Malcolm Mayfield

BEng (Civil), GAICD

Malcolm is the founder and Managing Director of Autism STAR Pty Ltd. As well as being an independent director of Autism CRC, Malcolm is a member of the Australian Autism Research Council, and is a mentor and content writer for the Sylvia Rodger Academy for the Future Leaders and Governance programs.

Malcolm’s career includes working as a researcher in the UniSA Civil Engineering Laboratories and as a contract administrator in the construction industry. In those capacities, he has worked on hospitals, sports stadiums, high-rise buildings, power stations, and subdivisions, and was highly regarded in his field.

Malcolm’s view of the world changed when he self-diagnosed his Asperger’s Syndrome at the age of 37 and had that diagnosis confirmed a few years later. Patterns in his life that had previously been confusing began to make sense and, as part of that process of greater awareness, he realised that in order to cope and succeed as an adult and a professional, he had developed independent success strategies that could be used by others on the autism spectrum. The concept and manifestation of Autism STAR grew out of that process of self-discovery.

Malcolm’s goal is to shine a light on the autism spectrum to show the world that autism is a strength to be cherished and nurtured into success for all.

“My dream is for autistic individuals to be understood by society, to be accepted and engaged for their exceptional, unique and individual skills and to be regarded and included as a necessary ingredient for a successful community.”