Our people
Autism Awareness Australia has built a wonderful community of passionate and smart people, working tirelessly to raise awareness and drive meaningful change for Australia's autism community
Our Board
Our Executive team
Our work is made possible by the extraordinary collaboration between autistic people, their families and some of Australia's leading clinicians and researchers working in the field.
Our Advisory Committees
Collaboration is at the heart of everything we do at Autism Awareness Australia. Our Advisory Committees bring together autistic people, parents, carers, and experts from across Australia to directly shape our programs, initiatives, and advocacy work. These groups aren't just about input — they're about ensuring every voice is heard, every perspective matters, and every decision we make truly reflects the diverse experiences of our community. Because when we work together, we create change that works for everyone.
Our parent/carer advisors
Brianna is the mum of two autistic teenagers. She has spent 15 years advocating for their rights to have equal access to meaningful education, health, work and community. She is passionate about building a world that is more inclusive of neurodivergent people and their families. Briana is also a journalist and an award-winning communications specialist. Outside of work and advocacy, Briana is a self-confessed “terrible cook” who is “unreasonably proud” of being able to play two Wiggles songs on the guitar. She hopes to one day see the northern lights from a glass igloo in Finland.
Ryan is a technology specialist with over 20 years’ experience designing IT, audio visual, broadcast and space management solutions. Ryan is uniquely positioned as a workplace technology consultant catering to the finance, corporate, government and professional services sectors and has delivered some of the most innovative and secure projects within Australia. In his spare time, Ryan enjoys getting outdoors and being active when he can and playing and creating music. Ryan’s family includes his wife Shirani, a paediatric speech pathologist, his eldest daughter Kyra who is 13 and his youngest daughter Amieka who is 9 and has level 3 autism and has bilateral cochlear implants.
Melinda is a policy researcher whose work focuses on equity and access in education. She is the proud parent of a Deaf and autistic teenager, whose experiences have shaped her commitment to disability advocacy.
Porscia is a corporate lawyer and a mum of two. Her eldest child was diagnosed with autism at age two, leading Porscia to take an extended career break to navigate his early intervention. She recounted this experience in her memoir, The Unlocking: An Autism Story, and is proud to champion the life changing potential of person-centred early intervention, and to contribute to greater understanding around PDA, ARFID and sibling wellbeing.
Kathrine is a nationally recognised disability advocate and founder of Spectrum Support, a program training first responders to better support autistic and disabled individuals. As a mother to three profoundly autistic sons, she brings powerful lived experience to her work, championing inclusion, education, and empowerment. Through public speaking, outreach, and tech innovation, Kathrine is reshaping how the disability community connects with emergency services. She is also President of Therapy and Dance, an inclusive school using movement to uplift children with disabilities. Her mission: a safer, more inclusive Australia for all.
Tommy is an award-winning social entrepreneur and disability educator. He is also the Founder of WeFlex, Inclusive-AF, disbranded. and serves as an advisor to numerous social enterprises and charities all over the world.
Our Scientific Advisory Committee
Dawn (she/her) is the Olga Tennison Endowed Chair of Autism Research at the Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre (OTARC) at La Trobe University. This follows on from a nine-year term at Griffith University’s Autism Centre of Excellence. As well as being an academic, she is also a Clinical Psychologist and identifies as neurodivergent. She has published over 100 research articles on anxiety, mental health and wellbeing in autistic individuals, with a particular focus on the school setting.
Alison is the Director of the Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre. Professor Lane is an occupational therapist and internationally recognised for her scholarship regarding sensory processing challenges in autistic children. She leads projects relating to sensory differences in young children and the effectiveness of therapies addressing self-regulation and eating challenges. Professor Lane’s work is grounded in extensive experience in clinical practice and health service management. She has held clinical and academic leadership positions in Australia and the United States.
David is a speech pathologist by background with over 24 years of experience in clinical, clinical education, and clinical-research academic roles across not-for-profit, government, education, and university services and providers. He is a research leader within CliniKids, and his human rights based research is focused on optimising the learning, participation, and wellbeing of children with neurodevelopmental conditions through the delivery of safe, effective, and desirable services and supports.
Kandice is a Senior Research Fellow at CliniKids, The Kids Research Institute Australia. Kandice is a psychologist whose work spans clinical trials through to policy-relevant applied research that focuses on access to evidence-based supports for children and families. Kandice contributed to the development of Australia’s ‘National Guideline for supporting the learning, participation and wellbeing of autistic children and their families’ as well as the updated ‘National Guideline for the assessment and diagnosis of autism’.
Andrew is the Angela Wright Bennett Professor of Autism Research and Deputy Director (Research) at The Kids Research Institute Australia, where he leads CliniKids, a national network embedding clinical trials into everyday practice. A Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences, he has authored over 300 research papers, advised governments on autism policy, and co-chaired the development of Australia’s national guidelines for autism diagnosis and early supports.
Our autistic advisors
Charles is an award winning international change-maker and artist, creating sparkles of inspiration via creativity. He is also late diagnosed AuDHD level 2 with lived experience of the reality of being autistic in a neurotypical world.
Barb M.Aut.(Edu), Dip.HSc.(Nut), is a neurodivergent advocate, Registered Developmental Educator, Integrative Nutritionist, and Australian Athletics Coach, formally diagnosed in 2009 with Autism, ADHD, and dyslexia. As founder of Neurodiversity Hub and Spectrum Women, she supports neurodivergent adults—particularly women in midlife—through a holistic, strength-based approach grounded in her clinical expertise and research.
Ellie was diagnosed at the age of nine and now identifies as autistic. She is passionate about improving accessibility to employment for others like herself and believes that employers and recruiters need to recognise that not all autistic people are IT experts. Ellie loves musical theatre, reading, and is currently co-writing a series of novellas.
Ronan is passionate about promoting inclusiveness, advocating for people living with autism and spreading positivity. He is a proud Ambassador for both the Autism Community Network and Bus Stop Films. Ronan loves to experience new things and has many interests and hobbies and appeared on the Netflix show ‘Love on the Spectrum’.
Teo is a 27-year-old Romanian/American/Australian who has lived experience with Autism, Crohn's Disease, and other mental health and medical issues. Her compassion for others drives her to be a passionate advocate for Autism Awareness and inclusivity, the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation, and Romanian orphans throughout the world.
Our community advisors
Vanessa Gauci is the Chief Executive Officer of Autism Community Network, where she leads efforts to support individuals with autism and their families. With a passion for advocacy and inclusion, Vanessa drives initiatives that promote awareness, provide resources, and create opportunities for the autism community.
Bob is the neurodivergent father of his severely autistic son (34 years old) and long-time convenor of Autism Aspergers Advocacy Australia (known as A4). He also has strong background in IT, academia, consultancy, and entertainment.
Shannon is the CEO of Autism Partnership Australia and has over 20 years’ experience supporting autistic children and their families. Motivated by personal experience and a passion for improving outcomes, she leads with a strong commitment to delivering high-quality, individualised support that empowers families and transforms lives.
Helen is a passionate autism advocate, co-founder of Chill for Autism, and an autism parent. She is the driving force behind programs that empower neurodivergent young adults to live socially independent and fulfilling lives.
Mel is the co-founder and CEO of Different Journeys, an autistic-led organisation supporting meaningful connections for Autistic individuals and their families. A proud Autistic parent of three autistic teenagers, Mel draws on 18 years in the Victoria Police Force and her lived experience to advocate for a more inclusive world.