31st May 2025      Melbourne      Face to Face      7hrs CPD

I am a proud neurodivergent (Autistic and ADHD), queer, non-binary dietitian, educator, researcher, parent, and advocate. My pronouns are they/them. Following a decade of working as a clinical paediatric dietitian, specialising in feeding and eating disorders, I found myself increasingly disillusioned by how ineffective, and oftentimes inappropriate, traditional feeding interventions were for neurodivergent folks, and how little evidence there was to support doing things differently. So, I decided that the only logical solution (!!) was to start a PhD exploring how neurodivergent children and their families make sense of their experiences with traditional neuronormative feeding, eating and nutrition supports. Whilst chipping away at my PhD, I paused my private practice work to take on teaching into the Nutrition & Dietetic and Medical Programs at Bond University, Qld, and to collaborate on neurodiversity-affirming eating disorder and dietetic care professional development workshops. Between 2022 and 2024 I was a founding board member of Eating Disorders Neurodiversity Australia (EDNA). In that role, I co-authored the technical report Eating Disorders and Neurodivergence: A Stepped Care Approach (2023), commissioned by Australia’s National Eating Disorders Collaboration, where we argued for a radical rethink of normative eating disorder care. I am also passionate about helping university and clinical educators support neurodivergent students, nerding out writing academic papers, and being the squeaky wheel when advising on eating disorder research and policy projects. I have recently reopened my books and am excited to be back working with neurodivergent children, young people, and their families and caregivers, one day a week in my small private practice. When not working, I can be found spending time with my two kids, walking our seriously cute pugalier, procrastinating life admin, diving down rabbit holes, doom scrolling TikTok, or dancing all night long at a rave.

I am an autistic ADHDer, dietitian, feeding therapist, parent, and grandparent. My own relationship with food and eating has been pathologised and regularly invalidated, especially in childhood, but not entirely left behind in adulthood. Like so many young people and families I now support, I was often called "fussy", "quirky", or “always whinging”. The simple truth was: I am autistic. That lived experience is the heart of my practice, Eating and Feeding. I believe it is my responsibility to speak honestly, especially for autistic people who are dismissed, unsupported, or not yet able to advocate for themselves. My work goes beyond offering strategies. It is about naming the harm caused by neuronormative expectations, challenging the pressure to conform, and creating space where people can truly be themselves. I work with young people who are tired of being treated like a problem to fix, and parents who are exhausted by systems that were never designed for their neurodivergent families. These are systems that have left them doubting themselves and unsure of how to move forward. My experience delivering training and presentations for organisations such as Eating Disorders Neurodiversity Australia (EDNA), The Mindful Dietitian, Eating Disorders Families Australia (EDFA), and Autism Camp Australia has made one thing unmistakably clear: support for neurodivergent people is wildly inconsistent, and too often harmful. Anna and I bonded over this shared frustration, and that connection sparked the beginnings of a shared vision. That is how The Neurodivergent Table came to life, a space to challenge assumptions, reshape clinical practice, and build something more affirming and sustainable. Home is my sanctuary. It is where I recharge and reconnect with the "why" behind my work, creating a world where everyone belongs. The house is rarely quiet, filled with the gentle chaos of our big, close-knit family that is always coming and going, along with two little dogs underfoot and Kitsune, our elegant Russian Blue, watching it all unfold. There is always movement, conversation, and life, and I would not have it any other way.