In Good Company is a new Leap in! series sharing the real stories of organisations, foundations, charities and not-for-profits doing meaningful work across the disability community.
It’s a chance to shine a light on the people, programs and partnerships making a difference every day and to better understand the role they play in supporting people with disability, families and communities.
Quick take.
- Autism Awareness Australia has a new name: Autism Association of Australia, reflecting a shift from raising awareness to driving real-world change
- AAA is the national peak body for autism families, supporting people at every stage, from early diagnosis to adulthood and ageing
- AAA has trained around 22,000 early childhood educators in practical, evidence-based autism understanding
- Its focus now: turning almost 20 years of awareness into stronger families, better understanding and practical support for autistic people wherever they live, learn and work.
For almost 20 years, AAA has been helping families understand autism, find trusted information and navigate the different stages of life that come with it.
You may know the organisation by its former name, Autism Awareness Australia. In July 2026, it became Autism Association of Australia. The change may look simple, but for CEO and founder Nicole Rogerson, it reflects just how much the organisation, and the conversation around autism, has evolved.
“When I started this in 2007, I really did quite naively think if Australians just understood more about autism and they were more aware of it, then they’d be more accepting of it,” Nicole says. “At the time, awareness was what we needed.”
Almost two decades later, autism is firmly part of the national conversation. But greater awareness has also created a new challenge: turning that understanding into better everyday experiences and outcomes for autistic people and their families.
“We can’t go forward with awareness in our name because it implies that’s the only job we have to do,” Nicole says. “And we have a much bigger job to do than that.”
Supporting the whole family.
At the heart of AAA’s work is a simple idea: supporting autistic people also means supporting the families around them.
AAA describes itself as the national peak body for autism families. It provides evidence-based information, education, practical resources and advocacy across the different stages of life, from the early years and diagnosis through school, adulthood and ageing.
For Nicole, the focus on families is deliberate. “We’ve always been an organisation run by parents for families,” she says. “We know that if we support parents and carers and the broader family, those individuals with autism will do a lot better.”
An autism diagnosis may happen in early childhood, during the teenage years or well into adulthood. Some autistic people live very independently, while others need significant support throughout their lives. AAA’s challenge is to reflect that breadth.
“When we say all of autism, all the way, we mean autism is a very broad spectrum. We’re here for everybody, wherever you are on it.”
One way AAA makes sure those different experiences are represented is through its five advisory groups, bringing together parents and carers, autistic adults, scientists and clinicians, sector representatives and families of people with profound autism. That network helps shape the organisation’s resources, programs and priorities.
“We consult really broadly with people who have a lot of different views about what we should be doing and how we could do it better,” Nicole says.
Practical information when families need it.
For families, finding reliable information at the right time can make an enormous difference.
More than 538,000 people use AAA’s website each year. Its newsletter reaches more than 74,000 subscribers and thousands of people take part in its webinars. Its digital resources are designed around the questions people are actually asking.
Nicole says helping families build their own knowledge and confidence will continue to be a major focus.
Explore their practical resources for autistic people and their families.
- Early years – For families of autistic children under five, including development, diagnosis and early support
- School years – For children and families across the primary and secondary school years
- Adult years – For autistic adults and families navigating adulthood
- Autism: What Next? – A free digital toolkit for people and families navigating developmental concerns, assessment, diagnosis and the first year following an autism diagnosis.
There can be a lot to navigate, from health and education to community participation, services and everyday family life. Rather than simply acknowledging that this can be difficult, AAA wants to help families feel better equipped for what comes next.
“What could we do to help?” Nicole says. “How do we help give the skills and build capacity in parents to be able to cope with this better?” Importantly, she wants that conversation to include what is possible too.
“There is great joy and empowerment in being able to support your child, getting it right, figuring it out, getting to the bottom of what works for them, what supports they need and getting them to live their best life.”
Building autism understanding beyond the disability sector.
One way AAA extends its impact is by working with other sectors to build practical autism understanding.
AAA worked with the early childhood sector to understand what educators needed. Rather than lengthy specialist training, they wanted practical, evidence-based information that could fit around demanding jobs. AAA developed flexible digital training that could be scaled across the country. Around 22,000 early childhood educators completed the program in its first year.
That work later expanded through a partnership with TAFE NSW and the NSW Department of Education. In 2025, the organisations launched a free autism microskill for early childhood education and care professionals, covering early signs of autism, sensory and communication needs, common myths and practical strategies for inclusive practice.
“We go out to industry. We go out to community groups. We go out to families and say, ‘This is what we’re thinking of building. Do you think this is going to work?’” Nicole says.
Going all the way.
For Nicole and the AAA team, the next stage is about what comes after awareness: better understanding, stronger families, more capable communities and practical action that reaches autistic people wherever they live, learn, work and belong. Almost 20 years after Nicole began with the hope that greater awareness might help the world understand her son, AAA is still asking the same fundamental question. What can we do that will make life better for autistic people and their families? Learn more about Autism Association of Australia and explore its free information and resources at autismaustralia.org.au. |
