Creating Safe Spaces for Autistic People: Everyday Practices for Individuals and Organisations
How can individuals and organisations create safe spaces for Autistic people? Autistic advocates, speakers, and leaders Laura Hellfeld (Neurodivergent Nurse), and Scott Hellfeld (Autistically Scott) co-authors of Creating Safe Spaces for Autistic People and Helen Edgar (community lead for Thriving Autistic) gather on the virtual couch to discuss what psychological safety for Autistic communities, organisations, and resources could look like. They’ll share their contributions to building Autistic community and wider awareness, and explore how both their book and Thriving Autistically feed into this work.
Helen Edgar
Autistic
Helen Edgar is a late-identified Autistic advocate, author, consultant, and former teacher, and a parent to two neurodivergent children. She worked for over 20 years in Early Years and SEND education, specialising in supporting children with profound and multiple learning disabilities. In 2022, she founded Autistic Realms, a platform offering neurodiversity-affirming resources, training, and consultancy. Helen’s work is grounded in lived experience and the theory of monotropism, exploring Autistic attention, flow states, and burnout. Her writing draws on neuroqueer theory, ethodiversity, and posthumanist thought to reimagine well-being, learning, and relational support beyond normative paradigms.
Helen is also Thriving Autistic’s Communication and Community Lead. Helen supports Thriving Autistics’ Discovery Programme for Autistic adults, post-diagnostic family support workshops, and community monthly meet-up events.
Autistic Realms
Laura Hellfeld
Autistic, PDA, ADHD
Laura Hellfeld is a neurodivergent health educator, independent nurse and sleep consultant, and Associate Editor of Autistic Revolution magazine. They specialise in supporting neurodivergent and disabled community members, particularly in self-care areas such as food and eating, toileting, sleep, and hygiene.
Drawing from lived experience and a background in public health, Laura creates inclusive spaces, hosts community events, and co-authors resources that make a difference. Their publications include Gabby’s Glimmers: An Affirming Story of an Autistic Child and their Favourite Food and Creating Safe Spaces for Autistic People.
Through their consultancy and writing, Laura combines professional expertise with lived insight to empower others towards better wellbeing and self-care.
Neurodivergent Nurse Consulting
Scott Neilson
Autistic
Scott is an Autistic Trainer, Mentor & Consultant based in Scotland. They have several years of experience supporting Autistic people, in addition to delivering a variety of training sessions and presenting at conferences to numerous professionals and groups. Scott is a co-author of the books Creating Safe Spaces for Autistic People and Gabby’s Glimmers. Additionally, they work with organisations such as AUsome Training and GROVE Neurodivergent Mentoring & Education. Scott also holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Autism.