Altogether Autism

20/11/2025

Active Coping and Self-Advocacy Strategies for Autistic People

Living with chronic health conditions can affect every part of life. For Autistic people, these experiences often bring unique challenges.

In this article, author Luella Wheeler reflects on the shifts in thinking, habits, and self-advocacy that have supported her wellbeing over time. She shares what has worked in her own context, while acknowledging that everyone’s needs and experiences are different.

Read more here 👇

Living with a chronic health condition means experiencing impacts on many, if not every, part of life. These experiences can have unique features for Autistic people because of the ways we sense ourselves and navigate our worlds. Living with a health condition means developing coping strategies.

19/11/2025

Have you registered for the upcoming free events from Your Way l Kia Roha?

See below.

🚨 Have you registered for our upcoming free workshops with the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment?

Know your employment rights and responsibilities
🗓️ Thursday, 27 November
🕐 10am-11:30am
🔗 Register here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2RFMWRV

Know your tenancy rights and responsibilities
🗓️ Tuesday, 16 December
🕐 10am-11:30am
🔗 Register here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LNKKNKW

Don’t miss out, spots are limited!

17/11/2025

Navigating Autistic perimenopause 🧠🌿
Author, Sam Galloway, shares how the transition into perimenopause can be especially challenging for Autistic adults. She talks about how sensory sensitivities, executive-function demands, emotional intensity and masking fatigue can all interact with hormonal and bodily changes. She also highlights how this phase can bring both heightened vulnerability and opportunities for self-awareness and growth.

Whether you’re Autistic, supporting someone who is, or are a professional in the field, this piece offers thoughtful insight into a life-stage too often overlooked.

Read the article below 👇

Sam Galloway shares her lived experience of ongoing Autistic perimenopause.

10/11/2025

Our friends at Your Way l Kia Roha are hosting a free workshop to help you understand your tenancy rights and responsibilities.
Details below:

📣 Free online workshop | Know your tenancy rights and responsibilities

We’re excited to be partnering with the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) to host a free Zoom workshop to help you understand your tenancy rights and responsibilities. We want to make sure this workshop is relevant and useful for you, so we encourage you to complete the short SurveyMonkey linked below to help shape the content around your interests and questions.

🗓️ Tuesday, 16 December
🕐 10am-11:30am
🔗 Register here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LNKKNKW

You’ll learn about:
✔️ Tenancy rights and responsibilities (understanding your entitlements).
✔️ Bond services - where your tenancy bond is kept.
✔️ Dispute resolution - where to get help for tenancy relationship issues.
✔️ The work of the Tenancy Compliance and Investigations Team.
✔️ Free help and support available to you.

07/11/2025

Calling Pacific Autistic adults, parents, and professionals! 🌺

Researchers Dr Rochelle Nafatali, Dr Hannah Waddington and Sophie Coffey from Victoria University of Wellington want to hear from you.
They’re exploring what successful outcomes look like for Pacific Autistic children, their families in Aotearoa and how autism supports can better meet Pacific communities’ needs.

Who can take part?
•Pacific Autistic adults (18+).
•Family members of Pacific Autistic children (aged 0–21).
•Pacific professionals working with Pacific Autistic children.

For more information and to take the survey: https://vuw.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1FCYR4XT6sL8dSe

For more information, contact:
📧 Dr Rochelle Nafatali - rochelle.nafatali@vuw.ac.nz
📧 Dr Hannah Waddington - hannah.waddington@vuw.ac.nz
📧 Sophie Coffey - sophie.coffey@vuw.ac.nz

05/11/2025

Our friends at Your Way l Kia Roha are hosting a free workshop to help you understand your employment rights and responsibilities.

Details below:

📣 Free online workshop | Know your employment rights and responsibilities

We’re excited to be partnering with the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) to host a free Zoom workshop to help you understand your employment rights and responsibilities. We want to make sure this workshop is relevant and useful for you, so we encourage you to complete the short SurveyMonkey linked below to help shape the content around your interests and questions.

🗓️ Thursday, 27 November
🕐 10am-11:30am
🔗 Register here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2RFMWRV

You’ll learn about:
✔️ Minimum employment rights and responsibilities (understanding your entitlements).
✔️ Dispute resolution - where to get help for employment relationship issues.
✔️ Free help and support available to you.

04/11/2025

Today we hosted a powerful session on decolonising autism and education: culturally and neurodiversity affirming approaches in education.

It was a privilege to engage in rich kōrero with members of our community as we explored how education can better honour both culture and neurodiversity.

A heartfelt thank you to our wonderful hosts, Dr. Patty Douglas and Dr. Vijaya Dharan, for leading such meaningful discussions.

We’d also like to express our appreciation to our friends at CCS Disability Action for generously providing the venue.

31/10/2025

Today, the government has announced the opening of two charter schools in Wellington and Auckland for Autistic and neurodivergent learners from years 9-13.

Read more below:

The government has announced the Autism NZ Education Hub will start in Term 3 for neurodivergent secondary students who are struggling with traditional schooling.