Meet the Founder, Mel

Hi, I’m Mel.

I’m a Special Education Teacher and leader, a parent, and the founder of NeuroNavigation.

I created NeuroNavigation because I saw too many neurodivergent people and their families feeling overwhelmed, misunderstood, blamed, or left to navigate incredibly complex systems without the kind of support they actually needed.

I wanted to create something different.

A space where neurodivergent children, teens, adults, and families are met with understanding, practical support, and genuine respect — not judgement, compliance-based advice, or one-size-fits-all solutions.

For almost two decades I've worked alongside neurodivergent children, teenagers, adults, families and schools, helping people navigate education, disability systems, executive functioning and everyday life.

My experience spans Special Education units, mainstream education, specialist school settings, school leadership, inclusion, homeschooling, NDIS capacity building and parent coaching.

Areas Of Expertise

I have extensive experience supporting individuals with:

  • Autism

  • ADHD

  • Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA)

  • Executive Functioning Differences

  • School Refusal / School Can't

  • Emotional Regulation

  • Sensory Processing Differences

  • Autistic Burnout

  • Inclusive Education

  • Homeschooling

  • Parent Capacity Building

  • NDIS Navigation

  • School Advocacy

At the Heart of My Work

When people feel understood, safe, and supported, they shine.

Why Families Choose NeuroNavigation

Families often tell me they appreciate that I understand both the education system and the lived realities of raising, supporting and being neurodivergent. My work combines professional knowledge with practical experience, allowing me to bridge the gap between schools, families, health professionals and disability services.

Rather than offering generic advice, I take the time to understand each person's unique strengths, challenges and goals. Together, we develop realistic, compassionate strategies that build confidence, reduce overwhelm and support meaningful participation at home, in education and in everyday life.

My Approach

I bring together lived experience, professional expertise, and years of working within education and complex support systems.

That means I understand not just the emotional side of this journey, but also the practical reality of trying to navigate things like:

  • school distress and learning barriers

  • behaviour that is misunderstood or pathologised

  • advocacy and support planning

  • educational systems and processes

  • funding, services, and “what now?” overwhelm

My work is neuroaffirming, relational, and grounded in nervous system safety.

I focus on understanding the why before jumping to strategies.

Because support only works when it actually fits the person, the family, and the real-life context around them.

How I work

What I Care Most About

I’m especially passionate about:

  • helping families create calmer, more connected homes

  • supporting parents of teens and adult children who still need understanding and support

  • helping neurodivergent adults make sense of identity, needs, and burnout

  • guiding families through advocacy, education, and systems that often feel confusing or inaccessible

  • bridging research and practice in ways that are practical, human, and actually useful in daily life

Why I Do This Work

I know personally how heavy this journey can feel.

Many of the people I support are carrying far more than others realise — trying to hold things together while making impossible decisions, managing distress, navigating systems, and wondering if they are getting it wrong.

My role is not to judge, “fix,” or force people into narrow expectations.

My role is to reduce shame and pressure and help make things feel more understandable, more manageable, and more supportive.

To help people feel less alone in it.

What You Can Expect From Me

When you work with me, I aim to offer a space that feels:

  • calm

  • collaborative

  • practical

  • affirming

  • respectful

  • grounded in real life

I welcome and affirm families of every structure and background — including single-parent families, blended families, kinship carers, adoptive families, LGBTQIA+ families, culturally diverse families, and those who don’t fit traditional definitions of “family.”

I strive to create a space where every person feels safe, respected, and understood — where identity, culture, and lived experience are honoured, not overlooked.

Contact Mel

  • I am guided by the Collaborative & Proactive Solutions (CPS) approach to understand and support behaviour. Rather than seeing challenging behaviour as “bad”, I view it as a form of communication, a lagging skill, a signal that something isn’t working for the person or that they are experiencing stress, overwhelm, or unmet needs.

    The CPS model focuses on identifying unsolved problems that trigger these behaviours and working collaboratively with the individual (and their family) to find practical, mutually agreed-upon solutions. This approach is strengths-based, empathetic, and skill-building, helping individuals develop coping strategies, emotional regulation, and problem-solving skills in everyday life.

    In practice, this means:

    • Listening to understand what’s behind the behaviour, rather than just reacting to it.

    • Identifying the skills or supports the person needs to succeed.

    • Working together with the individual to create solutions that reduce stress and increase participation, confidence, and independence.

    Ultimately, my goal is to support families and individuals to navigate challenges without conflict, shame, or power struggles, and to help everyone feel heard, understood, and empowered.

  • With years of experience as a special education teacher and educator, I’ve seen firsthand that school isn’t one-size-fits-all. Every learner is different, and not every child or adult thrives in a traditional classroom. That’s why I’m passionate about exploring flexible, neurodiversity-affirming ways to access education, advocate for equity and adjustments, whether through mainstream schools, alternative learning models, or home-based approaches.

    I work with learners of all ages, supporting them to build confidence, independence, and practical skills while respecting their unique strengths, needs, and learning styles. My approach is collaborative, inclusive, strengths and solutions-focused, helping families and learners navigate challenges, reduce overwhelm, and discover pathways that work for them.

    I believe everyone deserves to learn, grow, and participate in ways that feel meaningful, and I love helping families find the strategies, environments, and support that allow their learner to thrive.

How I feel about…