Words by Maddie Francis // 3 min read time.
Supporting families means recognising that every parent brings their own strengths, needs and ways of experiencing the world. For practitioners at Woi-wurrung-yagila-wulumperi, Whittlesea Early Parenting Centre (WEPC), this includes understanding how parenting and accessing support may be experienced differently by Autistic parents.
Mercy Health reached out to the Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre (OTARC) to explore how they could support staff to better understand the experiences of Autistic parents accessing their Early Parenting Centre. With this in mind, Maddie Francis, OTARC’s Training Coordinator, organised a dedicated professional learning session for WEPC practitioners. The session was created by Dr Melissa Gilbert, bringing OTARC’s autism expertise into the practical context of supporting families during the early years.
Dr Gilbert, Teaching & Research Fellow at OTARC, delivered Supporting Autistic Parents, a session designed specifically for practitioners working with young children and their families. Drawing on research and practical examples, she explored Autistic parenting experiences and how greater understanding can inform accessible, neurodiversity affirming practice.
“The early years of parenting can at times be quite stressful and overwhelming for all parents, but with added complexity for Autistic parents. It’s really encouraging that professionals like those at the early parenting centre are proactively seeking ways they can better support Autistic parents. All of the staff were so welcoming and engaged in our session, which was wonderful,” said Dr Melissa Gilbert.
WEPC practitioners support families with children from birth to four years, who may attend for a day or stay for up to four nights. Families often seek support around sleep and settling, nutrition and feeding, and play. Melissa encouraged practitioners to consider the parent’s experience alongside the child’s needs, including how everyday aspects of an Early Parenting Centre may be experienced differently by an Autistic parent.
The session explored how autism can present in adulthood and invited practitioners to view familiar aspects of their work through an Autistic parent’s perspective. Melissa considered sensory experiences, communication, routines and overwhelm, while also highlighting the strengths Autistic parents can bring to parenting and the importance of avoiding assumptions about individual needs.
Through practical discussion of bonding and play, feeding and nutrition, and sleep and settling, Melissa shared ways practitioners can make support more accessible, including clear communication, consideration of sensory needs and working collaboratively with parents. The session gave WEPC staff an opportunity to reflect on how neurodiversity affirming practice can help Autistic parents feel heard, understood and supported.
“On behalf of Mercy Health’s Early Parenting Centres staff, [we] want to thank [Melissa] sincerely for taking the time to prepare, deliver, and engage in an extremely informative, relevant, and interesting presentation. Staff have commented that the way in which you teach the information, highlighted with examples, helped staff make sense of and retain lots of information…[and ] helped solidify staff’s intentions to ensure they continue to reflect on and engage in neuro-affirming practices.“
Tania and Sue from the Mercy Health team.
“Maddie, thank you for your support in bringing us together and a follow-up check in… I’m sure [we] will be reaching out in future for further presentations and look forward to expanding our relationship together,”
