Fed-up with the lack of health services in regional WA, a mother of two neurodiverse boys decided to open a safe space for people living with autism and ADHD.
Claire Watkinson has just launched a sensory store in the Great Southern to help meet the needs of people on the spectrum.
The Albany mother said having a neurodiverse family could feel isolating at times and wanted to reduce the stigma of developmental conditions.
"I guess starting the journey we realised there was limited supports in Albany for our family and a lot of the time was spent travelling back and forwards to Perth," Ms Watkinson said.
"As the boys got older and we were looking at different sensory products to support them in everyday life, we realised we were buying more and more online and it was trial and error."
Ms Watkinson's store means neurodiverse people can have a safe shopping experience without fear of judgement.
It is located in a quiet space with low lighting levels – making it a more pleasant experience for some people with autism.
The store has products such as weighted anxiety blankets, fidget spinners and sensory putty.
However, Ms Watkinson said it was more than just a retail store and people often just came in to feel validated.
"It's a safe space where people can come touch, feel, see and smell the products that they are looking at before they buy them," she said.
"To be able to go somewhere and feel like you don't have to explain your situation, you don't have to explain what's happening in your house.
"You don't have to explain when your kid has a little meltdown in the shop, we're just here to support each other and share each other's stories."
Ms Watkinson also said her store's name, the Happy Giraffe, was inspired by her son's love of repetitively drawing giraffes.
Late ADHD diagnosis inspired business dream
Ms Watkinson is one of a growing number of women being diagnosed with ADHD later in life.
She didn't know she had the attention deficit or hyperactivity disorder until her mid-40s.
According to ADHD Australia, about one in 20 Australians live with ADHD.
The condition is sometimes overlooked in girls, who are diagnosed with ADHD at just below half the rate of boys.
Ms Watkinson said children with ADHD at school were often labelled "naughty" but believed fidgeting and other behaviours common with ADHD were just coping mechanisms.
"When they think about ADHD, they think about kids running around crazy and misbehaving, for me I certainly never experienced that, but more finding it difficult to remember things or find words for things so my brain kind of races around and finds it hard to focus on one thing," she said.
"For me if I go to a meeting, I'll pull putty or play with something and that enables me to concentrate on what someone is saying."
The Albany mother said she started taking ADHD medication this year which helped her channel her thoughts.
"It has changed my whole world and for me that's why the business is here because it enabled me bring my thoughts together," she said.
She hopes the more it is talked about, the more tolerance the community will have for people living with a neurodiverse condition.
