Large Christian-led Events & Accessibility

  Gathering together is a core part of the Body of Christ; we sharpen each other, encourage each other, and learn together. Across Aotearoa, groups gather with one thing in common: Christ. Two significant gatherings Elevate has loved having connections to are Northern Eastern Camp and Festival One. Festival One is an intergenerational Christian festival […]

Through the Eyes of One with Autism

Leslie Schwass tells here about her 35 year old son’s battle to overcome the effects of autism.” Matthew came in at 5.5 lbs, five weeks early. At three months he reacted to the immunisation injection, and then failed to develop at normal milestone pace. He was diagnosed with a host of problems, but chiefly brain […]

Best Christmas Gift

The best Christmas gift I ever got was both early and late. My first born child came into this world on December 16th, nine days before Christmas. He was supposed to be a Thanksgiving baby however, so when my wife went into labour three weeks late he had to be delivered by an emergency Caesarean […]

Autistic, Whole and Loved

A poem written by Emma Cox Autism.  Diagnosed at 4   Or “Asperger’s Syndrome” as it was called back then     Growing up, struggling with shame   There’s no way I could have a label like THAT!? I thought  “Unable to build proper relationships   “Fixated” “Obsessed”   “Unempathetic”  “Intense”  “No imagination” But I love people!   But I […]

Ask Why Is This Happening

He’s a danger to the others,” they said. “He’s aggressive.” “He should be removed from the group.” “He has rages.” The topic under discussion was the little boy with Down Syndrome. “He’s a danger to the others,” they said. “He’s aggressive.” “He should be removed from the group.” “He has rages.” This did not tie […]

Book Review: A Place Where I Belong

By Manuele Teofilo If you’re looking for an informative and insightful book on neurodiversity, then A Place Where I Belong by Staci McLean is for you. She is an author, a speaker and the mother of a neurodivergent child. McLean is also the founder and director of The Neurocollective NZ, creating places where we ALL […]

The Sunday Morning Struggle

Written by Staci McLean, Director of ‘The Neurocollective NZ’  Is going to church on Sunday worth the effort?    For many families getting to and through a church service on a Sunday morning is a marathon effort. As the mother of a child who is neurodivergent, the Sunday morning struggle was real and at times the […]

Live Like a Yellow Rose

I’m Emma, I’m 23 years old and I was diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome when I was a preschooler. A lot of people wish that they could have got a diagnosis that early, but for me, it was a huge shame factor. I never felt like I fitted into any of the stereotypes of what an […]