Sarah Hayden is a social worker and psychotherapist. Her writing, advocacy, and speaking focuses on autism, neurodivergence, adoption, fostering, and complex family dynamics. Her first book, Parenting Different: How to Raise Your Neurodivergent Kids to Be Their Authentic, Awesome Selves (Murdoch Books, Mar 2025), combines her personal expertise and professional experience to support parents of neurodivergent kids on their parenting journey.Â
She is mum to five kids, including world-renowned actor, author and autism advocate Chloé Hayden. As well as adopting their youngest two through intercountry adoption from Taiwan, Sarah and her husband have fostered 55 children.
As a dedicated volunteer, she has counselled refugees and asylum seekers as well as providing emotional support and psychological first aid during natural disasters.
Sarah is neurodivergent herself, having finally (and not surprisingly) been diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 48.
Testimonials
“By sharing her personal journey, Sarah moved the room with her honesty, humour, and vulnerability. Her reflections on being told she was “too much” throughout her life struck a powerful chord with many. Her message — to celebrate individuality in ourselves, our children, and our community — was both empowering and uplifting.
Sarah encouraged guests to embrace being true to themselves and consider being authentic as an act of courage.
We are incredibly grateful to Sarah for sharing her story with such generosity, openness, and authenticity — and for reminding us that authenticity is one of the most powerful tools we have to build a more inclusive community.”
“It was a privilege to hear Sarah speak at the Give Geelong Breakfast. Sarah is a powerful speaker unafraid to tackle issues of importance. Open, honest, direct, brave and heartfelt, Sarah spoke about her personal experiences while conveying messages that relate to us all. Be courageous. Take chances. Don’t limit yourself by what others might think or expect of you. Open yourself up to possibilities and say yes. And ultimately, the importance of being truly yourself.”
“As she told her story, I found myself connecting the dots and realising how much of what she shared resonated with my own life and challenges. Her message was not only powerful, it was deeply personal and incredibly relevant. Sarah speaks with real conviction, and her plain English, down-to-earth storytelling makes her both relatable and engaging.”
“Sarah Hayden delivered an exceptional session for WorkSafe Victoria as part of our Neurodiversity Celebration Week program. Her presentation was both deeply thought-provoking and highly practical, challenging our people to move beyond awareness and into meaningful action…Feedback from attendees was overwhelmingly positive.
Participants consistently described the session as engaging, insightful and immediately applicable. Sarah’s depth of knowledge, authenticity and engaging delivery style left a lasting impression, with many noting a shift in their thinking around neurodiversity, workplace design and leadership.”