Founded by Bernadine Smith and Led by Amanda McGuinness, an Autistic, ADHD and PDA advocate & specialist. Flourish Autism delivers evidence-informed, neuroaffirmative consultancy, specialist training and professional learning across Autism, Persistent Drive for Autonomy (PDA), Intellectual Disability and contemporary neurodevelopmental practice. Drawing on lived experience, professional expertise and contemporary evidence, we partner with schools, early years settings, organisations and families to strengthen inclusion, participation and professional practice.
Sector Expertise
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Neurodivergent Early Years
Providing neuroaffirmative Autism and Neurodiversity consultancy, professional learning and specialist training for early years services, preschools and childcare providers. Amanda McGuinness supports leaders and educators to strengthen inclusive practice through guidance on talking with families about neurodivergence, communication differences, circle time, distress-based behaviours and practical approaches that promote participation, belonging and positive outcomes for every child.
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School Staff and Students
Providing neuroaffirmative Autism and Neurodiversity training, consultancy and professional learning that supports schools to strengthen inclusive education, student participation, staff confidence and whole-school practice. From leadership development and staff professional learning to the Be Neurokind™ Neurodiversity Primary and Post Primary Student Workshops and tailored educational resources developed and delivered by Amanda McGuinness, Flourish partners with schools to build inclusive cultures where every learner, educator and school community can flourish.
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Corporate & Organisations
Delivering evidence-informed Neuro-Inclusion consultancy, professional learning and strategic guidance that helps organisations retain neurodivergent talent, build neuroinclusive workplaces, accessible services and inclusive organisational cultures. Our consultancy supports inclusive recruitment, workplace adjustments, leadership development, accessibility and organisational culture to strengthen neurodiversity inclusion across the workplace.
Inside The Autism Classroom Podcast with Amanda McGuinness Autism Specialist and Elaine Fitzgerald Autism Class Teacher
Trusted by Organisations Across Ireland
Specialist Expertise Led by Amanda McGuinness
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Persistent Drive for Autonomy (PDA)
Supporting Autistic people with a PDA profile through consultancy, training and evidence informed practice.
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School Distress & Attendance
Supporting schools and families to understand and support attendance through regulation, belonging and reasonable accommodations.
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Autism Toilet Learning
Neuroaffirmative approaches to continence, interoception and toilet learning across home, education and community settings.
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Intellectual Disability
Promoting communication, participation, inclusion and person-centred support across education, health and disability services.
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Puberty & Body Boundaries
Supporting neurodivergent children and young people through puberty, body autonomy, safe relationships and accessible autonomy focused education.
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Neuro-Inclusion in the Workplace
Empowering organisations to embed sustainable neuroinclusive practice, strengthen inclusive leadership and create workplaces where neurodivergent employees can thrive.
Neurodiversity-Affirming Early Years with Kerry Murphy
In this episode of The Unfiltered Autistic Podcast, Amanda McGuinness is joined by Kerry Murphy, early childhood specialist, lecturer, author and founder of Diverse Pathways for Early Childhood, to explore what it truly means to create neurodiversity-affirming and anti-ableist practice in the early years, challenging traditional developmental models and reimagining environments where every child is understood, valued and able to thrive.
Energy Regulation with Dr Amy Laurent and Dr Jacquelyn Fede of Autism Level Up!
In this episode of The Unfiltered Autistic Podcast, Amanda McGuinness, Flourish Director, is joined by Dr Amy Laurent and Dr Jacquelyn Fede, co-founders of Autism Level Up, to explore one of the most practical and transformative frameworks currently available for understanding energy regulation in Autistic and neurodivergent individuals.
Client Experiences
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"Amanda's professional learning completely changed how our team approached the AIM application process. Rather than focusing on deficits, she helped us understand how to describe children's strengths, support needs and participation using respectful, neuroaffirmative language. We also felt far more confident talking with families about neurodivergence and responding to their questions with empathy, clarity and evidence-informed guidance."
Early Years Manager
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"Amanda presented a forward thinking, practical everyday understanding of PDA that challenged assumptions while providing practical, neuroaffirmative approaches our staff could implement immediately. She worked alongside staff and the student's family to develop a collaborative, individualised approach that strengthened trust, supported participation and created a program to support the student to return to school full time."
Post Primary Principal
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"Amanda's neuroinclusion consultancy provided our leadership team with practical strategies that have transformed how we support neurodivergent employees. The resources she developed for our management team have strengthened day-to-day conversations, improved confidence in implementing workplace adjustments and contributed to a more inclusive culture focused on staff wellbeing and retention."
Head of People & Culture
Contact Amanda McGuinness
Whether you are seeking consultancy, professional learning, specialist training or exploring opportunities for strategic collaboration, we welcome the opportunity to discuss your requirements.
Led by Amanda McGuinness, Flourish Autism provides tailored, evidence-informed consultancy, professional learning and strategic support to organisations, professionals and families.
Complete the contact form below and we will respond as soon as possible to discuss how Flourish can support your enquiry.
Amanda McGuinness Newsletter
Stay connected with the latest neuroaffirmative insights, practical resources, training opportunities, and new publications from Amanda McGuinness of Little Puddins and Flourish Autism Consultancy and Training.
Join her mailing list to receive evidence-informed information, exclusive updates, and valuable resources designed to support Autistic people, families, educators, and professionals. We look forward to welcoming you to our community.