OTARC Research Showcase 2024

12.00pm: Doors open, light refreshments available

12.30pm: Welcome: Professor Alison Lane, OTARC Centre Director

12.40 – 1.25pm: Session 1

• Jac den Houting: How can Autistic children live their best lives?
• Clare Kermond: The experience of secondary school for Autistic adolescents.
• Lyndel Kennedy: Factors contributing to higher education success for neurodivergent students.

Followed by Q&A

1.25pm: BREAK

2.00 – 2.45pm: Session 2

• Melissa Gilbert: Autistic assigned female at birth women and non-binary people’s experiences accessing diagnosis and supports.
• Kate Gore: Mental health supports for Autistic working mothers/parents (AFAB). 
• Dianne Blackwell: Bridging the emotional gap: The lived experiences of Autistic people and their families.

Followed by Q&A

2:45pm: BREAK

3.15 – 4.00pm: Session 3

• Patrick Dwyer: Understanding sound intolerance in autism.
  
• Jane Mantzalas: Characterising Autistic burnout and its underlying mechanisms.
• Nancy Sadka: Investigating relationships between ADHD traits in Autistic toddlers and pre-schoolers using network analysis. 

Followed by Q&A

4.00pm: EVENT CONCLUDES

Jac den Houting: "How can Autistic children live their best lives?"

Dr Jac den Houting (they/them) is a research psychologist and Autistic activist working in pursuit of social justice. Jac is committed to creating real-world change that benefits Autistic people, in the areas that matter most to the Autistic community. Jac is proudly neurodivergent and queer, and believes that autism research can be most meaningful and impactful when it is conducted by and with those it is intended to serve – Autistic people.

Clare Kermond: "The experience of secondary school for autistic adolescents"

Clare Kermond (she/her) is a PhD candidate researching Autistic secondary students and examining what helps or hinders them from having a successful experience of schooling. Clare is a journalist and editor and tutors in the School of Education at La Trobe. Her research prioritises the perspective of Autistic students.

Lyndel Kennedy: "Factors contributing to higher education success for neurodivergent students"

Lyndel Kennedy (she/her) is a PhD candidate and a tutor, author, editor and parent of three neurodivergent young adults. Her PhD research investigates success in higher education for neurodivergent students, with a focus on improving higher education experiences for this important and growing student population.

Melissa Gilbert: "Autistic assigned female at birth women and a non-binary people’s experiences accessing diagnosis and supports"

Dr Melissa Gilbert (she/her) is a Teaching and Research Fellow and has lived-experience of disability and neurodiversity. Her main research interests are autism, disability, and women's health and wellbeing. She is currently working on studies examining the experiences of Australian Autistic women and non-binary people's access to diagnosis and supports, and the barriers and enablers to diagnosis for Australian self-identified Autistic women.

Kate Gore: "Mental health supports for autistic working mothers/parents (AFAB)"

Kate Gore (she/her) is a PhD candidate and a Clinical Psychology registrar. Kate is Autistic and has three children, two of whom are neurodivergent. Kate's thesis investigates the mental health of Autistic mothers/parents (assigned female at birth) and whether they require specialised supports to aide in managing work and parenthood.

Dianne Blackwell: "Bridging the emotional gap: The lived experiences of autistic people and their families"

Dianne Blackwell (she/her) is a PhD candidate researching emotion regulation in autism from the perspectives of key stakeholders and literature. This work aims to improve support strategies for Autistic people. A registered Occupational Therapist with 6 years of experience, Dianne holds a Bachelor of Occupational therapy and has worked in private health and school sectors. Her clinical expertise spans pediatrics, school-based practice, and clinical education. Passionate about pediatric occupational therapy and rural & remote health care, she is committed to enhancing accessibility and quality of care for communities.

Patrick Dwyer: "Understanding sound intolerance in autism"

Dr Patrick Dwyer (he/they) is an Autistic autism researcher, and a Research Fellow at OTARC. Patrick's research is particularly focused on how Autistic and neurodivergent people of all ages - from early life through adulthood - experience and attend to the world around them, including Autistic experiences of sensory distress and discomfort. Patrick is also interested in how the design of sensory spaces impacts neurodivergent people.

Jane Mantzalas: "Characterising autistic burnout and its underlying mechanisms"

Jane Mantzalas (she/her) is a PhD candidate researching the core features of Autistic burnout, how it may impact the lives of Autistic people, and what may be done to assist with prevention and recovery. Her research interests are centred around autism in adulthood and improving the mental health and wellbeing of Autistic adults.

Nancy Sadka: "Investigating relationships between ADHD traits in Autistic toddlers and pre-schoolers using network analysis"

Dr Nancy Sadka is a Research Fellow, primarily in the Identification and Diagnosis research program of Autism and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Nancy has a passion for research can be translated into the community to help support parents and carers of people on the autism spectrum across the lifespan. She also has an interest in co-occurring conditions in the early years including, but not limited to Sleep Challenges, Anxiety, and Intellectual Disability.