Hi My name is Sonia. I have lived and worked in the disability and family support space for almost 25 years. I am post-graduate qualified in disability and provide primary support to my son Aysh (pictured here dancing with me in our kitchen).
I love to work with families to help them achieve a strong sense of meaning and satisfaction – and to find a way to make complex systems work for them.
In 2001, I met Bethany*. She was 19 years old and had recently left a violent relationship with her newborn baby. She was living in a women’s shelter and trying to navigate the early stages of motherhood with no family support or financial resources.
I spent over six months coaching and mentoring Bethany to learn about her child’s development, to navigate services, and to build up a meaningful life for her and her baby.
It was the beginning of a career supporting thousands of families and young people to find their own definition of a ‘meaningful life’, within existing systems, like education, child protection, or disability.
But what does it mean to live a meaningful life? And who makes those choices for us?
My passion is to support young people – and their families – to find their own definition of “meaningful”. I love working with families with a whole range of experiences, to help them find how they can make complex systems work for them, rather than against them.
I am a post-graduate qualified disability professional, with a particular interest in how societies interact and support all members (thanks sociology degree!). My academic background, professional experience, and personal journey come crashing together to create a space that is innovative, supportive, and truly life-changing.
You can be a great mum and advocate for your special kids. But you need support. Sonia gave me that. – Parent of two children with Autism
Working with Sonia helped me see my self-worth again. I will be forever grateful. – Single parent
I had been so consumed caring for my kids that I’d completely forgotten and neglected myself. Sonia saw qualities in myself that I had forgotten were there! – Parent of a child with disability
Today I am working in systemic advocacy to contribute to building a better system for children and young people with disability across Australia. But closer to home, I am running a service-for-one for my disabled adult son, Aysh. We established Team Aysh in 2024 and it has truly been life-changing for him – and for us as a family.
You can learn more about Team Aysh by checking out our website – www.teamaysh.com.au
