Tristan Kluibenschadl
Tristan Kluibenschadl
Tristan is a neurodivergent co-founder and Director of the multi-award-winning STAKLife CIC in Kent, supporting autistic people and strengthening understanding of neurodivergence across education, health, business and wider public services.
He is a retired Homicide Senior Investigating Officer and former member of the National Police Autism Association, where he helped champion more consistent, systemic change. Now he focuses on helping professionals build practical, neuro-affirming approaches through Staklifes training offer.
Tristan was a lead trainer on the Anna Freud Centre’s NHS-commissioned National Autistic Training Programme, a Mencap-trained Tier 2 facilitator for The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism, a National Autistic Society-trained facilitator and an associate with AT-Autism.
He has contributed to collaborative work with the University of Kent’s Medway Medical School and the Kent Autistic Trust, and he supports a range of equality and inclusion and suicide prevention panels in Kent.
The Fight: A Family Experience
The Fight: A Family Experience is a candid, neurodivergent-affirming talk that reframes autism away from “deficit” narratives and toward human experience, context, and rights. Drawing on lived experience as an autistic advocate and autistic parent, decades of criminal justice work, and front-line training across health, education and wider systems, Tristan Kluibenshadl explores how clinical and institutional language shapes practice, and harm.
The session traces the “fight” families describe: for recognition, diagnosis, education support, and dignity in broader society, linking real-world barriers to practical shifts professionals, employers and services can make to move from judgment to understanding, and from compliance to meaningful change.
Please be aware that this session may includes discussion of sensitive topics, including suicide and mental health challenges. We understand that this content may be difficult for some attendees.
Please feel free to take care of yourself in whatever way you need.
