Our Team

AsIAm CEO's Office

Adam Harris

CEO

Adam Harris

CEO

Adam set up AsIAm based on his own experiences growing up as a young autistic person in Ireland. Diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome from an early age, the condition was far less understood or even known as it is today. Having spent his initial school years within the special education stream, he moved to a mainstream school in Second Class and was supported by an SNA. Adam Harris is the Founder and CEO of AsIAm, Ireland’s National Autism Charity. Adam founded the organisation based on his own experiences growing up on the autism spectrum. Today, AsIAm provides support to the autism people and their families, advocates on behalf of the community, and works to support public and private sector organisations and communities in becoming inclusive and accessible. A Social Entrepreneurs Ireland Awardee, Adam is a frequent contributor to media and conferences in Ireland and overseas. He has also sat and advised on many government consultative and policy committees on disability rights and inclusion. From Greystones in Co Wicklow, Adam was appointed to the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission in July 2020.

Lisa Aspeling

Executive Assistant

Lisa Aspeling

Executive Assistant

Lisa is responsible for co-ordinating the CEO’s diary and is the primary contact for Autism Friendly Towns.

AsIAm Administration Team

Sean Whooley

Head of Administration & Corporate Affairs

Sean Whooley

Head of Administration & Corporate Affairs

Seán joined AsIAm in November 2017 and in responsible for Corporate Affairs. His roles include the Accounting, HR function and close cooperation with every member of the AsIAm team in Blackrock, ensuring different projects’ logistics are in place and that compliance with regulatory bodies are met. Born in Co. Louth and raised all over Ireland, Seán has worked in a variety of different areas, most recently in the civil service and Department of Social Protection and Employment Affairs. His main role with AsIAm currently is to support the Chief Executive Officer in the areas of governance, office management and policy.

Dick White

Fundraising Manager

Dick White

Fundraising Manager

Dick joined AsIAm in December 2021 as Fundraising Manager as part of the Administration Team. His role covers the country and sees him working closely with all departments and teams within AsIAm. With a strong emphasis on engagement and sustainability Dick works with and supports Business, Community and Individuals across Ireland to build and maintain AsIAm for the future. Originally from Co. Wexford, he is now based in east Cork. Dick has worked both nationally and internationally including Ireland, the USA, Britain and Papua New Guinea, in a variety of roles including, Accounting, Public Relations, Management, Media, Local Development, Communications and Advocacy.

Claire Gledhill

Accounts Admin Officer

Claire Gledhill

Accounts Admin Officer

As accounts admin officer, Claire is responsible for overseeing AsIAm's financial systems, documenting accounts for audit and ensuring compliance with legal and regulatory requirements in line with the Charities Regulatory Authority

AsIAm Training & Accreditation Team

Fiona Ferris

Deputy CEO & Head of Training

Fiona Ferris

Deputy CEO & Head of Training

Fiona has worked with AsIAm since 2017, initially in the role of Early Years Specialist, but assumed the role of Deputy CEO in 2019 and oversees the Training Department within AsIAm. Fiona delivers talks both nationally and internationally about autism, neurodiversity and disability, while contributing her own experiences as an autistic adult and a parent to a child on the spectrum. In her talks, Fiona aims to give practical, relatable knowledge and strategies to assist others in supporting the autistic community to meet their own individual potential and fully participate in their community. Fiona’s expertise covers a broad range of issues including Autism and Women, Neurodiversity, Disability Rights, Employment, Accessibility and Education. Outside of work, Fiona is an artist and is also completing an Honours Degree in Law.

Zarah Doyle

Training Manager

Zarah Doyle

Training Manager

Zarah joined the AsIAm team in July 2021 as the ‘Bridge Forward’ Project Coordinator. In 2015, Zarah graduated from the University of Birmingham with a BPhil in Special Education: Autism (Children). In that time, Zarah has founded and designed strength-based community projects for autistic children in Kildare and Dublin. She has delivered workshops at the annual conferences and community talks with AsIAm. Zarah has worked in adult education and training with colleges of further education and as a placement tutor with DCU on the undergraduate degree programme in Early Childhood Education. She recently completed a Master of Education in Early Intervention with TCD. Zarah and her husband Barry live in Kildare. She is a proud mother to 3 children, Luke, Adam and Sadbh. Luke was diagnosed with Autism in 2010, he and his siblings, are her inspiration for developing her career in advocating for the autistic community. Zarah was recently diagnosed as autistic herself, which has further informed her work.

James Moroney

Training Officer

James Moroney

Training Officer

James joined the AsIAm team at the start of 2021. He has taken up the role of Training Officer and will be involved in delivering the various training programmes that AsIAm run. He was awarded a BA in Applied Psychology from University College Cork in 2011 and has since been working as a trainer in various different roles. In the past he has worked with Aware, delivering mental health workshops to secondary school students. He has also worked with Zeeko, delivering internet safety workshops to primary and secondary school students, as well as their teachers and parents. Since 2010, he has been involved in coaching rowing in his spare time, and has worked with rowers at all levels, with Lee Rowing Club, UCC Rowing Club and Rowing Ireland. He hopes to use all the experience he has gained in these roles to help bring a greater awareness of Autism to everyone on the island of Ireland, and to some of the smaller island’s surrounding it too.

Finbar Hogan

Education Officer

Finbar Hogan

Education Officer

Finbar joined the AsIAm team in October 2022. Finbar has taken the role of Education Officer and will be helping to coordinate AsIAms Autism Friendly Schools Project as well as delivering a variety of training programs offered by AsIAm. Finbar is a registered nurse (intellectual disability) and since qualifying in 2015 has working in a variety of settings supporting autistic people and people with intellectual disabilities including residential services for adults and children, an autism aware service and a summer camp for autistic young people based in New York, USA. Finbar is currently working towards his Ph.D with DCU’s Institute of Education. Finbar’s research entitled ‘Voices of Inclusion’, focuses on the lived experiences of autistic young people enrolled in secondary schools in Ireland.

Caitlin Cruise

Training Officer

Caitlin Cruise

Training Officer

Caitlin is currently studying Eary Childhood Care & Education and hopes to go onto specialise in studies of Autism. She was late diagnosed Autistic in November 2022 and has dived headfirst into the community since then, learning and helping as many people as she can. She has always had a special interest in helping others, she supported Special Olympics Ireland by volunteering at the Special Olympic World Games this year in Berlin. She is also a registered Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and volunteer with the Order of Malta. Caitlin's goal as Training Officer for AsIAm is to educate and open the minds of as many people as possible about Autism, and to break down stereotypes and misinformation. She wants to help uplift the autistic community and elevate our voices!

AsIAm Adult Support & Employment Team

Debbie Merrigan

Head of Adult Support & Employment

Debbie Merrigan

Head of Adult Support & Employment

Debbie joined the AsIAm team in October 2021 as our Head of Adult Support and Employment. She is working on a new pilot programme with Specialisterne Ireland to create appropriate employment opportunities for autistic adults living in rural areas or regional towns which are not within commuting distance of Dublin, Cork, Galway or Limerick. Her responsibilities also include the new AsIAm Employment Advice Service, supporting autistic adults seeking employment and potential employers engaging with autistic talent. Debbie has a degree in Applied Physics, a masters degree in Education, Leadership and Management and is currently working on her Doctorate on Autistic Education and Employment. Debbie has worked with autistic children and adults throughout her career with the Centre for Talented Youth Ireland, Specialisterne Ireland and more recently, Ireland’s National Technical Apprenticeship Programme.

Katie Quinn

Autism Friendly University Coordinator

Katie Quinn

Autism Friendly University Coordinator

Katie joined AsIAm in 2015 and worked with one of our longest run programmes, the AsIAm Youth Leadership Team and the AsIAm Ambassadors. Katie has over a decade’s experience of working with children and young people on the autism spectrum both in Ireland and in the UK. Katie places importance on hands-on learning, with a special focus on teaching young people valuable advocacy and leadership skills. As part of Katie’s role, she coordinates the successful international AsIAm Autism Friendly University Award. DCU was the first in the world to become an AsIAm Autism Friendly campus and katie works closely with DCU, Irish and international universities who are on the journey to embed the autism friendly university principles within their culture and are making a college that is fully inclusive. Katie is also involved in research projects looking at diversity and inclusion across HEIs.

Jennifer O'Connor

Adult Support & Wellbeing Officer

Jennifer O'Connor

Adult Support & Wellbeing Officer

Jennifer joined the AsIAm team in July 2021, taking up the role of Adult Support and Wellbeing Officer. Jennifer is an NUIG graduate of the Bachelor of Arts in Modern Languages and Creative Writing programme and has since completed a Master of Science in Disability Speech and Communication. She is currently completing her PhD with the University of York in English Literature and Creative Writing. Jennifer has particular interest in neurodiversity, which arose after her late-diagnosis of autism and ADHD at the age of twenty-six. Jennifer runs her own blog (www.jenniferpoyntz.com) and is currently constantly writing novels, short stories and poetry!

Niamh Grennan

Employment Officer

Niamh Grennan

Employment Officer

Niamh joined the AsIAm team in August 2022, taking up the role of Employment Officer on the Adult and Wellbeing team. Niamh’s role involves supporting autistic candidates to gain employment while also supporting the business community to successfully recruit and employ autistic individuals. Niamh graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Business and Arts Management from IADT. Here she served two terms as a student union officer, one year as LGBTQ+ Rights Officer and then as Welfare and Equality Officer. Before AsIAm Niamh worked as a WAM Project Officer for AHEAD. Supporting graduates with disabilities into employment.

AsIAm Communication & Engagement Team

Ian Lynham

Information & Digital Marketing Officer

Ian Lynham

Information & Digital Marketing Officer

Ian is our Information and Digital Officer. He manages AsIAm.ie’s online presence, edits this website, researches and writes its content while organizing and sending AsIAm's monthly newsletter. He also maintains AsIAm's website and SEO performance to ensure our organization continues to grow our visibility. After starting a WAM mentorship in the Civil Service. During this time, Ian also worked in performance. Frustrated with a lack of neurodiversity in performing arts, he proceeded to work with AsIAm to organise Light it Up Gold, Ireland’s first all autistic comedy lineup. He would later debut his solo show, Autistic License, to a sold-out run in Dublin Fringe 2021. Through these activities he became more engaged with the autistic community, working with Trinity College Dublin Disability Service as an intern, publishing the service’s online content and overseeing the rollout of the Autism Uni Toolkit. During the pandemic, Ian continued to develop professionally, beginning a part-time masters in Digital Marketing. His thesis, focusing on Misinformation during the Covid-19 Vaccine Rollout received a Distinction mark. As a result, Ian is keen to publish original and personal writing from autistic people on the site through AsIAm's Community Voices.

Rebecca Heade

Digital Content Creator Assistant

Rebecca Heade

Digital Content Creator Assistant

Rebecca is our Digital Content Creator Assistant and joined AsIAm in July 2023. Her role is creating content that helps people give bite size information, like interactive brochures. She studied Jewellery and Objects at NCAD, so her attention to detail is on point, down to the millimetre! She did a Masters in 3D Design at TU Dublin and a diploma in Graphic Design in UCD. Rebecca knew she was autistic ever since she was two and loves being creative with her designs. She is the type of person to step out of the box and change it into something else entirely! Rebecca joined AsIAm to use her creativity to help the autistic community. She jokes that she has two hamster wheels in her head instead of a brain, but once those wheels start turning, there’s no stopping her!

Amanda Mc Guinness

Content Creation Officer

Amanda Mc Guinness

Content Creation Officer

Amanda Mc Guinness is an Autistic Advocate and an Autism & Visual Supports Specialist. She is a Law Graduate and is currently undertaking a Master of Childhood Speech Language and Communication Needs at University Galway. Amanda is a Training Officer in AsIAm and she is the creator of the “Auti” character online through her social media littlepuddins.ie, which teaches and educates on Autistic lived experiences. Her areas of specialism include Visual Supports, Autistic Identity & Culture, Autistic Masking, Autistic Communication, and Autistic Lived Experience Education. She has extensive experience supporting Autistic children and their families.

AsIAm Community Support Team

Michael O'Flanagan

Head of Community Support

Michael O'Flanagan

Head of Community Support

Michael Joined the AsIAm team in October 2018, taking up the role as Community Support Officer. In November 2020, Michael took on the role as Head of Community Support overseeing AsIAm’s work on advocacy, casework, family support and policy. Michael completed his Barrister at Law degree in September 2021 and is currently undertaking the Advanced Diploma in Law and Education from the Kings Inns. A lover of running, in 2018 Michael co-founded Ireland’s first 5k Run for Autism. He is the proud big brother of Gavin, who is autistic. It is Gavin who is the inspiration behind Michael working with the autism community. Outside of AsIAm, Michael’s interests include running, dogs and all things History, you might find him on the upcoming “Unearthing History” group with AsIAm.

Brighid Farrell

Community Support Officer

Brighid Farrell

Community Support Officer

Brighid joined the Information Line in April 2022 after having been introduced to Asiam as a community member through the Adult Support Programmes. She was diagnosed with autism in 2020 after a twelve-year-long diagnosis process. She moved to Ireland three years ago from the north-eastern United States and currently lives with her husband, Joey, in Dublin. She has been surrounded by disability advocacy her whole life with her mother, a SNA, and her sibling, Glen who studying to be a veterinarian. Both are dyslexic, while Glen also has Apraxia and ADHD.

Sam Marcus

Community Support Officer

Sam Marcus

Community Support Officer

Sam is a Social Care Worker with experience supporting autistic adults and adults with intellectual and physical disabilities in Ireland and the UK. Sam joined AsIAm in June 2023 after working for six years in Autism-Specific outreach and day services for adults. Sam has also studied Housing provision and hopes to incorporate his knowledge in both housing and adult disability services into his role as Community Support Officer on the information line.

Email:[email protected]

Fiona O'Mahony

Casework Manager

Fiona O'Mahony

Casework Manager

Fiona O’Mahony is a senior speech and language therapist with extensive experience and training in working with autistic people of all ages and their families both in Ireland and abroad. She recently returned to Ireland after 10 years of working as a Speech and Language Therapist in Perth and Melbourne Australia and is excited to commence her role as Casework Manager. In her role she will provide expert support and guidance to our growing Information Line.

Sarah Moorehead

Community Support Officer

Sarah Moorehead

Community Support Officer

Sarah has just recently graduated from her undergrad in Psychology in DCU and is now currently studying her Msc in Psychotherapy in DCU. She has three brothers and her eldest brother Teddy was diagnosed with Autism almost 37 years ago and has lived in residential care since he was 3. He is a massive inspiration for Sarah and her family’s life. She is mother to a beautiful little girl called Theida.

Nicola O'Brien

Community Support Worker

Nicola O'Brien

Community Support Worker

Nicola is a Community Support Officer and has been working with AsIAm since 2019. Nicola graduated from IADT in 2017 with a BS Degree in Applied Psychology. Nicola worked with Aspire Ireland as their Helpline Office and has volunteered with them within a number of programs. She also has experience working as a Support Worker for autistic adults and children. She currently works within the Community Support Team within their Information Line and assists with running the teenager groups within the Family Support Programme.

Niamh Mellerick

Child & Family Support Manager

Niamh Mellerick

Child & Family Support Manager

Niamh joined the AsIAm team in August 2021, taking up the role of Community Support Manager. In September 2022, having established the AsIAm Autism Information Line, Niamh took on the role of Family Support Manager, a role which will focus on the piloting and expansion of the direct supports AsIAm provides to children and families. Niamh is a senior occupational therapist with a particular passion for nurturing pride in autistic identity amongst children, whilst supporting children and families to acknowledge and advocate their needs. Niamh developed a love for knowledge translation while working with parents and teachers in autism schools, and then going on to lecture in occupational therapy for three years. Niamh has also completed a post-registration Master of Science in occupational therapy.

Adrian Carroll

Policy Officer

Adrian Carroll

Policy Officer

Adrian initially joined the organization as Training Officer where he supported the development and delivery of online and face-to-face Autism training for businesses and organisations seeking how best to support autistic clients and customers. Adrian will work closely within AsIAm’s Community Support team and with our partners across Ireland’s disability sector. From planning and collaborating on research into issues facing the autism community, to lobbying lawmakers to ensure they prioritise autism at a political level – his role is a diverse one with equally varied responsibilities From Killarney, Co. Kerry, Adrian’s main background is in law and policy, with a BCL in Law Plus History and Cultural Studies from University of Limerick, along with LLM degrees in Law (General) from the University of Limerick and in International and Comparative Disability Law and Policy from NUI Galway. He has also completed a Higher Diploma in Software Development from the University of Limerick and has gone through the SAP Specialisterne programme working as an Enterprise Support Advisor. His dissertation was on how the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities(CRPD) and international policy on Assistive Technology can help bridge the gap between higher education and employment for people with cognitive disabilities, to take up employment. He also has professional experience working in legal support in Brosnan & Co. Solicitors, a local solicitors office in Killarney.

Jennifer Moloney

Child and Family Support Officer

Jennifer Moloney

Child and Family Support Officer

Jenny has many years of experience in the field of various sectors including Human Resource Management, Marketing, Banking, Project Management and Hospitality. Jenny has a keen interest in history and as a Failte Ireland Tour Guide as well as a qualification in Special Needs assisting is looking forward to meeting families to provide support as part of the child and family support team.