Ignition Gamers is a neurodiverse community, for autistic or hidden disability individuals with low support needs and a shared interest in video games. Gaming brings us together, but it’s only where we start.
Discover new friendships, have fun and access meaningful support in a safe and welcoming environment
Ignition Gamers helps your teen and young adult develop the social skills, confidence, and sense of achievement needed to enjoy greater satisfaction in life.
We’d love to launch right into telling you about how Ignition Gamers came to be, but the truth is, we’re more interested in what’s going on for you and your young adult. If you’re like us, you’ve spent many days searching for answers and feeling frustrated that they don’t seem to be getting the help they need. You want the best for them because they deserve to live a full, fun, purposeful life. But there’s a lack of support and options, leaving you wondering if anything will ever change.
That’s where we come in. Ignition Gamers is a family-operated service for teens and young adults who love to game! Founded by the Golding family, Stephen, Claire and Will (that’s us!), we created a unique and energising program where your game-loving young person can find the friendships, support and encouragement they deserve.
Our space is their place to grow, explore their future and live their best lives.
Read the ABC News Article.
Book your free 15-min consultation so we can get to know each other. It’s the perfect opportunity for you to ask questions and work out if Ignition Gamers is right for you and your son. If you’re happy to move forward, a service agreement is signed, and we’re able to start.
The first meeting is with Will, or one of our other peer support hosts, at a location familiar to your young adult. Before going to Ignition Gamers, they’ll chat primarily about games to help them feel comfortable.
Your young adult has a group of mates, and his confidence and vision for the future grow. They learn greater independence and builds social capacity, so you can feel reassured that they're going to be ok.
Hi, we’re the Goldings and the founders of Ignition Gamers.
Parenting Will, our neurodiverse son, has at times been an exhausting, exhilarating and challenging journey. There’s no road map, and we learnt early on that the right support was difficult to find. As Will left school, the transition into adulthood was difficult. He became withdrawn, lonely and lacked motivation. Despite wanting to be independent and keen to work, Will’s NDIS support workers didn’t encourage him to explore his goals or build his capacity.
That’s when we started Ignition Gamers. Will wanted to help other neurodiverse men who had similar interests. He wanted to give them what he had been missing – a less formal support system from someone who had walked a day in their shoes.
With the help of dad, Stephen, a highly regarded and experienced psychosocial recovery coach and peer worker, Ignition Gamers was brought to life.
Today, our longest participants has been with us for 2 and a half years, and all our peer workers have lived experience. They know when to talk, when not to talk, and when to share their stories. Do they love gaming – for sure! But that’s not all we’re about – it’s just the first piece of the puzzle. When your son feels confident attending our sessions, we’ll work to connect you to other services and professionals who can further support his growth.
Ready to get started? Book a complimentary chat with us today.
Will founded Ignition Gamers in 2020 because he loves how gaming and eSports can bring together others to have fun, build relationships and develop communication. Will played many sports during his childhood - including show jumping! His love for fitness is still very much real with regular gym sessions and training for 5k fun runs. Will is very much involved in the day-to-day running of Ignition and continues to actively support all our new and existing participants.
When he's not immersed in the world of gaming, you can find Andrew indulging in his love for comic books or collecting vintage transformer figures and movie/music DVDs and CDs. With a keen eye for fashion, Andrew draws inspiration from the rebellious energy of the 2000s era. If he had the chance (and the money), he'd spend his days racing go-karts!
Daniel loves making a difference in the lives of his clients. He’s been involved in youth work for many years, in particular supporting young people who are physically or cognitively diverse. Daniel’s a keen gamer and loves that he’s able to combine both his passions at Ignition. But more than that, he’s enjoyed seeing the positive changes participants have experienced with their social skills, building friendships and finding a truly supportive network.
Chris, affectionately known as CJ, is a dedicated peer worker at Ignition Gamers. Sharing his cosy space with two spirited cats, two violins, and two guitars, Chris finds solace in creating melodies inspired by video games and movie themes. An avid Lego enthusiast, he admits it's a pricey passion but worth every brick. Chris thrives in the relaxed and inclusive atmosphere at Ignition Gamers, where his work feels more like hanging out with friends than a typical job.
Dale knew he loved gaming from an early age, starting with the classics - Pac-Man and Galaga - and loved sharing this time with his Dad. After playing on various eSports teams, we were thrilled that he joined us to help our community build their social skills, communication and gaming abilities.
Thomas is courteous, reliable, and quiet but loves a good chat about drawing. When he’s not with the Gamers, you’ll find him going for drives, getting out and about with his extended family or playing with his 7’ pet python! Thomas is always welcoming and supportive of our new Gamers.
Without the right social and community participation early in their lives, our neurodiverse young adults become increasingly isolated, sheltered and unable to function or live life to the fullest without one-on-one care.
If your young person is interested in gaming, why not explore Ignition Gamers? We offer a free no-obligation 15-minute phone consultation where together we’ll work out if we’re the right fit for your son.
You’ll feel reassured that we’re here to help your young person feel purposeful, supported, independent and happy.
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