Our Story
Acorn was founded in 2018 in Tāmaki Makaurau in response to a lack of specialist support for our neurodivergent tamariki and rangatahi. This gap led to significant adverse outcomes.
Acorn is the only provider of the international gold standard model of integrated multidisciplinary support for neurodivergent children, filling a huge gap in service provision. Acorn supports children and young people who are neurodivergent and experiencing challenges related to autism, ADHD, sensory processing, developmental delays, dyspraxia, giftedness and language processing.
We have grown from two professionals providing speech and language therapy to 22 professionals across two centres providing multidisciplinary services to children from all over Auckland in their homes, schools and our centres.
We are a team of advocates and experts dedicated to providing evidence-based supports that give neurodivergent children the tools they need to reach their potential. We provide speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, behavioural therapy, and psychology services all in one place with coordinated care, giving every family a support team.
Originally started as a business, Acorn Autism was transformed into Acorn Charitable Trust in late 2021 to allow us to partner with community stakeholders to increase equitable access to support for more neurodivergent children.
Our Mission
Our Mission is to empower neurodivergent children and youth by giving them the tools they need to reach their potential.
Our Values
Every person should be celebrated as an individual. Our interdisciplinary team brings evidence and strength-based practices from each of their fields to empower children to achieve what is important to them and their families. We are committed to supporting neurodivergent children to be included in their schools and communities. Supporting individuals to advocate for themselves is at the heart of what we do.
We recognise the unique status of Māori as tangata whenua of Aotearoa and aim to embody the principles of te Tiriti o Waitangi in all of our work.
Our Vision
Our Vision is to build a future in which all neurodivergent people can fully participate, belong and thrive in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Acorn supports the principles of
Self-Determination
Beginning early
Person-centred
Ordinary life outcomes
Mainstream first
Mana enhancing
Easy to use
Relationship building
