Meet the Team
Nicole Rogerson - DIRECTOR
Nicole Rogerson is the Managing Director of the Lizard Centre, in Chatswood, Sydney. Nicole left a career in Marketing and Public Relations in 1999 when her son Jack was diagnosed with autism. Since that time, Nicole has devoted herself to providing Jack with the best possible intervention programs. Together with Speech Pathologist and Behavioural Clinician Elizabeth Watson she established the Lizard Children’s Centre, aimed at providing an evidence-based intensive early intervention program not only for Jack, but for the other many other children who would follow him.
Nicole is a frequent public speaker on ASD. She sat on the Federal Government’s Autism Advisory Board prior to the introduction of the Helping Children with Autism funding package, and continues to work for better access to and government support for evidence-based intensive early intervention programs for children with autism. Nicole along with her colleague Dr James Morton were the instigators of the 1000hours campaign in 2009.
Contact details nicole@autismawareness.com.au
Paul Blair - DIRECTOR
Paul Blair is a senior executive at National Australia Bank who has been involved in the world of autism for 3 years since the diagnosis of his second son. Paul and his wife Jo followed a similar path to many parents of newly diagnosed autistic kids with a frantic search for the ‘magic cure’ for autism. The steep learning curve, exposure to numerous different therapies and approaches and confronting realities of raising an autistic child alongside his two other brothers has had a profound effect on his life. Paul and Jo’s son commenced an intensive early intervention program almost immediately after the diagnosis and have experienced significant gains in behaviour, life skills and language as a result. Paul is passionate about helping other parents to sift through the complex maze that autism creates and about providing enhanced community support and awareness for sufferers of autism.
Contact details office@autismawareness.com.au
Sean Hughes - DIRECTOR
Sean Hughes’ son was diagnosed as having an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), aged three years and three months. This was not before much confusion as to what was causing, in particular, a delay in speech development along with other atypical behaviour. The day after the diagnosis Sean and his wife were advised of the importance of starting an intensive early intervention programme. Fortunately for their son, this was able to be commenced within a few weeks and he continues to make significant improvements in all areas of his presentation.
Having met many families touched by autism, and grateful for the advice he was given, Sean is committed to raising awareness in the community and seeing that this increasingly identified condition is given the priority the affected children and their families deserve.
By day, Sean is a barrister who lives in Sydney with his wife and two sons.
Contact details office@autismawareness.com.au