Meet Our Founder

Meet Alison Geddes - the owner and founder of Aspect Autism, and a woman whose career path has been anything but ordinary. Over the past thirty years, Alison’s journey has taken her from hospital wards in Australia to founding Aspect Autism Consultancy. It has been a career full of discovery, passion, and the power of truly understanding what it means to think differently.

Alison started Aspect Autism in 2017

Where It All Began

Almost thirty years ago, Alison stepped into her first role as a Mental Health nurse.  Alison began her nursing career in what were then called ‘asylums’—vast institutions tucked away in the countryside, often hidden behind long drives and trees, separated from the communities beyond their walls. For many of the patients, these places were not just hospitals but the only homes they had known for years, shaped by a life of institutionalisation. It was here that Alison first encountered the profound need for change, as society slowly began to shift toward care in the community, a movement long overdue. The understanding of mental health and learning difficulties was beginning to be reborn, challenging the shadows of stigma and neglect that had lingered for decades. After qualifying in Counselling and Psychotherapy, Alison recognised the limits of what she could change within a system still emerging from the dark ages of mental health care. With this realisation, she turned her focus toward helping individuals directly, bringing compassion and meaningful support in a way that large institutions could rarely achieve.  She undertook a variety of Psychotherapy training, including Motivational enhancement, Interpersonal Psychotherapy, as well as traditional CBT models. 

Her career has taken her across continents and through an incredible variety of settings—acute psychiatry units, Eating disorder services, Psychotherapy services, and child and adolescent mental health teams and research. Each experience taught her something new about the complexity and beauty of the human mind.

Working in Australia was particularly eye-opening for Alison. There's something about experiencing healthcare in different countries that really broadens your perspective, and she began to see patterns and gaps that might be invisible when working within just one system.

The Lightbulb Moment

About ten years ago, something significant shifted for Alison. While working in eating disorder services with both adults and young people, she kept noticing the same pattern emerging. Many of the individuals she was supporting seemed to be struggling with something that went beyond their eating difficulties. There was often an underlying sense that they felt misunderstood, like the world wasn't quite making sense to them.

That's when Alison really started paying attention to neurodivergence, particularly autism spectrum conditions. She began to see how many people were falling through the cracks simply because their autism wasn't recognised or properly understood. It was a revelation that would change the entire direction of her career.

Here were incredible individuals with so much to offer, but they were stuck in systems that didn't know how to support them properly. For someone with Alison's compassionate nature, this wasn't something she could ignore.

When Professional Meets Personal

What makes Alison's perspective truly unique is how her professional expertise intertwines with personal experience. Having neurodivergent family members opened her eyes to experiences she might never have fully grasped otherwise. Suddenly, she wasn't just learning about autism from textbooks or clinical observations—she was living alongside it, celebrating it, and sometimes navigating its challenges too.

This dual lens—professional and personal—has been invaluable in shaping her approach. It has taught her that behind every clinical presentation is a real person with genuine experiences, hopes, and challenges. It's also shown her just how much potential society misses when we don't properly understand and support neurodivergent minds.

Taking the Brave Step Forward

In 2017, Alison decided it was time to turn her observations and passion into action. That's when Aspect Autism Consultancy was born. She wanted to create something different—a space where people could find not just professional support, but genuine understanding and empowerment.

Alison is refreshingly honest about the challenges. She knows the world isn't particularly autism-friendly yet, but she's also seen some wonderful changes over recent years. Schools are becoming more aware, workplaces are starting to understand, and health professionals are getting better training. For her, these changes represent hope and momentum.

Areas Close to Her Heart

One area that Alison is particularly passionate about is supporting late-diagnosed adults as well as women and girls on the autism spectrum. For too long, this group has been overlooked, misdiagnosed, or completely missed by traditional diagnostic approaches. Their presentations can be so different from what people expect autism to look like, leading to years of struggle and confusion.

Alison has also developed significant expertise in the complex relationship between autism and eating disorders. This intersection is both fascinating and challenging, and a proper understanding of this area can make a huge difference to someone's recovery and overall well-being.

Beyond Traditional Support

What's special about Alison's approach is that it extends far beyond traditional clinical support. Yes, she provides assessments and consultations, but what really energises her is the empowerment aspect of her work. When someone finally understands their own neurodivergent profile—when they can make sense of their experiences and start advocating for themselves—that's where the magic happens.

She works with people across the entire age spectrum, from young children to adults. Each stage brings its own unique challenges and opportunities. A child discovering their autism is on a completely different journey from an adult finally getting answers after decades of feeling different. Both experiences are equally important and equally rewarding to support.

Building Connections

Alison often describes her role as building bridges. There's the bridge between clinical knowledge and lived experience. The bridge between what healthcare systems think they know about autism and what autistic individuals actually experience. And perhaps most importantly, the bridge between where someone is now and where they want to be.

Every person she works with teaches her something new. They challenge assumptions, share fresh insights, and remind her why this work matters so much. For Alison, it's not just about diagnoses or treatments—it's about helping people live their fullest, most authentic lives.

The Road Ahead

Nearly three decades into her career, Alison remains as curious and passionate as ever about making a difference. The landscape of autism understanding is evolving rapidly, and she loves being part of that positive change. There's still plenty of work to do, but every conversation that raises awareness, every individual who gains self-understanding, and every family that learns to better support their neurodivergent member creates ripples of positive change.

Through Aspect Autism Consultancy, Alison continues to be part of this transformation. Her philosophy remains simple but powerful: everyone deserves to be understood, supported, and celebrated for exactly who they are. She stands as both advocate and educator, working steadily toward a more inclusive and understanding future for all. When she allows herself time to relax, Alison enjoys lifting heavy, cooking and travel.