Meet the Team

Melanie Heyworth (she/her) is an Autistic mother of three Autistic children, whom she homeschools. She has postgraduate qualifications in Autism and is currently undertaking a second PhD in Autism under the supervision of Prof Liz Pellicano. Mel is passionate about creating a better world for herself, her children, and the Autistic community.

Mel founded Reframing Autism in 2017. Through Reframing Autism, Mel wants to bring parents of Autistic children to a more accepting, optimistic and hopeful way of parenting.

She firmly believes that social change can only occur when Autistic individuals are supported to explore and celebrate their authentic Autistic identities.

In 2024, Mel has stepped back from her former role of Co-CEO to allow her to focus her time and energy into her biggest passion – Autistic research.

Maria Herminia Graterol (she/her) is a Venezuelan women’s rights activist with a passion for the arts and life long learning as means for growth and expression. Since returning to live in Australia, she worked with Community Legal Centres Australia before moving on to coordinate the International Network to End Violence Against Women and Girls. She continues to consult and advise not for profits in Australia and beyond.

She has been in love with theatre since she was 3 years old and is passionate about promoting the arts as a key element of quality education for all. She co-founded and directed the House of Language Acquisition (HOLA NYC) in NYC for four years and also served as Vice-President the Board of the People’s Theatre Project (NYC).

She currently co-Chairs International Women’s Rights Action Watch Asia Pacific and serves on the Board of the Think+DO Tank Foundation and Reframing Autism.

Languages: Spanish, English.

Dania Zinurova (she/her) is a mum to two wonderful sons. Dania discovered the world of Autism and neurodiversity through her personal experience. One of her sons is also Autistic.

Reframing Autism played an integral part in Dania’s life when she looked for support both for herself and her son. It enabled her to shift the mindset from what our society often sees only as a medical diagnosis to seeing Autism and neurodiversity as a unique, rich and exciting world. Dania is passionate about changing the harmful stereotypes about autism and creating a more inclusive, diverse and equitable world for autistic children and adults.

Professionally, Dania Zinurova is the Portfolio Manager of WAM Alternative Assets (ASX: WMA). Dania has held senior roles in Australia, the US, Europe and the UK throughout her 24-year career in the financial industry. Dania most recently held the position of Director of Manager Research in Australia, Head of Real Assets Australia at Willis Towers Watson. Prior to this, Dania held various investment roles with Willis Towers Watson in London and New York. Dania sits on several Boards and Committees of for/non for profit organisations.

Sharon Fraser (she/her) is a late-diagnosed Autistic mum of two boisterous, gorgeous sons. One of her sons is also Autistic.

Sharon has a deep, personal investment in Reframing Autism. When she found out that her oldest son was Autistic, Sharon didn’t know much about Autism. She had only been exposed to harmful and damaging stereotypes. Looking back, Sharon feels she wasted too much time and energy focusing on the wrong things. When she discovered adult Autistic voices, she changed her approach to parenting. She saw that a strengths-based approach was the path to the best life for her son. She hopes to gift that message to other parents as early as possible in their journeys.

Professionally, Sharon spent most of her career as a senior finance leader. She has a wealth of experience in all aspects of operational finance and leadership. She is a US Certified Public Accountant. Sharon started her career with PriceWaterhouseCoopers in Washington, DC. She then moved to London. There, she worked for a range of large corporates and start ups before moving to Australia.

She was previously the Treasurer for Autism Community Network. Through her involvement with that charity, she received a St George Community Award for Individual Volunteer Achievement. She completed a Social Impact Fellowship in 2023.

Dr Justine Noble (she/her) is a consultant paediatrician who is passionate about child health and development. She graduated from the University of NSW and completed Diploma in Paediatrics, before completing Royal College of Physician Fellowships in both General Paediatrics and Community Child Health. She has over 15 years of experience in Paediatrics. She is proudly neurodivergent and uses her lived experience to enrich her contributions professionally.

Justine’s interests range from general to developmental and behavioural paediatrics. She has extensive experience of helping families of children with difficulties accessing the services and supports their need to improve their quality of life.

Dr Justine is gifted-friendly, and LBGTQI-friendly and is passionate about advocacy for her clients. Her focus of care is to help children from bio-psycho-social model, and concentric multilevel of care rather than solely on the treating the individual.

Dr Justine also works in research in her public health honorary role in the Sydney Local Health District. Her focuses of research is in perinatal mental health and urban Aboriginal children wellbeing. She is also interested in telehealth care provision and pharmacogenomics, and is doing independent studies on these.

Tim Chan (he/him) is a 28-year old Chinese Australian. He was diagnosed with Autism at age 3, and has been non-speaking after 14 months. At 9 years old, after picking up supported typing, Tim became opened to the possibility of connecting with people and engaging with the life he wanted to live.

Some of the highlights of his journey include attending and graduating from mainstream school, and giving a TEDTalk in 2013, presumably the first by a nonspeaking Autistic person. Lived experience of exclusion at high school, such as the prohibition of his preferred mode of communication, has motivated Tim to persevere in formal education to build his capacity and strengths, with the support of his social network.

He completed his B.A. Honours, and is currently engaged in PhD studies on the Neurodiversity movement and its impact on Autism advocacy. With enormous respect for organisations that advocate for Autism, Tim is excited to be part of the self advocacy movement, to drive Autism to new levels of relevance and inclusion.

Leon Furze (he/him) is an international consultant, author, and speaker with years of experience in education and leadership.

Growing up in Stoke-on-Trent, a low socio-economic city in the UK, Leon has seen first hand the power of education to help people to escape hardship and thrive. Throughout his career he has worked in educational leadership, strategy, literacy, and digital technologies, and brings these areas of expertise together to help people and organisations to grow.

Currently Director of Learning and Teaching at Monivae College in Australia, Leon has held roles at multiple levels of school and board leadership. Leon is also a Non Executive Director for Young Change Agents, a national not-for-profit dedicated to helping young people find solutions to big problems through social enterprise and entrepreneurship.

Leon completed his Master of Education at the University of Melbourne in 2016 with a focus on student wellbeing, leading schools through change, and linking education systems and communities. He has published dozens of books, articles and courses, with his most recent publication, Practical Reading Strategies, reaching an international audience.

Leon has presented at state and national conferences for over five years and runs online and face to face professional learning for schools, individuals and businesses. Through his consultancy and advisory work, Leon focuses on the power of education to help people thrive.  Leon is non executive director on the boards of Young Change Agents and Reframing Autism.

Mikala Sedgwick (she/her) is a mother to a gorgeous Autistic child. Mikala is an Aboriginal (Gamilaraay) public health researcher with experience in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health and Wellbeing, Disability and Epidemiology.

Mikala is extremely passionate about increasing Autistic-led research and has a particular interest in amplifying the voices from the First Nations and non-speaking (or those with varying communication needs) Autistic community.

Mikala is a co-author of the first major study “We Look After Our Own Mob’: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Experiences of Autism,” written by Macquarie University academics, Dr Rozanna Lilley and Professor Liz Pellicano. This is the first research undertaken that specifically touches on the experiences of families supporting Autistic loved ones within the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander context.

Tori Haar (she/her) is an Autistic woman living on Wiradjuri country in regional Victoria, and Reframing Autism’s Learning & Events Manager. Tori joined Reframing Autism in May 2022 and has been active in the Autistic community since officially finding out she was part of it in 2013. She has combined her personal experience with her professional career since 2016 working in both the not for profit and higher education sectors. Prior to this she worked in the Australian Public Service.

Tori is passionate about learning from the diversity of Autistic experience her professional work has allowed her to build skills in a range of areas including project coordination, community engagement, policy development, research administration and data analysis. She hopes her skills and experience to help improve both community understanding and acceptance of neurodivergence and support greater opportunities for Autistic people to be heard, valued and able to contribute to society in ways that are meaningful to them.

Tori received a Westpac Social Change Fellowship in 2019 to recognise and further her work around leadership and capacity building in the Autistic community. She has undergraduate qualifications majoring in psychology and linguistics as well as a Masters in Disability Studies. In her abundance of free time (joke) she also consults on and contributes to Autism research – she will never say never to doing a PhD, but has no immediate plans.

Reframing Autism’s Brand Ambassador is Yenn Purkis (they/them).

Yenn is a passionate Autistic and non-binary advocate. Yenn is an author, presenter and community leader.

Yenn Purkis is an author, public servant and passionate advocate for Autistic people and their families. Yenn is the author of ‘Finding a Different Kind of Normal: Misadventures with Asperger Syndrome’ – an autobiography, ‘The Wonderful World of Work: A Workbook for Asperteens’- an activity book about employment for teens on the Autism spectrum. Yenn is co-author of ‘The Guide to Good Mental Health on the Autism Spectrum’ and ‘The Parents’ Practical Guide to Resilience for Children aged 2-10 on the Autism Spectrum.’ Yenn has also contributed to other books, journals, blogs and websites. Yenn has a diagnosis of Asperger Syndrome and atypical schizophrenia.

Yenn has been working full-time for the Australian Public Service since 2007. In between writing and paid work, Yenn frequently gives talks about living well with Autism and mental illness. Yenn gave a presentation on Autism and resilience at the TEDx Canberra conference in 2013. Yenn facilitates a support group for women on the Autism spectrum and has their own internet radio show entitled Yenn’s Autism Show. Yenn lives in Canberra, Australia.

Yenn was the 2016 ACT volunteer of the year.