Loneliness is a widespread issue facing many Australians but for young neurodivergent people, it can be a particularly tough challenge.
Often, neurodivergent people have experienced elements of social exclusion since childhood and have faced a constant pressure to adapt in a society that makes them feel different.
Agnes Abelsen is the founder of autism and hidden disability travel organisation Travengers and has seen first-hand the impact of social exclusion on her younger sister, who was diagnosed with autism when she was 11.
“At that time, I became really passionate about supporting young autistic adults, because I had seen how she was struggling in primary school, how she struggled to connect with her peers,” Abelsen, who has a background as a disability nurse, tells Women’s Agenda.
“She didn’t get the right support, and she was always misunderstood by teachers and other kids at school.”
When Abelsen later moved from Norway to Australia, she saw young autistic people facing the same issues.
“The young people that I met here were lonely and struggled to find people with the same experiences,” she says. “[They] were easy targets for bullies as well.”
There was one young man in particular who Abelsen said had experienced bullying and social exclusion and could not access any social groups that would meet his needs and interests.
She began looking into options for him as he really wanted to travel.
“I started looking into options for him, and also social groups where he could meet people who were on the same wavelength and had the same challenges, but also the same interests,” she explains.
“I couldn’t find anything.”
“It just made me frustrated that young people like my sister and him should be missing out on life and these opportunities and experiences.”
It was from here that Abelsen decided to do something about it, launching Travengers. The organisation connects young autistic and neurodivergent adults across Australia through supported social groups and travel.
The idea is simple but transformative: to create spaces where people who think and experience the world differently can make genuine social connections, build confidence, and travel the world safely.
Travengers has support guides to support group members through social interactions and skill building, so young people can build their own friendships, independence and confidence.
“A lot of the young people who have been coming to us have fallen in between mainstream and other disability groups, and feel like they don’t fit in on either side,” she says.
“When we started Travengers, it was finally an outlet that fit for a lot of people who have previously been missing out.
“It’s been growing ever since, and so far, we’ve supported over 500 young people from nearly every state in Australia.”
Abelsen says Travengers has helped hundreds of young people to bond over new experiences.
“Last year we had a trip. They went to New York and Florida. The girls bonded, and two of the girls are now travelling to see each other interstate, staying in touch.
“Now they have a friendship, as well as the independence to be brave enough to do that by themselves, which they previously may not have.”
Loneliness and neurodiversity
More than half of Australians report they feel lonely in a typical week, according to Medibank’s Loneliness Population Index. It’s an issue that’s particularly pressing for neurodivergent people.
In 2022, the first major systematic review of its kind revealed that autistic adults report higher scores on measures of loneliness than their non-autistic peers. It also showed that autistic adults do desire social connection despite often facing difficulties in social settings.
In Australia, social environments often exclude autistic and neurodivergent people, leaving them to feel socially isolated or misunderstood. Societal, sensory and environmental barriers are also common, often leading to social isolation.
When it comes to loneliness, Abelsen says she sees how deeply it affects autistic or neurodivergent people.
“A lot of autistic or neurodivergent people struggle with social connection especially with neurotypical people,” she says.
“But when neurodivergent people come together, it’s often 10 times easier, because it connects on a different level.”
“A lot of people struggle with keeping friendships, or maintaining social friendships. So having regular groups to go to where they don’t have to initiate it and plan it themselves, removes another barrier.”
Last year, Abelsen was diagnosed with ADHD. She said it opened her eyes to a whole new way of looking at her life and social experiences.
“When you learn that whole new world about yourself, it’s like you look at your whole life and your whole self in a new light,” she says, referring to her diagnosis.
“That also brings up a need to connect with other people who get it and who understand the challenges that you’ve been through your whole life but never really had a name for.
“A lot of people [have] been alone with their experiences. So having an outlet where you can actually connect with other people going through the setting is very powerful.”
To learn more about Medibank’s commitment to reducing loneliness head to We Are Lonely | Medibank.
About the research
Research commissioned by FiftyFive5 on behalf of Medibank. Research was conducted in July 2024, among a sample of (n=4,131) Australians.