Our values
Our story
Melanie Heyworth began Reframing Autism in 2017. She was working for an organisation called Plumtree Children’s Services that provides early intervention for young children with disability.
She recognised that parents who didn’t know much about Autism could benefit from hearing from an Autistic adult.
Plumtree supported Melanie to start the group by providing financial support. They also provided the workshop venue and free childcare so families could come along easily. A ‘Peers Creating Change’ grant from Team Up paid for Autistic advocates to travel to and lead the workshops.
Melanie and the Reframing Autism team are so grateful to Plumtree and to Team Up for believing in Melanie’s vision and supporting it to grow.
Reframing Autism’s first workshop had eight families. It grew quickly to fifty families. Then, in 2019, the NDIS gave Reframing Autism a grant to help it grow more. It allowed us to become an independent organisation. Plumtree continued to help and guide us through that transition phase to independence by auspicing us for the grant.
We are now a fully independent charity. We have received further funding from the NDIS (now DSS) to continue and expand our work. We now operate nationally, and work with parents, professionals, educators and researchers. We always try and employ or contract Autistic people whenever we can.
We couldn’t do what we do at Reframing Autism without Plumtree’s initial belief and their ongoing support. We are also deeply grateful for the NDIS grants that allowed Reframing Autism to flourish and grow.
Have more questions? They might be answered on our FAQs page.
We invite you to read our latest 2020 Annual Report and our Financial Statements.
Meet our team
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Dr Melanie Heyworth
CEO and Founder -
Sharon Fraser
Business Manager -
Sophie Ralston
Program Manager -
Ginny Grant
Communications Manager -
Emma Marsh
Content Producer -
Stacey Kirtley
Administrative Assistant -
Kathy Isaacs
Chairperson -
Gerard Atkinson
Treasurer -
Dr Justine Noble
Director -
Dr Erin Bulluss
Director -
Tim Chan
Director -
Deborah Boyd
Director -
Dr Emma Goodall
Director -
Kristen Callow
Advisor -
Yenn Purkis
Brand Ambassador
Meet our Autistic experts
Our collaborations
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Our Autistic friends
Reframing Autism has the pleasure of collaborating with many Autistic individuals. We have a full list of the Autistic people we have worked with at our Autistic friends page.
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Charlie Ick Designs
Charlie Ickeringill (pronouns he/him) is an Autistic graphic designer from Melbourne, who gained a bachelor’s degree in Digital Media Design, co-minoring in Communication Design and Japanese at Swinburne University of Technology. He has had the privilege of working for a diverse range of companies as well as freelancing for the last 10 years. Charlie is contracted as Reframing Autism’s graphic designer.
Charlie is deeply passionate about breaking the stigma that clouds Autistic people and challenging the stereotypes that can come with such stigma. He believes that fully embracing Autism and neurodiversity will create a more inclusive, welcoming, and accepting society.
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Plumtree Children's Services
Plumtree is a not-for-profit organisation that provides support for young children aged birth to 8 years old with a developmental delay or disability and their families.
Plumtree’s vision is a society where children with disabilities and developmental delays, and their families, are supported to have a full life in the community.
Plumtree believes that every child with a disability or developmental delay has a right to participate in family and community life. The Plumtree culture is truly supportive, based on integrity, respect, flexibility and genuine caring for each other, our communities and the work they do in partnership with families.
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Reframing Disability
Reframing Disability was auspiced by Plumtree alongside Reframing Autism.
Reframing Disability is a social movement of family peer-based leadership, by families for families, that aims to inspire a new generation of parents and carers with children who have developmental delay and disability to change outdated perspectives of disability.
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Celeste Josephine Art
Celeste Josephine Art was commissioned to create the stunning watercolour artworks that we use at Reframing Autism.
A dreamer at heart, Celeste’s pieces are inspired by the thoughts and feelings swirling around inside her. Celeste describes each piece as a cathartic adventure.
Celeste is a neurodivergent mumma and solo parent of three Autistic sons who are beautifully, unapologetically unique. Her amazing boys have taught her so much about raw, real love and true patience. The flowing colours found throughout Celeste’s work serve as a reminder to stay flexible, allowing life to ebb and flow, whilst staying firmly grounded in mind and body.
Celeste’s work explores the fragility and breathtaking beauty of life, the loneliness and perpetual searching for a connection, the yearning to feel understood, the overwhelming love of motherhood.
Subscribe
Whether you are Autistic, you love someone Autistic, or you work with Autistic people, we want to hear from you.
Anyone who is committed to achieving inclusion and acceptance for the Autistic community can take advantage of our educational program by subscribing. Subscription is free and offers you priority access to all Reframing Autism events.