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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 This weekend brought new connections, meaningful conversations, and a powerful reminder of the impact we have when we come together.
On Saturday, the Belongside Families team was at the Stronger Together Expo. It was incredible to connect with so many Hills District families. We loved meeting new parents and carers, and seeing families already part of our community face to face for the first time.
We were energised by the opportunity to connect with individuals and organisations who share our vision of supporting children and families, including Tairyn from The Parks Community Network, Laetitia from Understanding Zoe, Atilio from Dad’s Speak, Kate and Bridget from Bridget Kelly Art, and para-athlete Julie Charlton.
We’re looking forward to deepening these relationships and continuing to offer free supports for families raising children with disability, delay and autism in the Hills. Excitingly, we’ll be announcing new collaborations with The Parks Community Network and Understanding Zoe soon!
This weekend reminded us *just* how powerful community can be, and we can’t wait to keep building it together.
Aug 18
From navigating everyday challenges to building your confidence to partner with teachers and advocate for your child at school, our free online events are here to support you and your family every step of the way.
Here’s what’s on this week — plus a look ahead at the workshops and webinars coming up:
🔶 When School is Hard – Autism Webinar
📅 Mon, 18 Aug | 8:00 pm
🔶 The Comparison Trap – Daytime Virtual MyTime
📅 Tue, 19 Aug | 12:00 pm
🔶 8yrs+: Big Feelings in Big Kids – Virtual Autism MyTime
📅 Thu, 21 Aug | 8:00 pm
🔶 Connect & Chat – Virtual MyTime
📅 Fri, 22 Aug | 7:30 pm
💡 Save the Date — Upcoming Workshops & Webinars
🔶 All About Me – Interactive Workshop
📅 Tue, 26 Aug | 8:00 pm
🔶 Partnering with Your Child’s School – Interactive Workshop
📅 Mon, 1 Sep | 8:00 pm
🔶 Autistic Families – Interactive Workshop
📅 Mon, 8 Sep | 8:00 pm
🔶 From Childhood to Teens – Interactive Workshop
📅 Wed, 17 Sep | 8:00 pm
🔶 How We Talk About It – Autism Webinar
📅 Thu, 11 Sep | 8:00 pm
📌 See the full event calendar via the Linkin.bio
👩🏻💻All sessions are FREE and online. Times are based on NSW / AEST. 🧡
#ByFamiliesForFamilies #PeerLed #ParentingDisability #PeerSupport #WalkingWithFamilies #ReframingDisability #SpecialNeedsMum #SpecialNeedsMother #MyTime #AutismParentingTips #DisabilityParenting
Aug 17
Missed the live event?
Time is running out to catch up on our Understanding Masking webinar.
In this session, Educational & Developmental Psychologist Raelene Dundon delivers a thoughtful presentation based on real questions and common challenges and shares practical strategies to help your child feel safe, understood, and confident being their authentic self.
We explore:
🔸 What masking is and how it can show up in children
🔸 How masking can be mistaken for “good behaviour” and what might really be going on underneath
🔸 How to raise masking concerns with educators and therapists
🔸 The quieter, more subtle signs your child might be masking
🎥 Register now to be sent the recording and catch up in your own time
⏳ Hurry, registrations close 8pm Monday 18 August.
🔗 Visit the Linkin.bio
Aug 14
You’re not alone if you’ve felt that sinking feeling when reports reduce your child to a long list of deficits and delays.
You want others to see your child as more.
More than the things they find hard.
More than missed milestones.
More than their worst days...
But at the same time, you want them to get the support they need.
It can feel like walking a tightrope.
Too much focus on the positives, and people might overlook their support needs.
Too much focus on the challenges, and they miss the whole person.
But there is a way to do both.
To share their strengths.
What they love.
What lights them up.
All the things that make them "them".
Plus, the strategies and supports that help — so they can be the best version of themselves.
It’s not about sugar-coating what’s hard.
It’s about sharing it in a way that invites understanding instead of judgment.
We unpack it step-by-step in our All About Me workshop.
It’s free, online, designed for parents of children with disability, developmental delay, and autism.
And it might just be the most useful 90 minutes you spend this term.
📅 Tue, 26 Aug, 8pm
🔗 Spaces are limited, visit linkin.bio to register
Aug 12
From preparing for school transitions to building your confidence to speak up for your child, our online events help you grow skills and connect with a community of support.
Here’s what’s on this week — plus a look ahead at the workshops and webinars coming up to support you and your family.
🔶 Safe & Skilled Support Workers – Webinar
📅 Tue, 12 Aug | 12:00 pm
🔶 The Comparison Trap – Evening Virtual MyTime
📅 Tue, 12 Aug | 8:00 pm
🔶 Under 8yrs: Play, Joy & Interests – Virtual Autism MyTime
📅 Wed, 13 Aug | 8:00 pm
🔶 Connect & Chat – Virtual MyTime
📅 Thu, 14 Aug | 7:30 pm
💡 Save the Date — Upcoming Workshops & Webinars
🔶 When School is Hard – Autism Webinar
📅 Mon, 18 Aug | 8:00 pm
🔶 Advocacy at School – Interactive Workshop
📅 Wed, 20 Aug | 8:00 pm
🔶 All About Me – Interactive Workshop
📅 Tue, 26 Aug | 8:00 pm
🔶 Partnering with Your Child’s School – Interactive Workshop
📅 Mon, 1 Sep | 8:00 pm
🔶 Autistic Families – Interactive Workshop
📅 Mon, 8 Sep | 8:00 pm
📌 See the full event calendar via the Linkin.bio
👩🏻💻All sessions are FREE and online. Times are based on NSW / AEST. 🧡
#BelongsideFamilies #ParentSupport #AutismSupport #InclusiveEvents #MyTime #DisabilitySupport #FreeEventsAustralia
Aug 10
The way we describe our children matters.
When it comes to how others see them.
And how they come to see themselves.
But far too often, reports and assessments take a deficit-based view.
They focus on the gaps, the challenges, the delays.
And they rarely capture the full picture of who our children really are.
That’s where a strengths-based approach can make a real difference.
Not by ignoring what’s hard.
But by including *why* certain things are tricky.
What can help.
And the strengths that can exist right alongside the challenges.
💬 If you feel comfortable, we’d love to hear:
What’s one way you describe your child through a strengths-based lens?
📖 If you’d like help crafting your own strengths-based snapshot of your child, something you can share with teachers, therapists or support workers, our free All About Me workshop is a great place to start.
🗓 Tue 26 Aug, 8pm
🔗 Find out more via Linkin.bio
Aug 5
From everyday challenges to growing your advocacy, our online events offer space to learn, reflect, and connect with families who get it.
Here’s what’s on this week — plus a look ahead at the workshops and webinars designed to support you and your family.
🔶 Nutrition in Complex Care – Medical Webinar
📅 Mon, 4 Aug | 12:00 pm
🔶 Managing Hard Days – Daytime Virtual MyTime
📅 Tue, 5 Aug | 12:00 pm
🔶 8+ Years: Understanding Masking – Virtual Autism MyTime
📅 Thu, 7 Aug | 8:00 pm
🔶 Connect & Chat – Virtual MyTime
📅 Fri, 8 Aug | 7:30 pm
💡 Save the Date: Upcoming Workshops & Webinars
🔶Safe & Skilled Support Workers – Webinar
📅Tue, 12 Aug | 12:00 pm
🔶 Healthy Mothers Healthy Families – Interactive Workshop
📅 Tue, 12 Aug | 7:30 pm
🔶When School is Hard – Autism Webinar
📅Mon, 18 Aug | 8:00 pm
🔶 Advocacy at School – Interactive Workshop
📅 Wed, 20 Aug | 8:00 pm
🔶 All About Me – Interactive Workshop
📅 Tue, 26 Aug | 8:00 pm
📌 See the full event calendar via the Linkin.bio
👩🏻💻All sessions are FREE and online. Times based on NSW / AEST. 🧡
#BelongsideFamilies #ParentSupport #AutismSupport #InclusiveEvents #MyTime #DisabilitySupport #FreeEventsAustralia
Aug 3
It’s so easy to get caught up in the goals, the progress, the milestones.
And while that’s part of the journey when you’re raising a child with disability. When all our focus lands there, it so easy to lose sight of the little human in front of us.
To notice how they light up when you enter the room.
To marvel at their fierce determination.
To enjoy all the little things that bring them such joy.
A whole, brilliant person — not defined by what they can’t do yet, or how they compare.
But by everything that makes them who they are. Just as they are.
🧡
Aug 1
What do you do when school leaves your child overwhelmed, burnt out, and misunderstood?
This is the reality for far too many Autistic children. And if that’s your family`s experience, you’re not alone.
In this free webinar, with guest speaker Dr Siobhan Lamb, we’ll unpack why school can be such a tough environment for Autistic students and what families and educators can do to make things better.
We’ll discuss practical strategies, advocacy tools, and options beyond the mainstream to help you support your child with confidence and clarity.
Join us to explore
🔸Why traditional school environments often clash with Autistic needs
🔸How to work with schools and advocate effectively
🔸How to nurture your child’s identity and confidence at school
🔸Alternatives to mainstream education that support thriving, not just surviving
Register to attend live or to be sent the recording!
🗓 Monday 18 August
⏰ 8:00–8:45pm (NSW)
📍 Online via zoom
🔗Visit the Likin.bio to register.
Jul 31
✨Meet Kylie: Peer Facilitator at Belongside Families ✨
Kylie is an experienced Peer Facilitator, working to empower families raising children with disability. She collaborates with families and professionals, supporting peers using evidence-based, child-led and strengths-based approaches. Her work also incorporates mindfulness, growth mindset, emotion coaching and positive psychology.
👨👩👧👦 She is a mum to two amazing neurodivergent school-aged kids. Her family lives the day-to-day journey of what a medical and disability diagnosis means. Her youngest is also Autistic and has taught her new perspectives she didn’t realise she needed.
🌍 Kylie is passionate about family leadership, advocacy and inclusion. Her work has taken her around Australia and the world, presenting at conferences, including the Global Leadership Exchange in 2024. She has also been featured in webinars and podcasts.
💁♀️ At Belongside Families, Kylie runs virtual MyTime sessions, always bringing a sense of warmth, acceptance and positivity to her groups. She also facilitates Healthy Mothers Healthy Families workshops, supporting mothers of children with disability to create a healthy lifestyle that fosters their own wellbeing, alongside a healthy, happy family life.
👶 A fun fact about Kylie is a birth doula who holds space for women and families as they welcome their beautiful babies into their world.
🏞 Outside of work, Kylie loves walks in nature as it resets her nervous system. She likes to escape by bingeing on Netflix, reading and discussing books with her book club.
🧡 Kylie is passionate about showing up, standing together and advocating for a world where everyone belongs.
.....
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.
Jul 29
Whether you’re navigating tricky days, seeking helpful strategies, or looking to connect with other families, our free online events are here to support you.
Here’s what’s on this week — plus a look ahead at the workshops and webinars designed to support you and your family.
🔶 Understanding Masking – Autism Webinar
📅 Mon, 28 Jul | 8:00 pm
🔶 Managing Hard Days – Evening Virtual MyTime
📅 Tue, 29 Jul | 8:00 pm
🔶 Under 8yrs: Their Sensory World – Virtual Autism MyTime
📅 Wed, 30 Jul | 8:00 pm
🔶 Connect & Chat – Virtual MyTime
📅 Thu, 31 Jul | 7:30 pm
💡 Save the Date
**Upcoming Workshops & Webinars**
🔶 Autistic Families – Interactive Workshop
📅 Mon, 4 Aug | 8:00 pm
🔶 Nutrition in Complex Care – Medical Webinar
📅 Mon, 4 Aug | 12:00 pm
🔶 Healthy Mothers Healthy Families – Interactive Workshop
📅 Tue, 12 Aug | 7:30 pm
🔶 Advocacy at School – Interactive Workshop
📅 Wed, 20 Aug | 8:00 pm
🔶 All About Me – Interactive Workshop
📅 Tue, 26 Aug | 8:00 pm
📌 See the full event calendar via the Linkin.bio
All sessions are FREE, online, and open to parents and carers of children with disability or developmental concerns. NSW Time. 🧡
#ByFamiliesForFamilies #PeerLed #ParentingDisability #PeerSupport #Belong+Alongside #WalkingWithFamilies #ReframingDisability #SpecialNeedsMum #SpecialNeedsMother #MyTime #AutismParentingTips #CareGiverSupport #DisabilityParenting
Jul 27
My name is Luca. The accomplishment in my life that I’m most proud of is starting my microenterprise, Braille by Luca.
I started learning Braille when I was in primary school. Braille is extremely difficult to learn. It takes many months to even develop the sensitivity in your finger pads to feel the Braille dots. I am currently doing an advanced course in Braille online. I am also studying indigenous cultures at Sydney University.
Through my business, I try to make the world more accessible by providing Braille services. I create cards and bookmarks which I sell at markets and on my website. I also teach students through Braille workshops at local schools.
I create all the paintings used in the cards I sell. I have also collaborated with other artists creating Braille content that was used as part of artworks and providing Braille signs for exhibitions. I have even transcribed a book called Lillian, the Tiriki Girl into Braille.
I love to work with other creatives. My next goal is to move my office into a shared workplace surrounded by other creative people.
To me, having a good life means having friends, doing interesting work and being part of a community.
When it comes to low vision or blindness, I wish people would truly understand the importance of accessibility. Braille opens up a whole new world for people who are blind, so I love that my work is part of that. I also love to share my knowledge of Braille with all people, not just those that are vision impaired.
My advice to other young blind people is don’t hold back!
Luca Weber is a creative entrepreneur, artist and university student. You can find out more about Luca’s work at his website Braille by Luca in the linkin.bio.
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#StoriesOfTheGoodLife #ByFamiliesForFamilies #AccessibleArt #VisionImpairedArtist #ArtWithoutLimits #AccessibilityMatters #BlindCreatives #BrailleArt
Jul 25
