ABOUT US

The Autism, Family, and Communities Lab, co-led by Dr. Robert Hock and Dr. Margaret Janse van Rensburg, conducts research to enhance the wellbeing of Autistic people and the people and systems that support them.

Dr. Hock’s work advances healthy parenting and family-centred service delivery and Dr. Janse van Rensburg focuses advancing the experiences of Autistic adults. As social workers we work hard on integrating community into research.  We collaborate with Autistic people, family members, service providers, and community partners to identify research priorities and develop practical, responsive supports.

Our mission is to strengthen autism services and communities of care while building capacity for advocacy and inclusion. We are committed to research that reflects varied support needs and lived experiences, including those of people who face barriers to diagnosis, services, and participation in research.