Meet Dr Dianne Blackwell, a researcher with the Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre (OTARC) whose work bridges clinical expertise and lived experience.
With a background in occupational therapy and a recently completed PhD in Psychology from La Trobe University, Dianne brings a unique and holistic perspective to autism research— one that centres on emotion regulation, participatory practice, and neurodiversity-affirming support.
We’re very happy to shine a spotlight on Dianne’s work, as she has achieved a lot in the last year and we’ve only recently managed to acquire a photo of her!
Dianne’s recently completed PhD focused on the experiences and support needs of Autistic people, particularly in the domain of emotion regulation.
“My greatest research highlight has been the privilege of collaborating directly with Autistic people and their caregivers, and being entrusted with their personal stories and experiences,” she says. “This collaborative approach has fundamentally shaped my understanding of what an effective support can look like.”
Participatory approaches are central to Dianne’s research ethos – aligning closely with OTARC’s emphasis on co-designed and inclusive research methods.
Dianne’s work helps to address the gap between what Autistic people say they need and the supports traditionally offered. “Much existing research focuses on behavioural supports designed to make Autistic people appear more neurotypical, rather than understanding and supporting their authentic emotion regulation needs and strengths,” she explains.
Personal Connection and Perspective
Dianne’s journey into autism research was sparked during her time as an occupational therapist, where she first noticed the misalignment between standard therapeutic approaches and the real-world needs of Autistic children and their families.
What really cemented my commitment to autism research was witnessing the transformative power of listening to Autistic voices, she reflects.
Over time, her research journey also led to personal discovery, “Identifying as Autistic myself, I’ve experienced firsthand the disconnect that exists for older females on the journey to identification, diagnosis and recognition.” This lived experience has deepened her drive to ensure that research “captures the diverse experiences within the autism community, particularly those voices that have historically been overlooked or misunderstood.”
As autism diagnoses have historically been centred around men and boys, Dianne represents a success-story of an Autistic woman who came to recognise her autism later in life. Autism typically presents differently in women and girls compared to men and boys and the rates of diagnosis are four boys to every one girl.
Changing the Research Narrative
Dianne is passionate about challenging outdated conceptions of autism research.
The biggest thing people get wrong is assuming that autism research is still stuck in outdated approaches focused on deficits, she says.
Instead, Dianne is excited by a growing movement of research led by Autistic people themselves.
We’re moving away from research that pathologises autism toward research that celebrates Autistic strengths and seeks to understand authentic support needs, she says.
The next steps include publishing her research findings and developing new collaborative projects with the Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre. “I’m currently starting on some research projects with OTARC and hope to expand this collaboration further into a postdoctoral fellowship role—so I’m keeping my fingers crossed!”
Dianne’s long-term goal is clear, “I want my research to lead the charge in demonstrating how meaningful collaboration with Autistic people can transform our understanding of best practices for professionals.”
With her dual lens as both a clinician and researcher, Dianne brings a unique perspective that enables her to effect change across different contexts.
My dual perspective positions me to influence practice at both the individual and systemic levels, she says.
