I am a professor in clean technology, working full time as a teacher and researcher at Flinders University, and currently I lead a large research team working on green chemistry which is important for getting the planet towards a sustainable future.
I shared an Ig Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2015 for ‘partially unboiling an egg’- this was for a discovery that makes you laugh but also makes you think – a discovery which is very important for the pharmaceutical industry, and other fields of scientific endeavour.
I led the debate on green chemistry in Australia starting over 25 years ago and I was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2016. In 2018, I was elected a Fellow of the Australian Science Academy, and I was South Australian Scientist of the Year in 2020. I am autistic and proud of it – look what I have done! I think differently, and through support from my wife, Desley, and through chance and luck, I’ve been able to harness this to make a difference for humanity.
There is more to my story to come as a practicing scientist, along with making a contribution to an understanding and improvement of the lives of autistic people.
Below is a response to a simple question, ‘What barriers have I had to overcome and the myths and misconceptions I would like the community to understand in order to improve community attitudes?’
Image Source: Flinders University
Firstly, I find it difficult to talk about matters of the heart, but I’ll have a go. I can only speak to my own experiences. My childhood was a struggle, not being understood and not understanding why I was treated different – being made to feel unwanted. To put this into context, this was at a time when autism was unknown. To make it this far has had serious challenges, during my education years and in the workplace.
After being diagnosed in my late 60s I now have an understanding about why I was treated differently, and I am hopeful that now society can understand how we (autistic people) are different and how we can be part of the community family without prejudice, ignorance and bias, with respect and understanding, and for society to be inclusive. We can contribute to society if we are given the opportunity - this is my vision for all autistic people, and all people with non-visible conditions.
Image Source: Flinders News - Flinders University
As a teacher, the wellbeing of autistic students is paramount, and it’s gratifying that advances have been made in this area in South Australia through its new Office of Autism, the first of its kind in any jurisdiction in the world. It shouldn’t be down to luck to make it through the education system and be given the opportunity to enter the workforce. This can be overcome through awareness and education.
I have spent a lifetime of trying to fit and be accepted. Older autistic people have very different needs – I grew up with no understanding of why I was different and why I was treated disrespectfully. We are all different and autistic people can contribute in different ways. Understanding in the wider community is important for whole of life experiences for autistic people – family, workplace, professional bodies like the RACI, social clubs, and beyond.
Autism is a condition that never goes away – it is a measure of differences in information processing and how we communicate, and great if this is understood in the community.
If society doesn’t embrace our different way of thinking, then how can there be change. When society understands how their actions affect us and understand our differences and challenges, then positive life changing and lifesaving is possible for autistic people.
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