Dr. Heidi Stieglitz Ham is a speech pathologist, autism researcher, adjunct professor at Rice University, and founder of Spectrum Fusion, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. She completed her undergraduate and graduate studies in Human Communication Disorders, and in 2010 she graduated with her PhD in Cognitive Psychology from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland specializing in autism. After completing her PhD, she worked in Lagos, Nigeria. She moved to Australia and taught and conducted research at the University of Queensland before moving to Western Australia.
After listening to parents across continents share their concerns regarding the lack of opportunities and positive outcomes for their adult children, she created a vision to shape the future of autism by creating a model grounded in sense-of-belonging, community, embracing the science of hope, and empowering adults on the spectrum to reach their full potential. This conceptual vision was presented at TEDxPerth in 2014. Spectrum Fusion has been featured on national television including ABC’s Localish and Nightline.
Dr. Stieglitz Ham founded Spectrum Fusion in 2014 in Australia, and in 2017 brought her concept to the United States – a social impact model empowering adults to realize their full potential. She launched the Reactor Room Program®: ‘A Shark Tank’ for Adults on the Autism Spectrum designed to create new and innovative opportunities for individuals providing them access to important connections. The Reactor Room Program® is the only program of its kind. Each Reactor Room focuses on the individual needs of participants and brings together business leaders, community connectors, entrepreneurs, and individuals with specialized knowledge who come prepared with their ideas and networks specifically tailored for the participants.
In 2021, Dr. Ham founded Spectrum Fusion Studios where she is training and hiring autistic adults in the media industry. Currently they have produced videos for Johnson & Johnson and local organizations including ROCO.
Currently, Dr. Stieglitz Ham is the Principal Investigator on a research study at Rice University assessing the effectiveness of traditional assessment measures that employers typically administer in adults on the autism spectrum. She is creating innovative programs that change the lives of autistic adults. See more on Spectrum Fusion’s website.