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Family stories

May 2022

My journey through school to university

Rachel High is a Board member, peer mentor, master of ceremonies, a keynote speaker and is the first person with Down syndrome in Australia to graduate from university. Rachel graduated last year with a Bachelor of Arts in screen studies...Read more about My journey through school to university

April 2022

Preparing for life post-school

How do you define a career? I heard a quote recently that became my own personal game changer. It goes “a career no longer refers to a specific job or occupation. [It] includes a lifetime of experiences including life roles,...Read more about Preparing for life post-school

March 2022

Behaviour support at school, 12 months on

Last year I was seriously considering moving my 11-year-old son Eric to a different school. He was struggling with some of the other students’ behaviour towards him in the playground and it was affecting his own behaviour. But my beautiful boy turned to me...Read more about Behaviour support at school, 12 months on

February 2022

Diagnosis and community as a teenage mum

When it comes to my son Charlie, I’m always preparing. No coffee table because he could bang his head. No sitting on the beanbag too long because he could get sores. No sitting on the couch too long or he...Read more about Diagnosis and community as a teenage mum

A young mother sits at a park table with a colouring-in book. Her son sits in her lap.

My 17-year-old autistic son caught COVID

My 17-year-old autistic son with high support needs caught COVID at his causal job on New Year’s Eve. Three days later he had symptoms, a cough, fever and sore throat.  I put him to bed and amazingly he slept OK. My...Read more about My 17-year-old autistic son caught COVID

A mother and son stand under a tree. They each have an arm around eachother and are smiling at one another.