Dr Clare Kermond is passionate about sharing stories that drive meaningful change in educational equality.
“I came to autism research from a background as a journalist, having written and edited many articles that addressed discrimination and the challenges of students with disability in school settings.”
“I had also interviewed Emeritus Professor Cheryl Dissanayake AM, the Founding Director of the Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre, and was greatly impressed by the Centre's work.”
Clare completed a PhD with La Trobe University’s Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre in 2025, exploring the experiences of Autistic adolescents in secondary education.
“We know that Autistic secondary students in mainstream settings have an overwhelmingly poor experience of school, both socially and academically. Autistic adolescents are also at a far higher risk of social isolation, anxiety and depression.”
“My research aimed to uncover the gaps in our knowledge of the experiences of Autistic secondary students, and to present evidence-based, practical changes that can support them to achieve success in their whole experience of school.”
Clare’s research used a participatory approach, directly involving Autistic secondary students in the entire research process.
“I was greatly impressed by the insights of Autistic students when I interviewed them,” she says. “Too often, the perspective of Autistic students is missing from research as it tends to ask about their experiences by talking to adults such as parents and teachers, most of them non-Autistic.”
Currently working as a Research Fellow in the School of Psychology and Public Health, Clare is committed to research that can be translated into practical change.
“So many families are fighting the same battles to access support,” she says. “There’s a huge lack of consistency across schools, and a shortage of evidence-informed practices for working effectively with Autistic students.”
To address this, Clare’s thesis included guidelines for schools to be Autism-informed places of learning.
“I would love to see these implemented in schools to give them the evidence-based strategies and information that they need to support their Autistic students to truly thrive.”
