Dr Luke Beardon is Senior Lecturer in Autism at Sheffield Hallam University. He has published widely on autism and is renowned and respected for his uniquely inclusive, celebratory approach to helping autistic people thrive in a neurotypical world. He works with government authorities to develop services and model best practice, in addition to being part of a research team, and has spoken at many national and international conferences on a variety of autism-related topics. He has won several awards for his work, including the National Autistic Society's Autism Professionals Award for achievement in 2016, and has won the Autism Hero Awards in two categories, including for Lifetime Achievement.