ACN MEDIA PACK
The Autism Community Network (ACN) is a charity committed to building strong communities of support for those impacted by autism. Families across Sydney and NSW come together to create a society where people with autism and their families can lead rich, full and rewarding lives.
Our members come from a diverse range of backgrounds, making the ACN a rich collective of experiences and supports. We run social groups for carers, families and people with autism – ranging from cooking clubs, walking groups, coffee mornings and Minecraft meetings – to name just a few. Our programmes are run by volunteers and, through generous support from governments and businesses, we provide these supports for free.
We also act in an advisory capacity, with members regularly being asked to assist organisations to understand the impact of autism and how best to support our community. Some of the programmes our members are currently assisting with is a national initiative to build capacity among nurses to better support people with autism, and the Australian Autism Research Council’s (AARC) focus group on the diverse communications’ needs for people on the spectrum, especially those who are non-verbal. We are also regularly asked to respond to media enquiries on autism-related matters, or general disability issues.
Profiles of some of our key speakers can be found below.
Our members come from a diverse range of backgrounds, making the ACN a rich collective of experiences and supports. We run social groups for carers, families and people with autism – ranging from cooking clubs, walking groups, coffee mornings and Minecraft meetings – to name just a few. Our programmes are run by volunteers and, through generous support from governments and businesses, we provide these supports for free.
We also act in an advisory capacity, with members regularly being asked to assist organisations to understand the impact of autism and how best to support our community. Some of the programmes our members are currently assisting with is a national initiative to build capacity among nurses to better support people with autism, and the Australian Autism Research Council’s (AARC) focus group on the diverse communications’ needs for people on the spectrum, especially those who are non-verbal. We are also regularly asked to respond to media enquiries on autism-related matters, or general disability issues.
Profiles of some of our key speakers can be found below.
Steve Drakoulis
Steve Drakoulis is a father of a young man on the autism spectrum. He has been working in autism support roles for more than 15 years, helping families impacted by autism. He established the Autism Community Network when he saw a need for families to be able to connect at a grass roots level for mutual support.
Steve regularly makes public appearances to speak about his experiences and those of the autism community. He is particularly interested in helping fathers connect and grow as they navigate life as an autism parent.
Steve is also involved with a National Panel to educate nursing professionals on patients with autism and intellectual disabilities, a member Access & Inclusion Group on Georges River Council, and a NSW Carers Representative with Carers NSW. More information about Steve can be seen here
Key speaking areas: Autism parenting, autism fatherhood, building autism communities, raising teens with autism, raising boys with autism, autism advocacy, accessing community and government services as a member of the disability community.
Briana Blackett
Briana Blackett is a senior journalist with extensive global news experience. She was a founding member of Al Jazeera English, spending eight years in the Middle East. Prior to that she worked in London for one of the world’s biggest news agencies, Associated Press Television News (APTN). Briana has had blink-and-you-missed-it stints in Federal Politics in Australia and with Greenpeace International in Amsterdam. Briana is the mother of two children with autism and a determined advocate for the rights of people with disability. Her advocacy work has been published on various media platforms, including the Sydney Morning Herald, the ABC and Autism Awareness Australia’s e-magazine. She is Disability Affairs Officer with Media Diversity Australia and a Carers Representative for Carers NSW. Briana is on the ACN board of directors and runs one of our carers groups in Western Sydney.
Key speaking areas: Autism parenting, autism parenting as a sole parent, autism and the NDIS, autism and the education system, autism and the health system, autism and diverse communication (alternative communications methods used by non-verbal people with autism), accessing community and government services as a member of the disability community, autism and inclusion, societal (cultural) awareness of autism.
Briana Blackett is a senior journalist with extensive global news experience. She was a founding member of Al Jazeera English, spending eight years in the Middle East. Prior to that she worked in London for one of the world’s biggest news agencies, Associated Press Television News (APTN). Briana has had blink-and-you-missed-it stints in Federal Politics in Australia and with Greenpeace International in Amsterdam. Briana is the mother of two children with autism and a determined advocate for the rights of people with disability. Her advocacy work has been published on various media platforms, including the Sydney Morning Herald, the ABC and Autism Awareness Australia’s e-magazine. She is Disability Affairs Officer with Media Diversity Australia and a Carers Representative for Carers NSW. Briana is on the ACN board of directors and runs one of our carers groups in Western Sydney.
Key speaking areas: Autism parenting, autism parenting as a sole parent, autism and the NDIS, autism and the education system, autism and the health system, autism and diverse communication (alternative communications methods used by non-verbal people with autism), accessing community and government services as a member of the disability community, autism and inclusion, societal (cultural) awareness of autism.
Chris Doherty
Chris has a young boy with Autism and is passionate about improving the lives of people in the autism community. He runs several social media support groups; most notably one for dads of kids with autism (with over 1000 dads) and another one focused on employment issues. He is a Carers representative for Carers NSW with whom he speaks to universities about their Carer strategies, has been on the disability and inclusion panel for Cumberland Council and is currently on his employers Disability and Carers committee.
Chris works as a software developer and has degrees in Engineering, Business and Psychology. His special interest is unemployment because people with autism experience, possibly, the worst employment outcomes in the entire disability community. A self confessed ‘Jack of all trades master of none’ Chris likes to think his eclectic range of skills will help in developing new ways to improve these outcomes. He is currently writing a thesis exploring this topic, if you have a couple of hours to spare, ask him about it.
Key speaking areas: Autism parenting, autism fatherhood, building autism communities, autism employment
Chris has a young boy with Autism and is passionate about improving the lives of people in the autism community. He runs several social media support groups; most notably one for dads of kids with autism (with over 1000 dads) and another one focused on employment issues. He is a Carers representative for Carers NSW with whom he speaks to universities about their Carer strategies, has been on the disability and inclusion panel for Cumberland Council and is currently on his employers Disability and Carers committee.
Chris works as a software developer and has degrees in Engineering, Business and Psychology. His special interest is unemployment because people with autism experience, possibly, the worst employment outcomes in the entire disability community. A self confessed ‘Jack of all trades master of none’ Chris likes to think his eclectic range of skills will help in developing new ways to improve these outcomes. He is currently writing a thesis exploring this topic, if you have a couple of hours to spare, ask him about it.
Key speaking areas: Autism parenting, autism fatherhood, building autism communities, autism employment
For media enquiries regarding any of these speakers, or more information, please contact us on 02 9543 9036, or info@autismcommunity.org.au
