Dee Nguyen

What did you do before joining Aspect?

While completing my Masters of Social Work, I was diagnosed with both ADHD and Autism. This was a significant point in my life where I was able to start an ongoing journey, reframing lifelong struggles towards positive identity and self-acceptance. During that time, I also worked in an out of home care (OOHC) setting as a therapeutic carer, providing intensive 1:1 support for young people with complex trauma and behaviours.

How long have you worked with Aspect and what are some highlights?

I joined Aspect in April 2023. I am part of the Learning Support Team at our Aspect Western Sydney School with our Occupational and Speech Therapists. It has been an amazing opportunity to learn from other disciplines and use a holistic approach when supporting students.

What is the most rewarding part of your role as a Social Worker?

Since Social Work is a new role within Aspect, being able to bring our holistic, bottom-up, ecological-system approaches into work with other Aspect therapists provides not only support to Autistic individuals, but educates other professionals with how we can operate. Working in both Aspect Western Sydney School and Aspect Therapy have been a great opportunity to meet diverse neurodivergent young people. Using my strengths, interests and lived experience has made the role incredibly rewarding to provide families therapy that focuses on peer-supported self-discovery and build positive identity. Being able to support young people to feel seen, heard and understood in their lived experience by sharing my own has been a continuing rewarding experience.

What’s it like working with the team at Aspect?

As a neurodivergent therapist, Aspect has been continuingly supportive of my needs, work accommodations and open to listening to my perspective as an Autistic person to improve further Aspect services and providing opportunities for me to use my voice to advocate for other Autistic individuals. The graduate program was a helpful and supportive way to start a new career path.

How did you hear about the role at Aspect and why did you choose Aspect over other places to work?

I was at a careers expo at Western Sydney University when I saw that Aspect were doing a presentation for their new Social Work Therapy team. I've always wanted to work for an organisation that was dedicated to specifically supporting Autistic people in a holistic, strengths-based, identity-affirming way. I was apprehensive at first, as I wasn’t sure if my voice would be heard in the development of their approach with participants. However, Aspect has ongoing partnerships with the Autistic community and are willing to take on feedback from those with lived experience.

What learning opportunities has Aspect provided you with?

Aspect have been able to provide opportunities to learn from the different therapy teams (OT, Speech, Psychology, Positive Behaviour Support) to support well-rounded development of my professional identity. These could look like regular supervision, regional team meetings, yearly conferences where staff can present on topics/learnings that interest them, online webinars and practice resources.