"We Were Constantly Wondering What Came Next, then we discovered SLES at Diverse Pathways."

Jacob is autistic, and while school came with its challenges, it also gave him structure, routine, and people who knew how to support him.

When my son Jacob finished Year 12, I should’ve been celebrating like other parents. But if I’m honest, I was terrified.

Jacob is autistic, and while school came with its challenges, it also gave him structure, routine, and people who knew how to support him. When the final bell rang that last day, it felt like the ground had shifted under our feet.

The truth is, for many parents of neurodiverse teens, leaving school doesn’t feel like a leap into freedom — it feels like a step into the unknown. What would Jacob do each day? Would he lose the progress he’d made socially? Could he ever find work that suited his strengths?

I spent hours googling things like “what happens after school for autistic teens” and “NDIS support for school leavers with autism,” but the answers felt scattered and overwhelming. Everything seemed designed for neurotypical kids, or it required Jacob to be someone he wasn’t.

Then someone told us about the School Leaver Employment Supports (SLES) program through our NDIS plan. I had never heard of it. After a bit more research, we came across Diverse Pathways on the Central Coast. What stood out was how they talked about neurodiversity — not as a problem to fix, but as something to understand and support.

We visited the Mardi property on the Central Coast and I saw something shift in Jacob. It was calm. The people spoke to him with respect. The programs weren’t one-size-fits-all. There were streams in technology, hospitality, horticulture, carpentry, animal care — even life skills and wellbeing. It felt like someone had finally seen the kind of support young people like Jacob actually need.

Jacob got excited about the Technology stream. Within weeks, he was doing things I never imagined. For the next 40 weeks he learned skills, confidence and laid out a plan for his future. He still needs support, but that is what the awesome SLES Team at Diverse Pathway could provide and he was growing into himself.

The best part? He was no longer isolated. He had SLES mentors who understood him and plenty of like-minded in the same boat who related to him. For the first time, I didn’t feel like I had to explain him to anyone.

SLES gave us breathing room — and more than that, it gave Jacob a future to step into.

If you're a parent like me, watching your teenager approach the end of school and wondering what comes next, please know you're not alone. And more importantly, there are services out there that genuinely get it. Neurodiversity-affirming NDIS support does exist, it's with the SLES Team at Diverse Pathway on the Central Coast and it will make all the difference to your child and family.

Ready to find the next step for your school leaver?

Contact Diverse Pathways today to learn more about our NDIS-funded SLES programs tailored for autistic and neurodiverse young people.