Celebrating neurodiversity with Isla and Renai
CAHS Disability Access and Inclusion Advisory Group (DAIAG) members Isla (left) and Renai
18/03/2025
In honour of Neurodiversity Celebration Week, Isla Howard and Renai Buchanan are sharing their personal journeys to inspire change and advocate for neurodivergent individuals.
As members of the Child and Adolescent Health Service (CAHS) Disability Access and Inclusion Advisory Group (DAIAG), they’re working to ensure that those with disability, including neurodivergent individuals, are supported and heard.
Isla Howard describes her journey with autism as one of self-discovery. Growing up, Isla excelled in many activities but often felt different.
It wasn’t until a doctor suggested autism at age 15 that everything began to make sense. Diagnosed with Level 2 autism, Isla explains,
“It was reassuring to know that I wasn’t going crazy for believing I was different from others.”
While accepting her autism wasn’t easy, Isla has come to see it as an important part of who she is.
“I am still the same Isla I was before the diagnosis. My autism doesn’t define me or my entire identity, but it is a part of me that I can learn to respect and acknowledge” she says.
“I don’t want to try to fit into the world, or have it completely change just for me, but I would like the world to make room for me.”
Renai Buchanan, Lived Experience Coordinator for the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) has spent over 30 years navigating her neurodivergence.
“Understanding my unique brain helped me get well,” Renai shares.
“Neurodiversity gave me a new lens on my ‘broken brain’, it allowed me to consider what ‘recovery’ would mean if I supported my neurodivergence.”
“It took me from a place of struggle to where I am now, advocating for others.”
Through her role at CAMHS and as part of the DAIAG, Renai promotes inclusive workplaces and flexible environments for neurodivergent individuals.
“Workplaces collaborating with employees around adaptions and flexibility supports every employee to thrive,” she explains.
“It’s about adapting to each person’s needs, so they can succeed in their own way.”
Both Isla and Renai are passionate about challenging misconceptions about neurodivergence.
Isla notes, “There is no wrong way to approach an autism diagnosis,” while Renai stresses, “Neurodivergence is not a disorder, diagnosis or deficit; it’s a different way of experiencing and interacting with the world.”
Through their work on the DAIAG, they strive to create spaces where neurodivergent individuals are accepted and recognised for their strengths and contributions.
Both Isla and Renai are leading the way for a more inclusive future, one where neurodivergent individuals are celebrated for their unique perspectives and supported in all aspects of life.
Through their continued advocacy and personal stories, Isla and Renai are helping to build a more inclusive and accessible environment at CAHS—and beyond.
As members of the Child and Adolescent Health Service (CAHS) Disability Access and Inclusion Advisory Group (DAIAG), they’re working to ensure that those with disability, including neurodivergent individuals, are supported and heard.
Isla Howard describes her journey with autism as one of self-discovery. Growing up, Isla excelled in many activities but often felt different.
It wasn’t until a doctor suggested autism at age 15 that everything began to make sense. Diagnosed with Level 2 autism, Isla explains,
“It was reassuring to know that I wasn’t going crazy for believing I was different from others.”
While accepting her autism wasn’t easy, Isla has come to see it as an important part of who she is.
“I am still the same Isla I was before the diagnosis. My autism doesn’t define me or my entire identity, but it is a part of me that I can learn to respect and acknowledge” she says.
“I don’t want to try to fit into the world, or have it completely change just for me, but I would like the world to make room for me.”
Renai Buchanan, Lived Experience Coordinator for the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) has spent over 30 years navigating her neurodivergence.
“Understanding my unique brain helped me get well,” Renai shares.
“Neurodiversity gave me a new lens on my ‘broken brain’, it allowed me to consider what ‘recovery’ would mean if I supported my neurodivergence.”
“It took me from a place of struggle to where I am now, advocating for others.”
Through her role at CAMHS and as part of the DAIAG, Renai promotes inclusive workplaces and flexible environments for neurodivergent individuals.
“Workplaces collaborating with employees around adaptions and flexibility supports every employee to thrive,” she explains.
“It’s about adapting to each person’s needs, so they can succeed in their own way.”
Both Isla and Renai are passionate about challenging misconceptions about neurodivergence.
Isla notes, “There is no wrong way to approach an autism diagnosis,” while Renai stresses, “Neurodivergence is not a disorder, diagnosis or deficit; it’s a different way of experiencing and interacting with the world.”
Through their work on the DAIAG, they strive to create spaces where neurodivergent individuals are accepted and recognised for their strengths and contributions.
Both Isla and Renai are leading the way for a more inclusive future, one where neurodivergent individuals are celebrated for their unique perspectives and supported in all aspects of life.
Through their continued advocacy and personal stories, Isla and Renai are helping to build a more inclusive and accessible environment at CAHS—and beyond.
Last Updated:
17/03/2025