I have been working as a qualified Speech and Language Therapist for 15 years. I graduated with a BSC Honours degree in Speech and Language Therapy from the University of Central England in Birmingham (now known as Birmingham City University) in 2005. I have substantial experience working in community clinics, nurseries, mainstream and special schools amongst other specialist settings for both the NHS and private sector.

Since 2012 I have experience of working as part of a multidisciplinary team providing a diagnostic service for both children and adults presenting with complex difficulties and where there is the possibility of an autism spectrum condition. I am trained to administer diagnostic assessment tools such as the ADOS-2 and ADI-R.

The diagnostic work has continued to be an enormous passion of mine and I am dedicated to keeping my knowledge and skills up-to-date. I currently work part time as a Clinical Neurodevelopmental Supervisor for an online diagnostic assessment service who provide autism and ADHD assessments for the NHS. I am therefore experienced in assessing individuals both online and in person.

I am particularly enthusiastic about supporting females with autism. I provide training for diagnostic clinicians on the potential differences experienced by autistic women and girls to develop clinicians’ skills and knowledge to better identify the more subtle characteristics. Mental health and emotional well-being are also of particular interest to me and I am passionate about supporting children, adults and their families. My approach is friendly, warm, considerate and caring; having first-hand experience of autism in my family I hope to convey a solid level of understanding and empathy.

I am registered with the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT), the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) as well as The Association of Speech and Language Therapists in Independent Practice (ASLTIP).