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Heba Al-Jayoosi

Heba is the Assistant Head, and inclusion & research leader at Mayflower Primary School in Tower Hamlets, London. She is a Churchill Fellow and is also seconded to Whole School SEND (NASEN) as a regional deputy lead. Heba’s research interests lie in implementing innovative whole school adaptations for pupils with SEND, and she is currently completing a PHD at the Centre for Research in Autism Education (CRAE), UCL.

Dr Catherine Dakin

Dr Catherine Dakin (she/her) is a late diagnosed Autistic and ADHD psychiatrist in the East of England, working in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry and as her Trust’s all ages Autism Specialist Consultant. She is an experienced Autism and ADHD assessor, and has a strong track record in service improvement, clinical and quality governance, and innovation.

Catherine is a former research scientist and lecturer at City St George’s, University of London, where she developed a passion for social justice and allyship – something that she continues to champion proudly in all aspects of her personal and professional life.

Catherine is a Psychiatry Lead within Autistic Doctors International (autisticdoctorsinternational.com), an Associate with AT-Autism, and a National Autism Trainer Programme trainer.

Catherine strives to combine her clinical, academic, and education expertise with her own lived / living experience, to ensure that she is a passionate advocate for all neurodivergent people – her family, friends, patients and colleagues.

Lucy Dunstan

Lucy is Deputy Chief Executive Officer at Changing Our Lives. She provides strategic leadership and has been instrumental in shaping and developing the organisation’s brand and vision. She has a wealth of experience leading on rights based, community development and advocacy work that include grass roots, leadership and consultancy roles. Lucy’s commitment to human rights and equity, coupled with her tenacious approach to injustice drive her to work alongside people experiencing the greatest inequality and go places that others won’t.

More recently, Lucy has worked on research studies; 200 Lives https://changingourlives.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/200-Lives-Report-28.02.22-final.pdf and is currently leading on Minority Interest https://changingourlives.org/our-work/research/  alongside Manchester Metropolitan University and NTDi. This study will explore what cultural competency means to people with a learning disability, how culturally competent the support they receive is and how confident support staff, providers and commissioners feel in delivering this support.
Lucy’s work relating to ethnicity and Hospital to Home has been published. In 2022 her work as a rights-based advocate gained national recognition, alongside Camden CLDS, being awarded Team of the Year and Overall Social Worker of the Year at the National Social Worker of the Year Awards. The first time a team has won this award since the awards were founded.

Dr Zahilah Filzah

Dr Zahilah Filzah is a medical professional with over 20 years of experience, including two decades of service in Malaysia’s Ministry of Health. She worked as a consultant paediatrician and advisor to the Court for Children.

She is the founder of The Ark Autism Centre, a collaborative project with a non-governmental organisation which supports autistic individuals and their families from low-income communities.

During her Master’s in Autism Studies at the Tizard Centre, University of Kent, Dr Zahilah was introduced to the neurodiversity paradigm; an experience that reshaped her understanding of autism and how it is viewed and supported across services and society. Since then, she has actively championed neuro-affirming, rights-based approaches in both clinical and community settings.

Dr Zahilah is a Certified SPELL Master Trainer and regularly delivers training in Malaysia and Papua New Guinea. She is also an Associate Consultant with AT-Autism.
She currently leads Space A Autism Centre in Kuala Lumpur as its Director, where she continues her commitment to inclusive, respectful and person-centred support for the neurodivergent community.

Dr Ken Greaves

Dr Ken Greaves is a HCPC Registered Specialist Chartered Psychologist who has worked as a Specialist Consultant Psychologist for Cambridge University and as a Specialist Senior Psychologist for many years in various settings including education, health, social care and work environments. He works with children, young people and adults who are autistic and/or related neurodiverse conditions including ADHD, Dyslexia and Dyspraxia.

Ken also has experience in working with people with a range of individual needs from complex and severe learning difficulties to gifted and talented. He has extensive experience working with people from culturally diverse communities. Ken has provided independent expert reports for courts, tribunals and employers. He currently specialises in providing therapeutic support for neurodivergent adolescents and adults, is part of the diagnostic team at the Lorna Wing Centre, National Autistic Society and a trainer on the National Autism Training Programme. Ken is a Senior Life Associate Member of the Royal Society of Medicine. His private consultancy is based in London.

Alia Lewis

Alia Lewis is a solicitor who specialises in representing neurodivergent children in complex child protection cases and is committed to upholding the rights of neurodivergent individuals within family proceedings.

In 2017 at the age of three, Alia’s son was diagnosed autistic. Her learning journey in relation to autism and special needs made her acutely aware of the knowledge gaps and discriminatory practices relating to neurodivergence in the family justice system. This led to Alia developing an unwavering determination to effect positive change in order to secure the best possible outcomes for neurodivergent families.

Alia has established the first specialist care proceedings team in the UK, offering bespoke and highly skilled representation to neurodivergent clients. Alongside casework, the team aims to reform the family justice system via FLANC (Family Law Advice for the Neurodivergent Community), a cross firm working group, of which Alia is a co-founding member. FLANC is dedicated to ensuring that the neurodivergent community has equal access to justice by addressing barriers to participation in child protection, family court proceedings and dispute resolution.

In 2023, Alia won legal aid lawyer of the year for children’s rights in recognition of her ongoing work. In 2024, FLANC won innovation awards at the Resolution and Family Law Awards and in 2025, FLANC was highly commended in the innovation category at the Modern Law Awards.

Nicola Martin

Nicki has held various academic and leadership roles in the higher education sector, including leading professional services functions and research centres. Nicki developed the successful EdD in Social Justice and Inclusive Education, MA Education /Autism and the Critical Autism and Disability Studies (CADS) Research Group at LSBU. CADS participatory, interdisciplinary research focusses on inclusive education across the age range, through Universal Design for Learning; equity in employment; mentoring; wellbeing and fulfilment. Currently Nicki leads the Building Future Communities Research Centre.

Fair employment of autistic and disabled researchers is a key principle of CADS engagement with funded research. The Participatory Autism Research Collective (PARC) originated within CADS and (although unfunded) provides networking and peer support opportunities for autistic scholars.

Nicki is a National Teaching Fellow, RSA Fellow, Senior Fellow of the HEA and an Accredited Speaker for the CPD Standards Office, and holds various visiting professorships and fellowships and external examiner posts. Nicki is an advisor to The National Association of Disability Practitioners.

During 23-25, Nicki is co-editing five books, two focusing on aspects of Universal Design for Learning and a series on Autism Wellbeing and Fulfilment across the life course.

Currently, Nicki has 15 doctoral completions and supervises 8 students.

Ann Memmott

Ann is an autistic and disabled autism consultant, living in a wonderfully neurodivergent/disabled household with the rest of the family.  Ann’s work in the field of autism has spanned some three decades, as well as work on other Professional Practice matters outside of this sphere.



Ann is an Associate of AT-Autism, and advises a wide range of organisations as an external research consultant, commissioned to provide up to date research summaries.  This includes autism, learning disability and wider neurodiversity, for NHS Clinicians and team members working within in mental health settings, including low, medium and high secure Forensic wards and community services.  Ann’s work encompasses general advice on how to bring about better outcomes for autistic children and young people who are currently ‘stuck’ in systems that are not meeting their needs.



Ann is a contributing author of the well regarded book, “Improving Mental Health Therapies for Autistic Children and Young People” (Routledge, 2024), amongst other collaborative publications.

Damian Milton

Damian Milton is a sociologist and social psychologist who specialises in autism research, and an autism rights advocate. He is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Kent and chair of the Participatory Autism Research Collective (PARC). He has been teaching in the Further and Higher Education sectors since 2000 in a range of subject areas relating to autism and learning disabilities. His interest in autism began when his son was diagnosed as autistic in 2005 at two years old. He was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome in 2009 at the age of 36. His work is influenced by the social model of disability, and many of his publications deconstruct and critically analyse past theories.

Ruth Moyse

Ruth is a highly experienced trainer, facilitator, and mentor with over twenty years’ experience in education. A teacher by profession, her research interest lies in the education of autistic children and young people, particularly the female experience, and more widely in autistic mental health and wellbeing. Ruth is an advocate for participatory research and the co-production of knowledge and chooses creative methods of engagement and collaboration. She is a Visiting Fellow at the University of Southampton, where she is a member of the Autistic Community Research Network (ACoRNs), and sits on a number of neurodiversity advisory boards and research steering groups in the UK and Europe. In addition, Ruth is a Trustee of the John and Lorna Wing Foundation, and part of the Information Autism editorial board. She is also autistic.

Andrew Reece

Andrew Reece is Professional Officer and Registered Social Worker with the British Association of Social Workers (BASW) , where he specialises in Social Work practice with disabled children. Before working for BASW, Andrew was an active BASW member, sitting on their National Standing Committee and holding leading roles in both their ‘Homes not Hospitals’ and ‘80-20: Time for Relationship Based Practice’ campaigns.

From 2016 to 2024 Andrew worked for Camden Council in London as Head of Integrated Learning Disability Services, providing Social Work and clinical leadership to Social Workers and health professionals in an ‘Outstanding’ rated service supporting adults with learning disabilities to live fulfilled lives in their local communities. He is proud to have been awarded both the Learning Disability Team of the Year by the Royal College of Psychiatrists in 2020 for their work to develop a Named Worker model of practice and the Adult/Multidisciplinary Team of the Year in 2022 by the Social Worker of the Year Awards for their work support ‘Kasibba’ to escape nearly 50 years of inappropriate detention.

Linda Woodcock

Linda is a Director at AT-Autism and is involved in the delivery of SYNERGY a mentorship programme for those supporting children and adults at risk of exclusion from services. Linda has many years experience of working with Autistic individuals and their families and has managed family support services for a regional Autism charity. She has been instrumental in creating and delivering innovative person-centred courses for parents and families, she also delivers training to professionals within health, social care, education and the criminal justice system. She was recently a content creator and trainer on the very successful National Autism Training Programme. Linda works both in the UK and internationally. Linda is a member of the project development group for SPECTRUM, a training programme for care staff, aiming to reduce the overuse of medication for adults with learning disabilities.

Linda also manages a person centred service for her adult son who is Autistic and has significant learning disabilities.