Empower Autism

Empower Autism Welcome to the Empower Autism community! Welcome to Empower Autism!

We are a well-established community organisation, working to empower Autistic people in SE Queensland and beyond.

🧡 Peer Groups, Life Skills, Employment Support
💙 Centering Autistic experiences and voices Empower Autism (Empower) is a well-established, not-for-profit organisation that provides information, support and capacity development services to autistic people, together with their parents,

carers and families. We are strong advocates of the benefits of peer led support and we value the active participation of those with lived experience of autism. We’ve grown from a volunteer-based organisation, established in 1994 by parents of children diagnosed with Autism. Today we have a team of 6 dedicated staff and approximately 40 volunteers who generously donate their time, experience and passion in assisting to run our programs and services. We believe that society thrives when diverse individuals, experiences, perspectives, and cultures are welcomed and celebrated. We envision a world where autistic people fully participate, contribute and succeed to their fullest potential with confidence and self-belief. We are committed to act with purpose and intention to:

• Champion diversity by building a community of board directors, staff and volunteers who are as diverse as the community we serve.
• Encourage open, transparent dialogue among diverse voices and perspectives to shape our services, programs, and workplace culture.
• Commit to inclusiveness of lived experience in all program design and development.
• Empower and support autistic people to improve their employment outcomes and social connectedness.
• Collaborate with employers to create a mutually supportive workplace. We will strive to continually celebrate and cultivate a diverse community, while working to enable positive social change for and with autistic people through programs based on inclusiveness, self-development, and self-advocacy.

12/06/2026

High school definitely isn’t the most enjoyable experience for a lot of people, but knowing people like us who’ve made it out the other side can at least make us feel a little less alone.

In our latest (Pride Month edition!) of our podcast Skipping the Small Talk, Forrest and I touch on the importance of visibility for both q***r and neurodivergent young people, and offer insights and advice for supporting the LGBT+ Autistic people in our community.

To listen to the full conversation, check us out on Youtube or Spotify!
https://youtu.be/_u9yerYj9UU

Happy Pride Month 🫶🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️  When it comes to organisations and businesses celebrating Pride Month, there is always a r...
08/06/2026

Happy Pride Month 🫶🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️



When it comes to organisations and businesses celebrating Pride Month, there is always a risk of the organisation simply slapping on a rainbow logo and moving on, without any meaningful conversation. But Pride Month has never been about profit. It’s about connection, education and the ongoing fight for LGBT+ rights around the world.



I think Pride Month is especially relevant to our community, as many Autistic people also identify as LGBT+.

I know a lot of LGBT+ Autistic people, but also a lot of non-LGBT+ Autistic people, who want to support their Q***r community members, but aren’t sure where to start.



If that sounds like you, then this post is for you!

This post is a brief but direct response to some of the common confusions I witness from well-meaning Autistic people, in relation to LGBT+ identity. It’s also a space for you to (respectfully) ask any other questions you might have about supporting the Q***r people around you!



Ask your questions in the comments below and I’ll be sure to answer them as best I can. 💬💬

Our Autistic community is growing🎉🎉  We’re excited to announce that we are launching a new Youth Peer Groups location fo...
04/06/2026

Our Autistic community is growing🎉🎉



We’re excited to announce that we are launching a new Youth Peer Groups location for Autistic young people in the Redlands!



The group will be located in Victoria Point in the Redlands, and will run Wednesday nights from 6pm-7:30pm – commencing July 15th for the beginning of term 3. Like our other Youth Peer Groups, the group will be open to anyone between the ages of 14-18, who identifies as Autistic, and will be accompanied by a co-occurring Parents Group for parents and carers of attendees.



Our peer groups are safe, inclusive spaces for Autistic people to form friendships, unmask and express themselves freely. If you’re looking to connect with people who understand your experience, we’d love to have you along!



For more details, please get in touch with our friendly team or visit our website, and register your interest for the Redlands Youth Peer Group through the form below: https://forms.office.com/r/EFwY62JH8E?origin=lprLink

01/06/2026

This clip is a call out for all of our friends who see this.

WE WANT TO HELP YOU!!!

If you’re going through a hard period, it can be scary to reach out to others, and easier to just keep pushing in silence. If this feels familiar, this message is for you.

The people in your life are there to support you! We love you and care about you and want you to be happy! It may be scary, but it’s a lot less scary than pushing through alone 💕💕

Catch Maddy and I’s full conversation about wellbeing, masking and supporting one another in our latest episode of Skipping the Small Talk, on Youtube and Spotify now.

27/05/2026

How has diagnosis impacted your neurodivergent journey?



A lot of us have a tendency to beat ourselves up over challenges we face navigating a world not designed for us. Things that often aren’t our fault!

And while diagnosis is not the only way to challenge this, it gave Maddy a new perspective on her experience, which allowed her to approach her ADHD with self-compassion and reflection.



Catch our full conversation in our next episode of Skipping the Small Talk, airing this Friday, May 29th, on YouTube or Spotify.

13/05/2026

We asked Jaeda and Paul about the values of self-advocacy, in relation to their experiences as neurodivergent university students.

We discussed self-advocacy in our recent Advocate-ED workshops, designed to support neurodivergent students to navigate busy university life. Self-advocacy is a tricky skill to build, but one that is well worth the practice!

Thank you Paul and Jaeda for sharing your thoughts with us ☺️
If you’d like to learn more about our Advocate-ED program, email us at [email protected]. 🧡💙

11/05/2026

Not feeling supported or accepted in the workplace is one of the biggest challenges reported by our Autistic community.

In our latest episode of Skipping the Small Talk, we spoke with Michael Coles bout his experience navigating employment as an Autistic person over the last 30 years.

Michael shares insights into how he built a workflow that works for him, and how we can move forward with creating more neuroinclusive workplaces, free from the constant pressures of masking and burnout!

To watch the full episode, find us on YouTube and Spotify, here:
📺 YouTube: https://youtu.be/yoFTlXen-JQ
🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2rGfhaRm9KtHb4shsqHWGU?si=PqAKt2JkSvODAY3tdOq7Xw

30/04/2026

I love being organised but I’m not always the best at it...



For me, the solution to this “chaos” is to work with my brain rather than against it.

Things like body doubling, chore checklists, or delegating household tasks based on sensory needs can be really helpful!



If you relate to this, check out the Motivation Around the Home module in our Life Skills program in our bio- it was the source of inspiration for this conversation!

We’ve got some amazing modules coming up soon! Our Life Skills program covers the areas of everyday life which school ne...
28/04/2026

We’ve got some amazing modules coming up soon!

Our Life Skills program covers the areas of everyday life which school never taught us about. From organisation around the home, to adulting in the community, to your rights at work, each module is delivered in a relaxed, Autism-affirming environment with facilitators who meet you on your level.

We run our Life Skills modules from our Stafford office, and online, so you can join us in person or online. Sessions run on the first and third Tuesday of each month, from 5:30pm-7:00pm.

💡To find out more about the program or join us for any of our modules, register your interest through the link here: https://forms.office.com/r/A0mRi8gVbE

Address

Unit 6B/87 Webster Road
Stafford, QLD
4053

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 4pm
Tuesday 9am - 4pm
Wednesday 9am - 4pm
Thursday 9am - 4pm
Friday 9am - 4pm

Telephone

+61738652911

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