Jackie is a PhD candidate in Rehabilitation Science at the University of Alberta. She holds a Master’s Degree in Leadership from Royal Roads University where her research on leadership to promote self-determination of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder won the University Founders’ Award. Her current research is on understanding autonomy and autonomy-support from the perspective of autistic adults with intellectual disabilities using a community-based participatory research approach. She will be utilizing novel methods to understand the perspectives of autistic adults who are unable to reliably report their inner thoughts and ideas including Photovoice and Deep Assessment which includes Startle Reflex Modulation Measurement. Jackie works for a large multi-disciplinary, not-for-profit service provider in Edmonton, the Centre for Autism Services Alberta, where she created Quest for Independence, a post-secondary transition program for young adults with ASD focused on teaching skills for independence. Jackie is autistic and mom to an autistic young adult son. She is passionate about the inclusion of autistic people in all that affects them including research, policy-setting, and service provision. Jackie views autism with a neurodiversity lens and is interested in recent research that calls into question the assumption that autistic individuals struggle with social communication and that perhaps it is a two-way problem.