Speakers

Professor Dawn Adams (she/her) is the Director of the Autism Centre of Excellence, Griffith University. As well as being an academic, she is also a Clinical Psychologist. She has published over 100 research articles and been awarded AUD$5.8 million in research funding. Dawn uses both her clinical and research experience to inform her work in the area of anxiety, mental health and wellbeing in autistic individuals, with a particular focus on the school setting. Dawn works closely with schools, community groups and clinical services to ensure her work is translated into real world outcomes. Her most recent work has shown the effectiveness of an autism-specific intervention to prevent the development of anxiety in autistic children as they transition into school and the development of the world’s first intervention designed to enhance wellbeing in young autistic children.

Dr Ru Ying Cai is a Research Fellow at Aspect (Autism Spectrum Australia) and Senior Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne. Ru is passionate about researching the factors that can improve the resilience and psychological wellbeing of autistic individuals and parents of autistic children, including self-compassion, emotion regulation, financial wellbeing, and inclusive employment. Ru serves as the Chair of the Board at Different Journeys. 

Jess Feary is the Victoria and Tasmania Coordinator for Positive Partnerships. She has a background in occupational therapy and public health and over 15 years’ experience working alongside autistic people and their families in clinical, research, policy and educational settings.

Positive Partnerships is a national project funded by the Australian Government Department of Education. Positive Partnerships delivers high quality professional learning and resources through free workshops, webinars and online modules for parents, carers and school staff.

Associate Professor Amanda Webster is the Academic Program Director for the Master and Graduate Certificate of Autism and the Master of Education/Special Education at the University of Wollongong. Prior to her academic career, Dr. Webster worked for over 30 years with students and their families as a school leader, advisor, teacher, program director and certified behaviour analyst. Dr. Webster’s research focuses on creating meaningful social impact and centres on leadership for inclusive education and community environments that support the achievement and self-determination of autistic and neurodivergent individuals with and their families. In addition to being a researcher with the Australian Autism Cooperative Research Centre, she has completed several large-scale projects examining the role of leaders and consultants in implementing education programs for students on the autism spectrum and is current completing research on the ways that school undertake decision making processes to support students with disabilities. Dr. Webster has worked closely with the departments of education in Queensland, NSW and Tasmania to lead research on the role of school leaders, staff and parents in establishing effective inclusive school cultures and practices that will enable students with a range of needs to achieve high quality outcomes. Dr. Webster’s research has been published in a number of peer reviewed publications including three research-based books published by Springer and Routledge overviewing case studies and models of practice for empowering and supporting individuals on the autism spectrum in community and school settings.

Dr Mandira Hiremath graduated from Monash University and completed her paediatric training at Monash Children’s, the Royal Children’s Hospital and Djerriwarrh Health Service. She now works as a general paediatrician at Western Health in outer metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria. Through this service she is involved in multidisciplinary autism assessments for children from preschool to teenage years, neurodevelopmental assessments at the newly established Brimbank-Melton Local and management of a variety of developmental-behavioural paediatric concerns. Mandira is currently undertaking a PhD through Monash University, studying neurodiversity education for primary school students. Mandira also has non-clinical involvement as a board director for the ASDP (formerly the NBPSA) and consultancy work for the ACRC including participation in the National Guideline Development Group. Mandira’s clinical interests include neurodiversity, autism, ADHD  and the impact of trauma on childhood development.

Dr. Matthew Harrison is an experienced teacher, researcher and digital creator with a passion for utilising technology to enhance social capacity building, belonging and inclusion in education. He has taught in Australia, South Korea and the United Kingdom at primary, secondary and tertiary levels. Matthew is currently a member of the University of Melbourne Faculty of Education Learning Intervention team and a project lead at the University of Melbourne Neurodiversity Project. He was awarded the Dyason Fellowship in 2020, and the GEM Scott Teaching Fellowship and the International Society for Technology in Education 'Making IT Happen' award in 2023.

Jess Rowlings is a qualified speech and language pathologist and o-founder/CEO of Next Level Collaboration, a social enterprise that runs strength-based programs to support neurodivergent children in developing collaborative skills and social connection through cooperative video games. Jess is also a researcher at the Faculty of Education (University of Melbourne) and specialises in the design and analysis of video game-based intervention to build social capacity in neurodivergent children. She is passionate about the use of digital games-based learning to promote inclusion and a sense of belonging, and her work has included developing and running a dedicated Minecraft server to support neurodivergent girls and women. Informed by her lived experience of receiving autism and ADHD diagnoses as an adult as well as her lifelong love of games, Jess has also commenced her PhD investigating the experiences of neurodivergent women in gaming communities.

Professor Vicki Bitsika has specialised in the assessment and treatment of people with neurodevelopmental conditions, mental ill-health, and behavioural disorder for over 35 years. She is a Clinical Psychologist who has consulted in schools and Human Service facilities in Australia and Internationally, with a focus on the development of training services for educators and mental-health professionals, and techniques for addressing complex behavioural difficulties. She was Founder and Director of the Centre for Autism Spectrum Disorder, at Bond University from 2010 to 2019, before joining Biomedical Sciences at the University of New England where she conducts research into diagnostic and mental health issues in autism and teaches into the Master of Neuroscience programme.

Professor Bitsika was awarded an Australian Learning and Teaching Council citation in 2009 for “exemplary translation of clinical practice into development of hands-on, innovative, and student-focused curriculum and teaching techniques in Behaviour Management”. She received a Winston Churchill Fellowship in 2010 to investigate specialised intervention technologies for children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder in the USA and UK. In 2016, Professor Bitsika was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for “significant service to tertiary education in the field of Autism Spectrum Disorders, as an academic, and as a supporter of people with disabilities”. She was admitted, as Fellow, into the Royal Society in 2023.

Sam Hindes is the current Director of the Autism Teaching Institute and has over two decades of experience working with autistic children in schools. During this time he has worked in a range of roles across the UK and Australia, including play worker, outreach teacher, research assistant and assistant principal for teaching and learning. In his current role, Sam is focused on reviewing and enhancing accredited post-graduate courses for teachers seeking to build their capabilities in teaching autistic students. Sam is what teachers can learn from their students, their families, and from each other.

Sarah Turner is the Assistant Principal for Wellbeing at Western Autistic School.

Shadia is the proud owner and founder of Autism Actually and enjoys presenting and consultancy. They are also an ambassador of the Autistic-led organisation Yellow Ladybugs.

Shadia is currently studying a Bachelor of Speech Pathology (Honours), and recently completed a Cert IV in Animal Behaviour and Training. They have professional interests in Autism, communication access and supports, and animal-assisted services. 

Shadia was formally identified with Autism at the age of three, Generalised Anxiety Disorder at 14, and ADHD combined type at 23. Being non-binary, they enjoy discussing the intersectionality of Autism and the LGBTQIA+ community.

As an Autistic person with experience accessing therapeutic supports, Shadia is passionate about sharing how to view Autism from a neurodiversity-affirming perspective.

Erin Salmon is a proud Autistic woman and Psychology Honours graduate with a passion for neurodiversity and genuine connection. As both an Autistic person and someone who works closely with the community, Erin has seen firsthand how Autistic friendships grow and thrive. As a Program Facilitator at Next Level Collaboration and an Event Facilitator at Yellow Ladybugs, she helps create spaces where Autistic individuals can connect in ways that feel natural and meaningful. She’s all about making sure everyone feels understood, supported, and valued in their relationships.

Maybelle Acosta is a learning specialist at Western Autistic School.

Bridget Thompson is a learning specialist at Western Autistic School.

Daniel is proudly Autistic and works tirelessly as an advocate for Autistic individuals and

others with diverse needs. He was diagnosed with Autism at the age of 2.5 years. Throughout

his childhood, Daniel experienced delays in verbal communication and needed assistance

with navigating the world around him, especially from a social and sensory perspective

Daryl is proudly Daniel’s dad and is inspired by Daniel’s self-advocacy work. Daryl is in

awe of all that Daniel has achieved despite the daily challenges his Autism presents to

him.

I'm a Speech Pathologist and neurodiversity researcher by trade but also work as a creative, doing illustrations and music production. I am a mum of a beautiful little one year old and am expecting my second baby in September 🙂  I'm autistic and have ADHD. In terms of my background with friendships, I've always thrived in smaller social settings, and I bond best with people who share similar interests to me. My closest friends are all also musicians and we spend lots of our time together creating or listening to music. Throughout my school years, things like the music/drama production, band and choir were the spaces where I built and sustained friendships, but I generally struggled outside of that context. Now in my 30s I've let go of the pressures you often feel in your youth to fit into bigger groups and I love the little pocket of friends I have in my life.

Callum is a young man living with Autism from Victoria’s High Country. He works with Mansfield Autism Statewide Services as a Project Manager for a grand botanical project called Ngurrak Prehistoric Gardens and volunteers with his local S.E.S unit. 

Callum is pursuing formal studies in Horticulture at Tafe which is a continuation of his independent and self-driven passion for nature-based sciences.

Emily Aylett is a Senior Allied Health Officer within the Department of Education’s Diverse Learners Hub. She is also an AHPRA registered Psychologist with a Master of Science in Educational Psychology and over 15 years of experience working with diverse learners, their families and educators across the UK, and Australia.

Hannah Moylan is a Senior Policy and Project Officer within the Diverse Learners Hub. Hannah has 15 years’ experience in policy and project delivery in the Department of Education across health and wellbeing, mental health and inclusive education portfolios. Hannah brings a parent lived-experience perspective to this work and also volunteers as a peer support worker for families of diverse learners in Melbourne’s northern suburbs.

I CAN Network is Australia's largest provider of Autistic-led group mentoring programs, training and consultancy. For the past 10 years, I CAN has been driving a rethink of Autism that moves Autistic young people from a mindset of ‘I CAN’T’ to ‘I CAN’ through respectful, peer-based mentoring programs that celebrate Autistic strengths, passions and shared lived experiences. I CAN School® mentoring, which currently runs in 115 Victorian government schools and is part of the Schools Mental Health Menu, empowers students with optimism, belonging, self-acceptance, pride and confidence. I CAN Online, a national program for young people ages 8-22, provides a safe, positive online environment to build confidence and social connection. I CAN's Autistic-led mentoring programs reach more than 3000 Autistic and other Neurodivergent young people across Australia each year.