THE SPEAKERSHELEN APPLETON

Helen completed her undergraduate studies in psychology, and a Post Graduate Diploma in Social Psychology at Sydney University. After graduation Helen started working at Giant Steps Sydney, a transdisciplinary school for children with autism, working with a wide range of ages and abilities throughout the school. Helen now works as the school’s Family Support Therapist across the preschool, K-12 and college at Giant Steps, specialising in complex support needs, crisis intervention, extended family support, interagency training and liaising and play therapy. Helen is the co-director of the Rob Llewelyn-Jones Clinical Centre, a pilot program that brings medical and psychiatric specialists onsite to the school to collaborate with the class team to provide appropriate care for the students with complex needs. As part of her work with the clinic, Helen is undertaking a PhD in the identification and diagnosis of anxiety in children with autism and intellectual disabilities through the Autism Centre of Excellence at Griffith University.

Helen also runs the family support services at Giant Steps, including the long running Siblings Support Program, which she has presented at both national and international conferences. Helen’s special interest is a holistic approach in considering the lifelong learning and support of individuals with autism and intellectual disability, and their families.

PROFESSOR LYN BEAZLEYAfter graduating from Oxford and Edinburgh Universities, Professor Beazley built an internationally renowned research team in Neuroscience that focused on recovery from brain damage, much of her investigations undertaken as Winthrop Professor at The University of Western Australia. Currently Lyn is the Sir Walter Murdoch Professor of Science at Murdoch University.As Chief Scientist of Western Australia from 2006 to 2013, Professor Beazley advised the Western Australian Government on science, innovation and technology as well as fulfilling the role of science ambassador locally, nationally and internationally.In 2009, Professor Beazley was awarded Officer of the Order of Australia and was elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.More recently, Professor Beazley was inducted into the inaugural Western Australian Women’s Hall of Fame and was elected as a Fellow of the College of Educators. In 2012, Professor Beazley became the second recipient of the Governor’s Award for Giving, in recognition of her enthusiastic philanthropy through her outreach activities promoting Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics in the Western Australian community.In 2013, Professor Beazley was honoured to be inducted into the Western Australian Science Hall of Fame and to become a Companion of the Institute of Engineers. Lyn was amazed and delighted to be named the WA Australian of the Year for 2015.

DARIN CAIRNSDarin Cairns has over 15 years experience in treating children, adults and families for a range of psychological disorders. He has specialised in emotional, neurological and developmental disorders. Clinically, Darin has expertise in child, adolescent, family therapy and developmental disorders such as autism spectrum. Darin is well known for his work with children, adolescents and adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Darin has set up award winning early intervention services in Western Australia for children with ASD and related conditions. He was initially trained in Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA), Clinical Behaviour Analysis and Functional Analytic Psychotherapy. After many years working with developmental specialists and clinicians his frustration at not being able to bridge the gap from ABA to complex behavioural and emotional domains lead him to Relational Frame Theory (RFT).

He has since applied Relational Frame Theory (RFT) to hundreds of developmental programs for children with autism spectrum disorders and special needs and continues to practice clinically using therapies developed from RFT such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and other third wave Cognitive Behavioural Approaches. Darin has lectured at the tertiary level and has provided over 150 training courses to a wide range of populations in the medical, health and public settings. He is a sought after speaker in the use of evidence based practice to promote psychological wellbeing and development around the world having been invited to speak in the UK, Europe, the US and most of Australia.

THE SPEAKERSDR DEBRA COSTLEY

Debra, B.Ed.(1st Class Honours); M.A. (Education); Ph.D., National Director, Aspect Practice, Autism Spectrum Australia (Aspect) is a special educator with almost thirty years of experience in special education teaching and research. Her Ph.D. was a policy analysis and evaluation of the introduction of a national curriculum in England and Wales and the impact of that intervention on children with learning difficulties.Debra has worked in special schools, further and higher education in the UK, USA and in Australia. Before joining Aspect she was a Senior Lecturer at the University of Western Sydney and a Principal Research Fellow at the University of Warwick in the UK and has been involved in the management of a range of research projects with a focus on education and employment.In her role as National Director, Aspect Practice at Aspect, Debra has responsibility for applied research across Aspect and the development of models of service delivery for young people and adults with an autism spectrum disorder. Aspect is currently supporting sixteen CRC projects across three programs from early identification to transition to adulthood. Debra is also a conjoint Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Psychiatry at the University of New South Wales.

MARITA FALKMERMarita Falkmer is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at School of Occupational Therapy & Social Work, Curtin University and Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism Spectrum Disorders (Autism CRC), Long Pocket, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Marita has a long experience working with students within the autism spectrum in different school forms. She also has extensive experience working with consultations and education in staff groups within school organisations and in services for adults. Marita has been working as a course director in the educational work conducted by The Swedish National Autism and Asperger Association since 1996. She has an on-going collaboration with the Association. In 2009 she was commissioned to write the chapter “Inclusive strategies for students

with Asperger syndrome and other autism spectrum conditions” by The Swedish National Agency for Education to be included in their report regarding Students with Asperger syndrome in Swedish school. Marita Falkmer has a Masters of Sciences in Teaching (Linköping University, Sweden 2008). Her PhD is in Disability Science and is called “From Eye to Us; prerequisites for and levels of participation in mainstream school of persons with Autism Spectrum Conditions” (Jönköping University, Sweden 2013).

PROFESSOR TORBJORN FALKMERTorbjorn Falkmer is a Professor of Occupational Therapy, Associate Professor and Senior Lecturer in Disability research having a special focus in Paediatrics. He has a PhD in medicine, and he also holds a Bachelor of Science Occupational Therapy and Master of Science Teacher in Healthcare Science. In 2006, the School of Health Sciences at Jönköping University offered Falkmer a position as Head of School plus a position as Professor in Occupational Therapy, which he is currently holding in addition to his employment at the Linköping University. Falkmer was also appointed as adjunct professor at Curtin University, School of Occupational Therapy and Social Work in 2008. In 2009 he received a five year Research Fellowship at Curtin University, School of Occu-pational Therapy and Social Work on a research program on Visual perceptual abilities in Asperger syndrome. He also holds an adjunct Professor position at La Trobe University in Melbourne, Victoria since 2007. As part of his academic leadership role Falkmer is Program Director of Program 3 of the eight year $104 million cooperative research centre Autism CRC. Falkmer leads this program spanning over two world unique longitudinal studies and eight other projects (two of them related to driving and public transport). Falkmer also leads the Curtin Autism Research Group.

THE SPEAKERSREGINA LEDO

Regina Ledo, is a psychologist with over 20 years experience in working with individuals with autism and their families. She returned to Perth in 2011 after working for 13 years at the Princeton Child Development Institute ( PCDI ) - a private, centre-based intensive educational program for children and adults with autism. PCDI delivers science-based intervention based on the principles of applied behaviour analysis (ABA). During that time she held the position of Trainer in Applied Behaviour Analysis Skills, supervising the implementation of education and home-based programs to children in the Institute’s Early Intervention and School Age Program. In the last five years of her time at the Institute, she lived with her husband and two children in one of PCDIs two group homes, which uses the Teaching Family Model to deliver home and community-based intervention to five young adults with autism. During that time she presented papers at national and state conferences on autism intervention including joint attention, language and social skills intervention.

Prior to her move to the United States, Regina was employed for six years as a Psychologistat Mildred Creek Centre, part of the Disability Services Commission, where she conducted diagnostic assessments and delivered intervention to young children with a diagnosis of ASD. She was also a founding participant in the Murdoch University Young Autism Project. Her research and clinical interests are in the area of early intervention, joint attention skills (she is completing her Doctor of Psychology degree in this area), and challenging behaviour. She is currently in private practice, consulting to families and agencies supporting individuals with ASD and intellectual disability.

DR JASMINE MCDONALDJasmine McDonald BA DipEd MSpecEd (Hons) PhD has had experience as an educator and administrator in both the secondary and tertiary sectors. Her PhD. investigated how parents deal with the education of their child on the Autism Spectrum over time in a Western Australian context. Jasmine has also just completed a publication through Sense Publishers titled “How Parents Deal with the Education of Their Child on the Autism Spectrum: The Stories and Research They Don’t and Won’t Tell You”. Jasmine is presently affiliated with the Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia. Her current work includes devising, running and documenting a peer-to-peer mentoring program for tertiary students on the Autism Spectrum at Curtin University partially funded by Autism West. The mentoring program is presently being replicated and evaluated at the University of Western Australia based on the Curtin University experience. The results will eventually be shared through the Autism Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) website (http://www.autismcrc.com.au/) so that the program can hopefully be rolled out at other tertiary sites Australia wide.

NICOLE ROGERSONNicole is the Managing Director of the Lizard Children’s Centre. She left a career in Marketing and Public Relations in 1999 when her son was diagnosed with autism. In 2003 she established The Lizard Children’s Centre, Australia’s largest and most respected provider of early intervention programs for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).Nicole is also the founding Director and CEO of Autism Awareness Australia, a national not-for-profit organisation, which she set up in 2007. The organisation combines her passion for providing national education programs that promote understanding of ASD, and supporting and advocating for the needs of individuals on the spectrum and their families.She is a frequent public speaker on autism and has appeared on 60 Minutes, 7.30 Report, the Today Show, Today Tonight, A Current Affair as well as numerous national radio stations. She has also been featured in both Australian Story (ABC TV) and the Australian Women’s Weekly. In 2011 Nicole was asked to present the work created for Autism Awareness Australia at the United Nations in New York, where the organisation was inducted as a member NGO.Nicole sat on the Federal Government’s Autism Advisory Board and continues to work for better access and government support for evidence-based intensive early intervention programs for children with autism. She lives in Sydney with her husband and 2 sons.

THE SPEAKERSDR HEIDI STEIGLITZ HAM

Dr. Heidi Stieglitz Ham is a dual-certified speech-language pathologist and in 2010 she earned her Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Edinburgh. Heidi has worked with individuals with autism and their families in the United States, United Kingdom, Nigeria and Australia.Heidi’s father had undiagnosed Asperger Syndrome and she has a sister, niece and three nephews on the autism spectrum. Heidi is passionate about helping individuals to transition from adolescence to adulthood and helping them find their purpose in life, especially post secondary school when support services are scarce. Motivated to see positive change in this area, she is implementing new approaches to connect individuals and improve functional outcomes of adults on the autism spectrum.She is the owner of Autism and Language Intervention-WA and provides services to individuals at her private practice in Nedlands. She also provides services South of the River in the rooms of psychiatrist, Dr. Jane Fitch and conducts autism assessments at Perth Psychological Services. Heidi is also a member of the Curtin Autism Research Group.

CHRIS VARNEYChris Varney, LLB (with Honours), BA, is Founder and Chief Enabling Officer of I CAN Network. I CAN Network is driving a rethink of Autism so that young Australians on the spectrum think ‘I CAN’, not ‘I Can’t’, in response to their challenges and opportunities. Chris was inspired to start I CAN from the exemplary support his family and friends provided in helping him channel his Asperger’s.Chris has a strong background in advocating for children’s rights. With World Vision Chris has held roles including Youth Ambassador, VGen Co-Director and Manager of Youth Supporters. With the Australian Government, Chris served as the 2009 Australian Youth Ambassador to the UN. For his advocacy Chris has received awards including the 2012 National Award for

Youth in Advancing the Legal Rights and Interests of Children and Young People, the 2014 Monash Vice-Chancellor Social Inclusion Award and the 2015 Aspect National Recognition Award.

PROFESSOR ANDREW WHITEHOUSEProfessor Andrew Whitehouse directs the Autism Research Team at the Telethon Kids Institute (University of Western Australia), and one of the youngest ever Professors at the University of Western Australia. His research team use a range of methodologies to investigate the early identification and intervention of children with ASD, including molecular genetics, neuroscience, endocrinology and behavioural experiments. Andrew has published over 100 peer-reviewed journals and attracted over $35 million in competitive research grants. He currently writes a popular column on child development for The West Australian and the news website The Conversation, which have attracted over 1 million hits since 2012. Andrew has published one edited book with his twin-brother (Ben), and a popular science book that examined the science behind some of the myths of pregnancy and child development (Will Mozart Make My Baby Smart?). Prior to coming to the Telethon Kids Institute, Andrew was a Fellow at the University of Oxford.

DR JOHN WRAYDr John Wray is a Western Australian trained paediatrician who undertook a Fellowship in Neurodevelopmental Paediatrics at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in the United States of America. John is the Clinical Director of the Child Development Service of Perth, and has a small private practice. John sees a wide range of children with developmental concerns and his main research interest is in the biological basis and treatment of children with autism.He is particularly interested in the controlled investigation of complementary and alternative therapies, and in longitudinal studies of the biology of the Autism Spectrum disorders. Other professional interests for John include developmental disorder prevention and enhancement programs. He is active in a number of community and professional organisations.