the next 2 weeks. Join our free MyTime peer groups, interactive workshops, and webinars to connect, learn, and feel more confident on your parenting journey.
Here are just a few highlights:
🔶 The next session in our Supporting Siblings Webinar Series:
Supporting Relationships & Resilience - Tue, 3 Jun, 12:00pm
🔶 The final session in Beyond the Diagnosis Webinar Series:
When The Load Gets Heavy - Wed, 4 Jun, 12:00pm
🔶 Introduction to Advocacy Interactive Workshop - Wed, 11 Jun, 7:30pm
🔗 To find out more and register visit the Linkin.bio
#ByFamiliesForFamilies #PeerLed #ParentingDisability #PeerSupport #Belong+Alongside #WalkingWithFamilies #ReframingDisability #SpecialNeedsMum #SpecialNeedsMother #MyTime #AutismParentingTips #CareGiverSupport #DisabilityParenting
Jun 1
✨ Meet Melo: Peer Facilitator at Belongside Families ✨
After decades of studying consumer behaviour and team performance, for the last ten years, Melo has been delivering parenting programs on Secure Attachment, Emotion Coaching and Family Leadership in Australia and abroad.
👨👩👧👦 Melo lives in Sydney with his wife, 15-year-old son and 13-year-old daughter. It is daughter Victoria, who has a significant intellectual disability, ADHD and physical challenges, that is the reason Melo now works in the disability sector in an effort to ‘pay it forward’ after receiving valuable support in his own parenting journey.
👔 Melo currently sits on the Reference Group for Children, Families and Young People Advising the IAC to the NDIS, and also the Integrity Working Group as well as the Participant Reference Group to the NDIS, and is part of the Carers Advisory Group on Intellectual Disability for Clinical Innovation to NSW Health.
☕ Outside of work, Melo enjoys watching his son play soccer, and getting out into the community with his daughter to a farmers’ market, a shopping centre, or a café.
😊 Melo is particularly interested in supporting fathers of children with disability to be better partners, parents and people.
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Everyone on our team is raising a child with disability, delay, or autism. That lived experience is at the heart of everything we do — and it’s what makes Belongside Families different.
#BelongsideFamilies #WalkingAlongside #FamiliesSupportingFamilies #BelongsideCommunity #ByFamiliesForFamilies #PeerLed #ParentingDisability #BelongsideFamiliesTeam
May 30
Some parts of parenting are hard to talk about. The unexpected grief.
The mental load. The quiet identity shifts no one prepares you for.
You`re not alone in those feelings, far from it. And we`re creating a space for these conversations
In this free webinar series, parents and professionals sit down to explore the emotional side of parenting and the feelings that all too often go unspoken.
We hope you can join us tomorrow at 12pm (NSW time). But if you can’t make it, don’t worry, you can still register to receive the replay.
Find out more via Linkin.bio
May 27
Swipe ➡️ to see what’s coming up over the next 2 weeks. Join our free MyTime peer groups, interactive workshops, and webinars to connect, learn, and feel more confident on your parenting journey.
Here are just a few highlights:
🔶 Understanding the Sibling Experience: Tue, 27 May
🔶 Transition to Teens Interactive Workshop: Mon, 2 Jun
🔶 Beyond the Diagnosis:
Dealing with Family & Friends: Wed, 28 May
Finding You Again with Prof. Helen Bourke-Taylor: Fri, 30 May
🔗 To find out more and register visit the Linkin.bio
#ByFamiliesForFamilies #PeerLed #ParentingDisability #PeerSupport #Belong+Alongside #WalkingWithFamilies #ReframingDisability #SpecialNeedsMum #SpecialNeedsMother #MyTime #AutismParentingTips #CareGiverSupport #DisabilityParenting
May 25
As @melanie.dimmitt shares, grief and comparison soften with time. Thankfully, as we adjust and settle into this new version of parenting, they don’t hold the same weight they once did.
But they can still show up—unexpectedly, quietly, in small moments. And that’s okay.
It’s all part of the journey. And you’re not alone in this.
🧡 This moment is from our Beyond the Diagnosis series—a space for honest reflection on the emotional side of disability parenting. Explore more of the free series or register to receive this replay via the Linkin.bio
May 23
✨ Meet Sarah: Peer Facilitator at Belongside Families ✨
Sarah began her career in Early Childhood Education and Care. Over 20 years, Sarah worked as a teacher, educational leader, service director and manager in early learning and early intervention settings.
👩👦 Becoming a mum to Joshua introduced Sarah to the world of disability, a place that initially felt isolating, raw and often left Sarah second-guessing herself. But Sarah was determined to be the best parent and carer she could be for her son.
🥰 When Joshua was diagnosed with autism, along with other diagnoses, Sarah began attending virtual MyTime sessions through Belongside Families. Sarah had never felt so connected to a group or community.
✨What started as a way to support herself as a carer and parent soon developed into something more. Now, Sarah works as a Peer Facilitator at Belongside Families, sharing her lived experience and knowledge while facilitating the Envisage program.
🐘 A fun fact about Sarah is that she adores elephants. She loves their empathy, compassion and sense of community.
😋 Outside of work, Sarah loves cooking and sharing food with others. She also enjoys going to the movies and listening to her favourite music.
🧡 Sarah hopes that families who come across Belongside Families feel connected, valued and know that they’re not alone and their stories are worth sharing.
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Everyone on our team is raising a child with disability, delay, or autism. That lived experience is at the heart of everything we do — and it’s what makes Belongside Families different.
#BelongsideFamilies #WalkingAlongside #FamiliesSupportingFamilies #BelongsideCommunity #ByFamiliesForFamilies #PeerLed #ParentingDisability #BelongsideFamiliesTeam
May 21
In our Virtual Autism MyTime session on Neurodivergent Parenting last week, we discussed the concept of spoon theory.
What is spoon theory, you might ask.
In this post, we delve into the concept of spoon theory, what is and how it might apply to the life of a neurodivergent parent.
Swipe ⬅ for more.
Don’t forget, Belongside Families runs a number of free peer groups and programs to help parents and carers feel more supported and prioritise their health and wellbeing.
🔷 Virtual Autism MyTime runs fortnightly and offers a space to connect with parents, share experiences and get support.
Our next Autism MyTime is tomorrow Wednesday 21 May, and will look at ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder).
🔗 Space are limited, find out more and register via the Linkin.bio
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#NeuroaffirmingCare #Neuroaffirming #AutismParentSupport #AutismDiagnosis #SpecialNeedsParenting #DisabilityParentingJourney
#BelongsideFamilies #ByFamiliesForFamilies #AutismMyTime #VirtualAutismMyTime
May 20
We’re proud to be partnering with Siblings Australia to bring families of children with disability a free five-part webinar series focused on supporting siblings.
Each session combines expert guidance with lived experience through practical presentations and open conversations with professionals, parents, and carers. You’ll gain tools and strategies to build resilience, strengthen sibling relationships, and support the needs of every child in your family.
We’ll cover:
🔸Understanding the Sibling Experience: Tue 27 May
🔸Supporting Relationships & Resilience: Tue 3 June
🔸The Sibling Role: Now & Into the Future: Tue 10 June
🔸 Building School & Community Connections: Tue 17 June
🔸Sibling Support in Medically Complex Families: Tue 24 June
🕰All sessions run 12:00–12:45pm (NSW time)
✏️Register to attend live or receive the replay via linkin.bio
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#SupportingSiblingsOfShildrenWithDisability #ByFamiliesForFamilies #PeerLed #ParentingDisability #PeerSupport #WalkingWithFamilies #ReframingDisability #SpecialNeedsMum #SpecialNeedsMother #DisabilityParenting
May 19
Check out the events coming up in the next 2 weeks:
🔶Tube Feeding: Medical Info Session
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🔶Introduction to Advocacy: Interactive Workshop
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🔶Reimagining Your Parenting Role: Conversations
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🔶Understanding ARFID: Virtual Autism MyTime
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🔶 Healthy Mothers Healthy Families: Workshops
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🔶 Connect & Chat: Virtual MyTime
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🔶Picnic in the Park: Central Coast Catch-Ups
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🔶Have your Say Western Sydney: In-Person Event
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🔶Understanding the Sibling Experience: Webinar Series
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🔶Returning to Work: Virtual MyTime
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🔶Dealing with Family & Friends: Conversations
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🔶Coffee Catch-Ups at Gables: In-Person Events
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🔶Everyday Advocacy at School: Interactive Workshops
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🔶Finding You Again: Conversations
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🔶 Connect & Chat: Virtual MyTime
All times are based on NSW Time
#ByFamiliesForFamilies #PeerLed #ParentingDisability #PeerSupport #Belong+Alongside #WalkingWithFamilies #ReframingDisability #SpecialNeedsMum #SpecialNeedsMother #ParentingDisability #MyTime #CheckInAndConnect #DisabilityAwareness #ConnectAndChat #DropInAndChat #AutismParentingTips #CareGiverSupport #DisabilityParenting #DisabilityEducation #InclusiveEducation
May 18
The messy, beautiful reality of caregiving. Who can relate 🙋♀️
If you`re navigating the challenges of tube feeding in your family, you`re not alone.
Pam will be facilitating a free info session on Tube Feeding with Natalie Gentile, Paediatric Nursing Specialist and Registered Stomal Therapist from @childrens_nursing_queensland .
Together, they`ll talk about the hard parts, what helps, and share practical tips about the ins and outs of tube feeding.
🗓 Monday 19 May, 12:00pm (NSW Time)
📍 Free online session
🎥 Register to attend live or be emailed the replay via linkin.bio
#TubeFeeding #PEGFeeding #MedicalParenting #BelongsideFamilies #DisabilitySupport #FeedingTubeLife #cmvwarrior #cmv #tubefed #pegfed #newpeg #mumguilt #showercry
May 15
