Leanne Gerekaroff is from the College of Education, Psychology and Social Work and is one of the recipients for the 2025 Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Doctoral Thesis Excellence and was supervised by Associate Professor Kerry Bissaker and Dr Emma Grace.
Leanne’s thesis was titled “Social Communication Planning: the Experiences of Autistic Young People Transitioning from School to Employment”
We invited Leanne to share insights into journey.
What does winning this award mean?
Being acknowledged by Flinders University for academic excellence has been both an honour and a source of personal encouragement. For me personally, this award has strengthened my commitment to continuing research that translates into practical educational outcomes that support inclusive practice.
Why I Chose This Research Path
My decision to undertake a PhD was shaped by my professional experiences supporting neurodivergent students. In these roles, I consistently observed that social communication challenges, often presented as significant barriers to learning and meaningful engagement. These experiences raised important questions for me about how social communication capacity is developed and supported over time.
Learning Through Lived Experience
As a qualitative researcher, I deeply valued the data collection phase of my PhD. Engaging directly with participants and learning from their lived experiences was especially meaningful. This approach allowed me to explore how Autistic young people experienced social communication planning during senior secondary schooling, and how this shaped their transitions into tertiary education, employment, and participation in community life.
Being Part of the Research Community
Alongside my research, I remained actively involved in the broader research community. I served as a student representative on the Flinders University Higher Degree by Research Committee and was an active member of Research in Inclusive and Special Education (RISE). These roles provided valuable insight into academic governance, and collaborative industry partnerships while building a sense of connectedness to the Flinders University research community.
Persistence, Support, and Supervision
I completed my PhD part-time over seven years—a journey that required persistence, flexibility, and strong support.
I was fortunate to be guided by committed and insightful supervisors who provided encouragement throughout my candidature. Their regular check-ins, particularly during challenges, played a crucial role in maintaining my progress.
My experience reinforces the importance of persistence and the value of having strong support networks during candidature—especially those willing to act as thoughtful sounding boards, even if they do not fully understand the research topic itself.