Amanda McGuinness
Autistic Advocate & Autism/PDA Specialist
Amanda McGuinness is an Irish Autistic advocate, Autism and Persistent Drive for Autonomy (PDA) specialist, keynote speaker, trainer, writer, podcast host, and founder of Little Puddins, one of Ireland's leading neuroaffirmative Autism and PDA education platforms.
Since establishing Little Puddins in 2015, Amanda has become recognised for developing accessible, evidence-informed resources that support Autistic people, families, educators, therapists, healthcare professionals, and organisations. Her work focuses on translating complex research into practical, neuroaffirmative approaches that promote understanding, accessibility, autonomy, communication, and meaningful participation.
Amanda's work is informed by the intersection of lived Autistic experience, parenting, professional practice, and postgraduate study. As an Autistic adult with ADHD and a PDA profile, she brings first-hand insight to her work while also parenting four neurodivergent children whose support needs include Autism, PDA, ADHD, Intellectual Disability, Dyslexia, language processing differences, and other co-occurring neurodevelopmental differences. This unique combination enables Amanda to bridge research, lived experience, and everyday practice in ways that are both accessible and deeply practical.
Today, Amanda delivers keynote presentations, professional learning, consultancy, online education, and internationally accessed resources that support neuroaffirmative practice across education, healthcare, disability services, and family life.
Autism Advocacy and Leadership
Amanda has held several leadership positions within Ireland's Autism community.
She previously served on the Board of Directors of AsIAm, Ireland's Autism Charity, before later becoming Prepare Me Manager, leading national initiatives designed to improve understanding, accessibility, and inclusion for Autistic children and families.
Throughout her career Amanda has worked alongside families, educators, healthcare professionals, disability organisations, government bodies, and community services to improve Autism understanding and promote neuroaffirmative practice. She has extensive experience delivering keynote presentations, conferences, webinars, workshops, and professional training throughout Ireland and internationally.
Her work consistently focuses on creating environments that are more accessible, respectful, and responsive to the needs of Autistic people across education, healthcare, workplaces, and communities.
University Lecturing
Amanda regularly contributes to higher education through university-level teaching on Neuroinclusion, Autism, and Persistent Drive for Autonomy (PDA).
Drawing on her professional expertise, postgraduate study, advocacy, and lived experience, Amanda delivers lectures that explore contemporary neuroaffirmative understandings of Neurodiveristy, Autism, PDA, communication, accessibility, regulation, and inclusive practice. Her teaching encourages students to critically examine traditional deficit-based perspectives while developing evidence-informed approaches that centre autonomy, relational safety, meaningful participation, and the lived experiences of Autistic people.
Amanda is committed to supporting the next generation of professionals by bridging current research, clinical knowledge, and lived experience, helping future educators, therapists, healthcare professionals, and disability practitioners develop a deeper understanding of neuroaffirmative practice
Founder of Little Puddins
Amanda founded Little Puddins in 2015 following her son Jack's Autism identification. What began as Mayo's first Autism family blog has evolved into a comprehensive Autism education platform supporting thousands of families and professionals worldwide.
Today, Little Puddins provides a growing collection of neuroaffirmative resources including:
Autism and PDA educational articles
Downloadable visual supports
Communication Passports
Social Visual Guides
Professional training and webinars
Educational videos
Parent and professional resources
The Unfiltered Autistic Podcast
Free Autism resources for families, schools, and organisations
Many of Amanda's original resources are now used within homes, schools, healthcare settings, disability services, and community organisations throughout Ireland and internationally.
Amanda also created the Little Puddins "Auti" character, developed to help explain Autistic lived experience, communication differences, sensory experiences, and emotional understanding through accessible visual storytelling.
The Unfiltered Autistic Podcast
Amanda is the host of The Unfiltered Autistic Podcast, a leading neuroaffirmative podcast exploring Autism through conversations with internationally recognised clinicians, researchers, educators, therapists, advocates, authors, and Autistic professionals.
The podcast explores topics including:
Autism
Persistent Drive for Autonomy (PDA)
Declarative Language
Communication
Occupational Therapy
Speech and Language Therapy
Sensory Processing
Emotional Regulation
Executive Functioning
Autistic Burnout
Inclusive Education
Neurodiversity
Accessibility
Family Wellbeing
Featured guests include internationally recognised leaders such as Kelly Mahler, Amy Laurent, Jacquelyn Fede, Adam Harris, Pete Wharmby, Julie Holmes, Nikki Smit, Danielle Jata-Hall, Elaine Fitzgerald, Gareth Noble, and many other respected professionals and lived experience experts whose work continues to shape contemporary neuroaffirmative Autism practice.
The podcast has become a trusted learning resource for parents, educators, therapists, healthcare professionals, organisations, and Autistic adults seeking thoughtful, evidence-informed conversations grounded in both research and lived experience.
Amanda McGuinness is Known For
Amanda's work has become particularly recognised in the areas of:
Autism and Neurodiversity Education
Supporting greater understanding of Autism through neuroaffirmative education that values identity, accessibility, strengths, communication, and participation.
Persistent Drive for Autonomy (PDA)
Developing practical resources, education, and professional learning focused on autonomy, meaningful influence, nervous system regulation, relational safety, and neuroaffirmative support.
Visual Supports and Accessible Communication
Creating original visual supports, Communication Passports, Social Visual Guides, and other communication resources that improve accessibility across home, education, healthcare, and community settings.
Autism and Education
Supporting inclusive educational practice through training on communication, regulation, accessibility, sensory processing, executive functioning, transitions, school participation, and Universal Design for Learning.
Families and Professional Learning
Delivering practical education that bridges current research, professional expertise, and lived Autistic experience for families, educators, therapists, healthcare professionals, and organisations.
Areas of Professional Interest
Amanda's work regularly explores:
Autism
Persistent Drive for Autonomy (PDA)
Neuroaffirmative Practice
Autistic Identity
Autistic Culture
Communication
Declarative Language
Visual Supports
Communication Passports
Social Visual Guides
Sensory Processing
Emotional Regulation
Executive Functioning
Inclusive Education
Universal Design for Learning
Autistic Burnout
Autism Advocacy
Family Support
Toilet Learning
Accessibility
Neurodiversity
Professional Learning
Keynote Speaking
Director of Autism Advocacy, Outreach & Professional Practice
Amanda currently serves as Director of Autism Advocacy, Outreach & Professional Practice at Flourish, an Autistic-led consultancy specialising in neuroaffirmative training, consultancy, and professional development.
Within this role, Amanda leads work across Autism advocacy, professional education, strategic outreach, and organisational development, supporting schools, universities, healthcare providers, disability organisations, businesses, corporates, and community services to build more accessible and inclusive environments.
Her work at Flourish complements her wider advocacy by delivering evidence-informed training, consultancy, keynote presentations, and professional learning that translate contemporary Autism research into practical, neuroaffirmative approaches for real-world settings.
Working Across Ireland and Internationally
Amanda McGuinness works with families, schools, universities, healthcare services, disability organisations, charities, government bodies, community organisations, and businesses across Ireland and internationally to promote greater understanding of Autism and neuroaffirmative practice.
Through keynote speaking, consultancy, professional training, university teaching, educational resources, advocacy, and strategic collaboration, Amanda supports organisations to create environments that are more accessible, inclusive, and responsive to the needs of Autistic people across the lifespan.
Her work spans early years, primary education, secondary education, further and higher education, healthcare, disability services, community settings, workplaces, and family life. Whether delivering a national conference keynote, lecturing university students, supporting an individual school, developing practical visual resources, or contributing to policy discussions, Amanda's focus remains the same: translating research, professional knowledge, and lived experience into practical approaches that improve everyday understanding and meaningful participation.
Amanda has collaborated with a wide range of respected organisations and professionals across the Autism community. This includes developing the official visual representation of the SPACE Framework in collaboration with Dr Mary Doherty and Autistic Doctors International, helping to make this influential neuroaffirmative framework more accessible to professionals, organisations, and the wider Autism community.
Amanda's resources have been accessed by thousands of families and professionals, while her training and keynote presentations have supported educators, therapists, healthcare professionals, disability practitioners, employers, and organisations seeking evidence-informed, neuroaffirmative approaches to Autism, Persistent Drive for Autonomy (PDA), communication, accessibility, regulation, and inclusion.
Across every aspect of her work, Amanda is committed to creating resources, education, and professional learning that move beyond awareness to meaningful change. Her goal is not simply to increase understanding of Autism, but to help shape environments, systems, and relationships where Autistic people are respected, understood, and supported to thrive as their authentic selves.
Looking Ahead
Amanda McGuinness remains committed to advancing neuroaffirmative understanding through education, advocacy, research, and collaboration. As the fields of Autism, Persistent Drive for Autonomy (PDA), communication, and inclusive practice continue to evolve, she is dedicated to ensuring that families, educators, therapists, healthcare professionals, organisations, and Autistic people have access to practical, evidence-informed resources that support meaningful participation and lasting change.
Through Little Puddins, The Unfiltered Autistic Podcast, keynote speaking, professional consultancy, university teaching, and collaborative projects, Amanda continues to develop accessible educational resources that bridge research, professional expertise, and lived Autistic experience.
Whether supporting an individual family, delivering professional learning to organisations, contributing to higher education, or collaborating with leaders in the field, Amanda's mission remains the same: to create a world where Autistic people are better understood, where accessibility is embedded rather than added, and where every person is supported to participate authentically, with dignity, autonomy, and respect.