Growing Up Well

Matt and Karen are joined by Leonie, mother of Maddie — a young woman with autism who now lives within an intentional community.

Today, Maddie is known by her neighbours, connected within her community and living a full life that extends beyond services. Leonie shares how this outcome came through years of advocacy, learning, reflection and gradually shifting from reacting to systems toward planning with intention.

This conversation explores what long-term planning really looks like for family and community networks.

In this episode, we explore:

• Advocacy during the early schooling years and navigating education systems
• The moment many families recognise that planning must go beyond the next service or funding plan
• Discovering more intentional approaches to futures planning
• Building circles of support and community-based living
• How intentional community can strengthen independence and belonging
• The growth families experience as they build confidence and leadership over time
• What worked, what didn't, and how plans evolved along the way
• The importance of staying focused on vision even when the path changes

Leonie's story highlights that planning isn't about getting everything right — it's about learning, adapting and continuing to move forward.

Matt is joined by Ryan, Customised Employment Practitioner and mentor with more than a decade of experience supporting people with disability to find meaningful roles and connections within their communities.

Drawing on both professional experience and lived experience of disability, Ryan shares practical insights into how community participation grows — not through programs alone, but through relationships, shared experiences, and opportunities to contribute.

Together, the conversation explores what community participation really looks like in everyday Australian life and why belonging plays such a critical role in wellbeing and confidence.

In this episode, we discuss:

• What community participation and social connection look like in real life
• Why people with disability are at greater risk of social isolation in Australia
• How belonging helps build confidence and self-belief over time
• The connection between daily living skills, self-advocacy, and participation
• The role families, supporters, and culture play in enabling — or unintentionally limiting — connection
• Practical ways community relationships naturally develop
• Why participation before major transitions, like leaving school, matters
• How work, contribution, and community life often overlap

This episode reassures families that connection doesn't need to be perfect or immediate — it grows gradually through familiar places, trusted people, and everyday opportunities.

LINKS:

· TBD

Matt and co-host Karen are joined by Mags, Specialist Project Officer in Individualised Living and Futures Planning through the Shaping Tomorrow initiative at Valued Lives.

Mags works alongside people with disability and their families to explore what home really means — supporting individuals to design living arrangements that reflect their goals, values, strengths, and vision for a good life beyond traditional models.

Together, the conversation unpacks individualised living in a practical and reassuring way, helping families move beyond the pressure of "moving out" and instead focus on building readiness over time.

In this episode, we explore:

· The difference between living independently and individualised living

· What independence can realistically look like for people with complex needs

· How everyday life skills build confidence and choice over time

· Supporting communication, self-advocacy, and decision-making at home

· The important role families, trusted people, and support workers play

· Housing and living options currently available in Australia

· How planning early helps avoid crisis-driven decisions

· The role — and limits — of systems like the NDIS in supporting home and living outcomes

This episode reframes independence as something built gradually — through relationships, routines, and opportunities to grow confidence long before major transitions occur.

LINKS:

· TBD

Following our conversation about transition planning, Matt sits down with Sian, Project Officer for Social and Community Impact at Valued Lives, to explore how creative interests and personal strengths can evolve into meaningful work and enterprise.

Sian works alongside people with disability and families to develop art programs, employment opportunities, and microenterprises that grow from the individual — not from predefined job roles.

Together, Matt and Sian explore how creativity can become a pathway toward identity, purpose, and contribution within community life.

In this episode, we discuss:

• What microenterprises are in everyday terms
• How they differ from traditional employment pathways
• Why creative programs often build confidence, voice, and professional identity
• How small ideas can grow into sustainable opportunities
• The role families play in supporting — without taking over
• What success and sustainability really look like over time

This conversation expands the idea introduced in Episode 1:

once families begin planning for transition, new possibilities start to appear — including pathways to meaningful work shaped around the person.

LINKS:

· NEIS Program - now called Self-Employment Assistance - Self-Employment Assistance - Workforce Australia for businesses

· Boss center in Midland - Free and low-cost assistance to start and grow your business - Business One Stop Shop (BOSS)

In our first episode, host Matt is joined by co-host Karen to unpack a word many families hear — and often worry about — transition.

Karen shares her journey with her daughter Caragh, who now lives independently. That outcome didn't happen overnight. It developed through years of planning, learning, adapting, and thinking ahead.

Together, Matt and Karen explore:

• What transition really means beyond leaving school
• How changes in routine, environment, and supports impact young people with complex needs
• When families should start planning — and why earlier is often better
• Skills families and young people build along the way
• Common fears around independence and lifelong caring
• Why planning for a good life shouldn't rely on funding alone
• The pathways and supports that can help along the journey

This episode sets the foundation for the season ahead — reframing transition as a gradual process shaped over time, not a single moment or deadline.

Welcome to Growing Up Well, the Valued Lives podcast.

This podcast is for families navigating disability, focused on empowerment, informed choice and staying in control of the journey.

Living with disability—or supporting someone who does—can feel complex and overwhelming.

We break down challenges, unpack the supports available, and share practical insights to help families understand their options and move forward with confidence.

Episodes coming soon.