About me

Hello! 

My name is Christine Jenkins. I’m a late-in-life identified Autistic woman. My pronouns are she/her. 

• You should hire me as someone who thinks outside the box.  My unique brain will consider your situation differently. I’m not afraid to say, “There is no box!”

• I am an Autistic philosopher and the Mother of Reinvention.

• I have published both popular and scholarly works on several topics.  My ORCiD profile for scholarly publications is https://orcid.org/0009-0005-6669-0125

• I work with people all over the world in order to make it a more welcoming place for Autistics. I listen to #AutisticElders.

• I love to communicate in writing and in person.

• I believe in building community for both education and support.

• I advocate for #AutisticJoy and thrive by breathing #AutisticOxygen.

• See my Linktree to contact me and inquire about my rates: https://linktr.ee/christineajenkins

Biography

• After self identifying and seeking assessment for 8 months, Christine got oral confirmation as Asperger’s in late 2008, aged 48. It took her four months to get proof in writing. She now calls herself Autistic.

• Starting in 2011 she has helped found two Facebook support groups and one in-person which now has a chapter in Toronto.

• Christine is the author of The Ottawa Bicycle Book (1982) and co-editor of The Canadian Cycling Association’s Complete Guide to Bicycle Touring in Canada (1994).

• A Carleton University journalism major, she was a CKCU radio host and producer for 22 years after graduation. She co-organized the first-known conference for Canadian spectrum women in Ottawa in 2013.

• Christine served on the Policy Advisory Group for Girls and Women with ASD of CAMH/Autism Ontario in Toronto, under Dr. Meng-Chuan Lai, who she met in June 2017.

• She joined the Ottawa Adult Autism Initiative in May 2018. She is a contributing author and proofreader of the popular book, Spectrum Women: Walking to the Beat of Autism (JKP, 2018)

• At Montreal’s INSAR 2019 she and social worker Dori Zener organized and co-hosted the first women’s meet-up. Christine spoke on ageing (dis)gracefully at the NAS Women and Girls Conference, Edinburgh in September 2019 and brought the Icelandic documentary, Seeing the Unseen, to Carleton University later that fall.

• A newer initiative is as Director of Christine Jenkins AUsome Consulting in Ottawa, Canada. She helped form a six-member team from two universities including Carleton, to study Autistics and Menopause from 2021 to 2024.  See Announcements or visit www.autisticmenopause.com.

• She may be contacted for her rates and availability at: cjAUsomeConsulting@gmail.com

Endorsements

“I spoke to her about you. You have had an amazing role in her life because she hears [you] now about trying to include adults’ voices.”  

—Dori Zener about Kelly Mahler (for both of whom Christine edited publications.) 

After editing the first draft of Supporting Spectacular Girls (Jessica Kingsley, 2021):  “Thank you for all your help during the writing of the book.  You helped me to see other perspectives, which led to much needed changes.  You are such an incredible, switched-on, young-minded, intelligent woman who I really admire.” 

—Helen Clarke, author 

“I just saw your interview on Mind Your Autistic Brain on YouTube (Ep. 120), and wanted to reach out….I related to you so much.  I’m 61 yo and self-identified about 5 months ago…. Of all the videos I’ve watched, watching you I felt the most like there’s someone that’s a lot like me.  I appreciate all you’re doing.” 

–unsolicited e-mail feedback Sept 2023, identity kept private. 

Anonymous feedback after 2019 NAS Edinburgh talk on Ageing:  “Christine Jenkins was personally the most useful, as I am perimenopausal and can find little about being autistic and menopausal…”  

“Christine Jenkins’ presentation was not immediately relevant…Having said that, I am extremely grateful to Christine for the work she is doing, because I know that is laying the groundwork for ensuring my daughter a better, more supported future as an autistic older woman.”

“Glad this research is coming to fruition.  You are a natural researcher.  [Research study Autistic Experiences of Menopause] has the potential to have a huge impact on people’s lives and will help to compensate for the struggles others of us have had to endure.”

–Sept. 2021 UK Bridging the Silos menopause team member Rose Matthews

“Christine is a pioneer, using her brains and energy to create an autistic safe space that allows spectrum elder sisters to unmask safely, and help others do likewise. Truly ground-breaking.”

–Oct. 2019 Lyndsay Green, sociologist and aging consultant.   https://www.lyndsaygreen.com/blog/connecting-and-learning