Jac is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow and research psychologist in the School of Education. A proud Autistic activist, Jac works in pursuit of social justice.

Jac grew up in regional NSW, before moving to Brisbane at 19 to complete their undergraduate studies at Griffith University. Jac fell in love with Brisbane and ended up living there for almost 15 years.

After learning that they were autistic in their mid-20s, Jac became committed to creating change for the benefit of their Autistic community. In 2015, Jac returned to Griffith University to get their PhD, with a focus on autism.

Jac joined the School of Education in 2018, where they investigate structural and systemic inequities in autism research. Prior to their research career, Jac worked for ten years as a psychologist in the criminal justice system.

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1. Something you’d like staff to know about
April is World Autism Acceptance Month – and is a great time to learn about autism and start taking action to promote inclusion and acceptance for autistic people. As a starting point, you can visit my website for insights from some amazing Autistic academics, advocates, and Autistic-led organisations. You can also follow Macquarie’s autism research interest group, AutismMQ, on Facebook or Twitter. If you’re interested in autism research, reach out to the group and get involved.

2. Something you feel proud of
In 2019, I had the incredible privilege to present at the TEDxMacquarieUniversity event. The wait backstage before my talk was the most nerve-racking few minutes of my life but standing on the red circle delivering my message felt like a uniquely powerful moment. It seems I’m not the only one who felt that way because my talk, Why everything you know about autism is wrong, has managed to clock up almost a million views! I get emails every week from people who have seen the talk. I’m humbled that my words have reached – and, I hope, helped – so many people.

3. A person you admire at Macquarie, and why
My office-mate and good friend, Amy Thunig. Amy is a Gamilaroi woman and an Associate Lecturer in the School of Education. She’s a fierce advocate for the rights of First Nations peoples, and she’s recently submitted her PhD thesis investigating the experiences of this country’s First Nations women in academia – congratulations, Amy! Her strength, depth of knowledge, and passion for what she does is inspiring.

4. Something people usually ask you when they find out what you do for living
When people find out I do autism research, they often assume I must be looking for a way to prevent or ‘cure’ autism. That couldn’t be further from the truth! In fact, many autistic people (myself included) are very offended by the idea that our neurology needs fixing. Being autistic in a non-autistic world can be hugely challenging, absolutely. But preventing autism isn’t the solution to those challenges. Instead, we need to work on creating an equitable society, in which every person has the support they need to thrive.

5. Something you’ve read recently that has had an impact on you
This article, Academic, Activist, or Advocate? Angry, Entangled, and Emerging: A Critical Reflection on Autism Knowledge Production, by Dr Monique Botha. Like me, Monique is an Autistic activist and autism researcher. In the article, they discuss how these different roles intersect to inform their experience of autism research. They highlight how horribly oppressive it can be to engage with research about a marginalised group, when you yourself are a member of that marginalised group. It’s an exceptionally powerful piece of work that I deeply relate to.

6. A favourite photo from your camera roll

This is Willow. She’s my extremely friendly and affectionate 16-year-old rescue cat, who purrs like mad at just the suggestion of a pat. She’s deaf and, as you can see, she has heterochromia (two different coloured eyes). In my totally unbiased opinion, she is the world’s best cat.

7. Your definition of success
Creating change for the better.

8. The first person you go to for advice (and why)
My partner, Abby. She’s the smartest person I’ve ever known, with rock-solid morals and values. She also knows the APA Style Guide inside-out and back-to-front, which comes in handy when I’m working on a manuscript!

9. Something you’re trying to do differently in 2022
Start saying no. I’m very fortunate to have lots of fabulous opportunities come my way. Sometimes, though, my enthusiasm (and ADHD) gets in the way of my better judgement, and I suddenly realise that I’ve agreed to contribute one day per week to each of 23 different collaborations – oops.

10. I’m happiest when…
I’m in the front row of the mosh pit watching one of my favourite bands! If you look closely at the photo below, you might be able to spot me front-and-centre in the crowd at Karnivool. (This photo was taken at the last gig I went to, pre-pandemic in June 2019).