Award Recipient 2016 - 2017

Jeanette Purkis

Jeanette Purkis is an autistic author, public speaker and autism advocate who also has a diagnosis of atypical schizophrenia. She has worked full-time in the Australian Public Service since 2007 and has a Masters degree in Visual Arts. She is the author of three books on elements of autism and has a new book aimed at helping parents of autistic kids build their resilience due out in November 2017. Jeanette presented at TEDxCanberra 2013 and has spoken at many autism events as well as research and heath practitioners’ conferences. Jeanette has been facilitating a support group for women on the autism spectrum in Canberra since 2011 and hosts her own internet radio show. She is a mentor yo several autistic women and is an ambassador for Yellow Ladybugs, the I CAN Network and the Autism Cooperative Research Centre. Jeanette was named the 2016 ACT Volunteer of the Year and was a finalist in the 2017 ACT Woman of the Year awards. 

Here is her website: www.jeanettepurkis.com