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Lived experience, Think Autism Sydney 2025
Natasha Siryj said her workplace called itself inclusive and was not
In short
The Practice Inclusion founder told Think Autism Sydney in May 2025 how a workplace that called itself inclusive turned her into an advocate. Later in the session, a panellist argued that disclosure depends on feeling safe.
Read it instead, 5 minutesThe transcript
The story
Natasha Siryj’s route into advocacy began at work. Speaking on a panel about neuroaffirming systems at Think Autism Sydney on 31 May 2025, she said that “as much as my workplace told me they were inclusive, they really were not inclusive”. She introduced herself as the founder of Practice Inclusion, autistic and ADHD, with psychosocial disabilities and chronic health conditions. She is a teacher, and had worked for a number of years in local government and in community services.
She described reaching a point where work no longer worked for her. Accommodations were not forthcoming. She had two neurodivergent children, one of whom she was homeschooling because the child did not fit the school system, and her own health was not doing well, so she had to look for other avenues.
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Sources the story draws on
- "People might understand me better": Diagnostic disclosure experiences of autistic individuals in the workplace (opens in a new tab), Autism in Adulthood (record on UCL Discovery)
- National Autism Strategy, First Action Plan 2025 to 2026 (opens in a new tab), Australian Government Department of Social Services
More from Think Autism Sydney 2025
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