Autism and Aspergers Advocate Bob Buckley shares his personal lived experience and that of his son driving his passionate commitment to...

Bob Buckley is an autism advocate, known for his contributions to the autism community through leadership, policy development, systemic and individual advocacy. With support from his partner and as Co-convenor of Autism Aspergers Advocacy Australia (A4) since 2003, he spearheads national efforts to represent and support individuals across the whole autistic spectrum and their families & associates.Bob's advocacy began in 1997, catalysed by his experience as father to a severely autistic son (who still lives at home). His commitment to improving autistic lives led him to serve as the ACT representative and Director of the Australian Advisory Board on Autism Spectrum Disorders. He also held the position of vice-president of Autism Asperger ACT Inc. and longtime Chair of Speaking Out for Autism Spectrum Disorder in the ACT. He wrote an Annex on advocating for your child in the Australian Autism Handbook.In 2014, Bob was recognised as a state finalist for ACT Senior Australian of the Year, highlighting his significant impact on the autism community.Professionally, Bob enjoyed a diverse career. He worked in, taught and consulted in areas including computing/ICT, computer science, software engineering, computer systems engineering, data analytics, academic curriculum design, automation, and bioinformatics. He owned and was technical director of INFuse Pty Ltd, a top ten consultancy for the Defence Department in the 1990s. He also consulted in industrial relations, workforce planning, intellectual capital, and change management. He retired early in 2021 from John Curtin School of Medical Research at the Australian National University from his position as a Computational Genomic Specialist.Bob is also a semi-professional musician, playing bass, fiddle, guitar, flute & whistle, vocals, etc. … most recently playing and calling bush dances with Paverty Bush Band, Canberra’s oldest bush band, and other groups in the region.Bob's own neurodivergence enhanced his diverse life experience.Bob BuckleyCo-convenor, Autism Aspergers Advocacy Australia (A4)website:⁠http://a4.org.au/⁠