Shay Cole - Founder & Director
Shay is the Founder and Director of First Step Support Services, and the driving force behind its steady growth and strong culture. As a neurodivergent leader living with chronic illness, she brings lived experience into every decision - from how teams are supported to how participants are matched. Shay is deeply committed to building sustainable systems that protect both staff wellbeing and service quality. With a clear vision and a refusal to cut corners, she has grown First Step into an organisation known for integrity, transparency and genuine care.
My name is Shay! I’m a young Neurodivergent woman, who knows first hand what its like to grow up in a world that isn’t designed for our brains.
I spent my childhood thinking that I was born ‘weird’ and ‘different’ and that I wasn’t cut out for the world. Come to find out, I was different, and that was totally okay. I just hadn’t found my footing yet in world that felt really scary.
I have also experienced care from the other side. I have spent years navigating the health system not as a professional, but as the person in waiting rooms, retelling my story, advocating for myself, and trying to access support in systems that were not always built with neurodivergent or chronically ill adults in mind. Those experiences shape how I lead. They remind me that behind every referral, report and appointment is a human who deserves to feel heard, not managed.
What are your hobbies outside of working?
I’m very much a homebody! I love to snuggle up with my dog Zuzu and watch a movie, cook something with my partner, or spend hours doing research on something I’ve suddenly found interesting.
How do you connect with young people?
Some kids need a really gentle & calm, soft spoken approach. Someone who can be really sensitive to their feelings, validate them, and make sure they know they can feel how they feel, and feel it safely.
On the other side of the coin, some kids need a bit of sarcasm, a bit of joking around and being ‘real’. Kids are smart - they know when you’re faking.
What were you like growing up?
I was very shy - my mum would say I was attached to her hip. I used to hide at kinder when she left! I struggled alot to make friends, I thought there was some sort of ‘secret’ way to make them that everyone knew about - except for me. Like everyone had an instruction manual for life, but I didn’t get a copy!
I slowly found my place in the world in my late teens, and haven’t stopped trying to make the world an easier place to live for Neurodivergent kids ever since.
