Introducing Tori Haar

Following my autism diagnosis in 2010 I realised that I had a choice to either embrace and positively utilise being different or try to ignore and hide it. Since then, I have grasped opportunities to make a difference including speaking at conference and events, media interviews, being part of a statewide review of autism services, providing informal advice to my peers and being part of the Asia Pacific Autism Conference 2019 organising committee.

I have also been part of various new initiatives and programs related to autism, including being a founding member of the Aspect Advisory Council (a group of autistic adults providing strategic advice to the board and executive of Autism Spectrum Australia), volunteering as a user-experience expert for Autism CRC's apps4autism hackathon and as part of the team running the 2017 Research Academy residential workshop for autistic adults interested in research.

After several years working in policy development for the Department of Social Services in Canberra, I began working for Autism CRC in September 2016. I have held a number of different roles since then. Most notably I was the Project Coordinator for Future Leaders 2018, overseeing the reimagination of that program under the Autism CRC banner, developing new components to allow to be more comprehensive and practical and embracing our vision of having a leadership program which is designed both by and for autistic adults.

I currently have a range of responsibilities within Autism CRC, including as part of our Research Office and the Future Leaders Program, where I have recently been appointed to the newly formed Management Committee which oversees the initiative's further growth and development.