Meet Mishel A: NCF Board Member & PhD Researcher

Mishel answers questions on autism research, lived experience, and why the work mirrors NCF's mission.

So, who are you?

I'm Mishel —an NCF board member, a PhD student at the University of Toronto, and a research trainee at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, supervised by Meng-Chuan Lai.

My academic background focuses on autism —moving away from standard clinical models toward approaches that incorporate real-world, lived experience.

What does your research look at?

Cognitive task appraisal, ecological momentary assessment, and eye- tracking in social attention and cognitive flexibility. Standard experimental tasks often fail to capture how autistic people navigate everyday environments, andrarely consider autistic strengths —so I run Delphi consensus projects that bring autistic researchers and community members together to appraise those tasks.

Research tools that are appraised and shaped by autistic people, not just about them.

You also work on therapy models —how so?

I collaborate on co-developing and adapting Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for autistic people.

Traditional modalities were built without neurodivergent experience in mind, often emphasizing neurotypical norms over self-understanding. Co-developing with neurodivergent individuals means the therapy is adapted for sensory profiles and neuro-affirming goals instead.

Co-developed, not imposed —therapy adapted around autistic people's own goals and sensory needs.

What do you do outside the lab?

I take part in mentorship and community networks —serving on the Review and Selection Committee for the Canadian Neurodevelopmental Research Training Platform, and joining panels through the Mindful Project, a neurodivergent student organization on campus.

Committee work, peer mentorship, panels —community leadership alongside the research.

Why does this line up with NCF's mission?

Both focus on transforming structural environments rather than trying to fix or alter neurodivergent individuals.

Using community-informed methods shifts the burden of adjustment away from the individual and toward better environments, tools, and clinical systems.

Last question, Mishel: why does NCF matter?

Traditional systems —healthcare, legal, mental health —have long operated without meaningful input from the communities they affect.

NCF translates lived expertise into tangible change: neuro-affirming primary care training, co-designed inclusive workplace processes, and structural reform led by the community itself.

Rights, dignity, and accessibility —not theoretical goals, but structural realities.