My Story
My career with neurodivergent and autistic individuals began over 23 years ago, within the NHS Paediatric Pre-school Autism Assessment Centre in Frimley, Surrey. From there, I moved into the Community Learning Disability Team within CAMHS and continued to work alongside countless neurodivergent individuals, families and professionals.
Across my career, I have supported, provided assessment, training and worked with professionals, Educational Staff, Legal teams, Mental Health workers and within high security units, Youth Offending services, Advocates, Social Workers and within social care settings to support understanding and change.
Often, I was working within systems that have not always felt safe, inclusive or accessible. These experiences have shaped both my clinical practice and my commitment to improving professional practice, awareness and respect for all within society.
As both a clinician and a neurodivergent person, I bring together professional knowledge and lived experience. This allows me to work in ways that are trauma-informed, neurodiversity-affirming and grounded in respect for autonomy, consent and identity.
Over the past decade, there has been a growing shift towards more open and compassionate conversations about neurodiversity in some areas of society. While this progress is important, there is still significant work to do, for all of us, in recognising the unique strengths in a variety of neurotypes across all of society and deficit-based interventions are still supported, implemented, encouraged and influential in many aspects of society.
My practice exists within a positive neuroinclusive space, supporting individuals now, while continuing to advocate for safer, more ethical and genuinely inclusive approaches for the future.
How I Work
I work with children, young people, adults, families and professionals, both face‑to‑face and remotely, depending on individual needs and capacity. I also work as a Consultant across NHS, education, legal and care sectors.
My approach is collaborative, paced and responsive, recognising that regulation, safety and trust are foundational to meaningful assessment and therapeutic work.
I create resources and courses, providing training to parents and professionals and professional supervision for clinicians. I develop clinical pathways and review policies and procedures.
Clinical & Professional Focus
I work with children, young people, adults, families and - Nervous system regulation, co‑regulation, stress cycles and bio‑rhythms.
- Autism, including PDA profiles, understood through autonomy, nervous‑system safety and context rather than compliance‑based models.
- ADHD.
- Burnout, masking and camouflage, monotropic thinking, and the impact of hormonal transitions including perimenopause and menopause on neurodivergent wellbeing.
- ARFID and sensory differences.
- Sleep.
- Complex trauma, including (Complex Post Traumatic Stress Responses) cPTSR and attachment patterns.
I am also involved in the development and use of neurodiversity‑affirming diagnostic tools across speech, language and communication, autism assessment practice, mental health and nervous‑system regulation.
My work does not include behavioural or compliance‑based approaches, including Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) and related frameworks. I do not use exposure‑based techniques. All assessment and therapeutic work is grounded in safety, autonomy, consent and neurodiversity‑affirming principles. Please also see my ethics section.
Butterflies Speech Language & Communication Services
Associations
Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists
The Health and Care Professionals Council
