The core project team of the National Guidance is a diverse and highly experienced team, bringing together a wide range of knowledge, skills, and lived experience. The project is co-led by an autistic educator, with another co-lead identifying as neurodivergent, and the third bringing over 30 years of experience in education. Among the postdoctoral researchers, two of three are autistic, all are qualified teachers, and each has personal connections to autism, including as parents of autistic youth. The research assistant team is also predominantly neurodivergent. This mix of professional expertise and lived experience ensured that autistic perspectives are embedded throughout the development of the Guidance.
Further co-design and collaboration was ensured through having a Guideline Development Group and a Guideline Reference Group.
Guideline Development Group
The Guidance Development Group (GDG) is the governance and decision-making body for the National Guidance. The GDG was established to include perspectives that were critical to inclusive education for autistic students. These perspectives included lived expertise (autistic people, family members), professional expertise in education systems and inclusive education (including autistic teachers), and the lived expertise of First Nations persons.
| GDG Member | Affiliation and expertise |
|---|---|
| Dawn Adams | Project Co-chair, researcher at La Trobe University Neurodivergent researcher and clinical psychologist |
| Emma Goodall | Project Co-chair, auDHD researcher and consultant Special education and mainstream teacher trained (children 3–18) |
| Suzanne Carrington | Project Co-chair, researcher at Queensland University of Technology Special education and primary teacher trained |
| Kate Simpson | Researcher at Griffith University Occupational therapist, special education and primary teacher trained |
| Beth Saggers | Researcher at Queensland University of Technology Primary and special education teacher trained |
| Sofia Mavropoulou | Researcher at Queensland University of Technology Secondary and special education teacher trained |
| Annetta Cayas | Researcher at Griffith University Secondary teacher and inclusive education trained, parent of neurodivergent children |
| Chris Champion | Director, Positive Partnerships |
| Louise White | Researcher at Griffith University and La Trobe University Autistic primary and secondary teacher trained, educational consultant, parent of autistic children |
| Kathryn Ambrose | Early childhood and primary teacher trained, educational consultant, parent of autistic children with complex health conditions |
| Megan Gibson | Researcher at Queensland University of Technology Early childhood teacher trained |
| Becc Clarke | Assistant Director Aboriginal Outcomes, South Australia Department for Education, Support and Inclusion Division First Nations representative |
| Tania Waring | Parent of an autistic child with complex needs |
| Rebecca Jessop | Teacher and education consultant, parent of an autistic child |
Guideline Reference Group
The National Guidance is being co-produced through the Guideline reference group with representatives from the following professional and community organisations alongside federal and state government departments of education. These representatives contribute their personal and professional knowledge, skills, experience, and perspectives relevant to the development of the National Guidance.
| Organisation | Representative |
|---|---|
| Federal Department of Education | Esmeralda Rocha Jessica Bartlett (Proxy) |
| ACT Education Directorate | Jake Naylor |
| NSW Department of Education | Louise Farrell |
| NT Department of Education and Training | Colleen O’Connell |
| Queensland Department of Education | Vicky Booth |
| SA Department for Education | Anna Noble |
| Victoria Department of Education and Training | Lia Castorina |
| Department of Education WA | Debbie Hawthorn |
| Australian Association of Special Education | Sally Howell |
| Australian Council of Education Leaders | Lisa Newell Peta Bartlett (Proxy |
| Australian Council for Education Research | Julie McMillan |
| Australian Institute of Teaching and School Leadership | Caroline Heysen |
| Australian Primary Principals Association | Angela Falkenberg |
| Australiasian Society for Intellectual Disability | Teresa Iacono |
| Education Services Australia | Stacey Hattensen Rhiannon Bowen (Proxy) |
| iCAN Network | Chris Varney |
| Isolated Children and Parents Association | Louise Martin |
| Independent Schools Australia | Tim Chugg |
| National Catholic Education Commission | Jeanine Gallagher |
| Professionals and Researchers in Early Childhood Intervention (PRECI) | Denise Luscombe |
| School Can't | Louise Rogers Tiffany Westphal (Proxy) |
| Representing First Nations peoples | Peter Anderson |
We acknowledge that there is an extensive community of organisations, not included in this list, that are highly relevant and important to the development of the National Guidance, and warmly invite all organisations to share their views via the community consultation process.