Introducing The A List
“Every day our Connections Team received calls from families looking for autism-friendly social activities. They were so hard to find. We decided to do something about it!” – Bianca & Nicole from MyCareSpace
What Is The A List?
The A List is a national online platform built for and with the help of young autistic people and their families.
It is funded by an NDIS ILC grant via The Australian Government Dept of Social Services (DSS).
The A List launched in 2021 and its funding has now been renewed for another 2 years – showing just how important this project is for the Australian autistic, neurodivergent community.
In 2023, The A List opened The A List Social Hubs. These are face-to-face hubs led by our general manager and magic maker, Madeleine Jaine Lobsey.
The A List Social Hubs started because autistic teens told us they wanted somewhere to ‘hang out’ and be themselves and they can do just that at the hubs.
Currently these hubs are in the Western suburbs of Sydney, but we have plans to open them nationally!
How The A List Works
The A List online platform allows families and individuals to search for ‘autism-friendly’ activities all around Australia, including peer support groups and community options.
If you find something you like, you can get in touch with these providers and find out more about what they have on offer and how to join them.
You can also find resources and videos to help be the fullest version of yourself and live a life you love.
The A List has support for parents, helping them tackle the challenges they face as their children navigate the world.
The A List Social Hubs offer face-to-face weekly sessions for kids aged 8-18.
Who Created The A List?
MyCareSpace was founded by Nicole in 2017 and Bianca joined her as a partner, sharing her vision and passion.
MyCareSpace is a free community service connecting autistic people and their families, Support Coordinators and LACs with services that meet their unique needs, in their local area.
Every day the MyCareSpace Connections Team received calls from autistic people and their families, looking for social options. Often there were no options on offer. The duo decided to do something about it!
During COVID lockdown, with kids crying for dinner as they sat on Zoom together, Bianca and Nicole wrote and submitted an NDIS ILC grant, applying for $1 million to build the A List community – and they got it!
MyCareSpace knew they could not do this alone. So they approached, Australian Federation of Disability Organisations (AFDO) who loved their idea and together with Autism Community Network (ACN) and Autism Aspergers Advocacy Australia (A4), they were awarded an NDIS ILC (Information, Linkages and Capacity Building) Grant from the Australian Government Department of Social Services in 2019.
The A Team
