About

Kia ora, I'm Alta 👋

I started Neuroinclusive in 2023. We work with people in Ōtautahi Christchurch, Te Tai o Poutini West Coast, and remotely across Aotearoa. Most of our support is for individuals who are autistic or have ADHD, as well as the whānau, professionals, organisations, workplaces, and systems they interact with. While there is no strict age criterion, we focus on supporting youth and adults.

Grounded in a commitment to equity and inclusion, our services are delivered by people with a wide range of skills, experiences, and perspectives. If I’m not the right person to support you directly, there may be someone else available who is. My own background combines professional expertise with lived experience as an autistic person with ADHD and as a parent to an autistic child with complex needs.

I'm on a mission to improve understanding, access, and inclusion for autistic people.

Alongside the impacts of being autistic, it is common to experience mental distress or have a diagnosed mental health condition. I can support people in the context of their autistic experience with these co-occurring conditions if the mental health impacts remain mild to moderate and do not require care from a registered health professional.

I remain actively engaged in the disabled, autistic, and mental health and addictions communities. I have a deep understanding of many of the challenges faced by individuals and whānau with various elements of these as part of their life experience.

While some autistic people collect things, that thing for me is not so much of an object as it is information. I have an insatiable desire for professional development, so I am always adding new tools to my kete that are relevant to my experiences and those of the people I support and engage with.

Figure-Eight Rainbow Symbol - Aotearoa Symbol For Neurodiversity

My Lived Experience

After decades of navigating a world that often felt mismatched with how I process, communicate, and experience life, I finally found an answer—I’m autistic, and I also have ADHD. My official diagnoses came later in life, offering clarity and a sense of relief after decades of misdiagnoses, masking, struggling to adapt, and questioning myself.

Since then, understanding autism, ADHD, and other neurodivergent experiences has become both a passion and a purpose. I’ve immersed myself in research, community insights, and lived experience narratives while also pursuing further education and professional training in mental health support, disability sector leadership, and social work.

Life Experience

My journey has been heavily shaped by my lived experience as an autistic person with ADHD who experienced decades of mental distress and later engaged in a lengthy recovery from PTSD and OCD. Navigating life through these lenses has given me a deep understanding of the barriers that people like me face—and the possibilities that open up with the right support.

Originally from the United States, I’ve lived and worked across different regions and cultures, including many years in Indonesia and now Aotearoa New Zealand, which is where I call home.

Today, I live in Ōtautahi Christchurch with my son, who is in primary school. In my downtime, I enjoy diving into big ideas to figure out if they’re worth bringing to life, listening to audiobooks, connecting with nature, building with Lego bricks, and playing Animal Crossing on Nintendo Switch.

My Professional Qualifications and Expertise

Before founding Neuroinclusive, I had accumulated a diverse range of experiences across various fields, including design, business, education, mental health, and disability—a common thread being the focus on meaningful support for people and systems. In Aotearoa specifically, I’ve worked with a diverse range of individuals, whānau, and organisations across the mental health and disability sectors.

I hold a Bachelor of Arts (one day, I might tell you the story of how it took 13 years of on-and-off study across three different tertiary institutions to actually finish it) and a Master of Science in Education (MScEd). Later in 2025, I will have completed a Master of Applied Social Work (MaSW) at Massey University and a Graduate Diploma in Disability Sector Leadership at Open Polytechnic. Additionally, I have earned a Level 4 Certificate in Health & Wellbeing (Mental Health & Addiction Support), which I completed through an apprenticeship programme.

I bring together my lived experience as an autistic person with ADHD and my professional expertise to provide neurodiversity-affirming, person-directed services. My approach aligns with the Enabling Good Lives (EGL) Principles and emphasises cultural safety, inclusion, and practical strategies for real-world impact.

I also maintain ongoing professional supervision to ensure accountability, reflection, and continuous development in my practice.