Trainer Development Opportunities Sessions

By attending these sessions, you are consenting to the session recording and the following being shared with the AET Community:

• The information on your own ‘turned off’ video box
• Your spoken questions and spoken names.
• We request that videos are turned off at all times during the recording. If you choose to turn on your camera for any reason, your image may be shared.

Please note…

These sessions are recorded for our AET Partner network only – leads, lead trainers, trainers, and administrators - and should not be accessed by others outside of this. 

Please do not share the recording link with those outside your own AET Partnership and only access the recording via the link, do not download the recording to save on your own systems.

• 03/09/2024 - Reena Anand

From Reena Anand Limited, is the parent of an autistic child and provides training and advocacy around autism and race. Today Reena is talking about supporting ethnically diverse families with autistic children in education. She will cover the history of marginalisation and how culture and ethnicity can shape and impact how families respond to possible autism within their own family. Please note: Reena has asked that this session is NOT recorded but a handout will be provided.

• 01/10/2024 - James Cusack

Chief Executive of Autistica. James is an autistic man and has been Autistica's CE since August 2020. Today, James is talking about autism from his own perspective and discussing Autistica's most recent research.

• 05/11/2024 - Sam Clarke-Stone 

Sam Clarke-Stone is the Lead Clinician for the Eating Disorders Service with Gloucestershire Health & Care NHS Foundation Trust. Today, Sam is sharing his work and thoughts on feeding/eating and autism.

• 03/12/2024 - AET Autistic Young Experts

Co-occurring conditions and my experience of education. 3 Autistic Young Experts share their lived experience of co-occurring conditions providing valuable insights into the positive impact this had on their education, challenges they've faced and reflections on action education professionals can take to support students with co-occurring conditions. 

• 07/01/2025 - Robyn Steward - Autism & Girls. 

This session was cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances and will be rearranged at a later date. 

Robyn Steward is an autistic adult, and NAS ambassador, and has delivered training and written books about autism. In this session, Robyn will explore how autism can present in girls (both feminine and masculine presenting) and how AET trainers can use this knowledge upskill and support settings to better understand and support autistic girls/young women.   

• 04/02/2025 - Emma Sharrock from Core Speech - Gestalt Language Processing. 

Core Speech is an Independent Paediatric Speech and Language Therapy company. Core Speech is a neurodiversity affirming practice and strives to ensure that every child is given the support and tools they need to Learn, Grow and Thrive in their lives. In this session, Emma Sharrock will explore Analytic and Gestalt Language Processing, and the connection between our 8 GAP principles and the developmental ways of acquiring language with a focus on the importance of learning and understanding how each child processes and learns language to identify the best ways to support language development. 

• 04/03/2025 - Lee Lester, Luan Morris & S Loosmore from Mermaids Org - Autism & Gender. 

Lee is an autistic, transgender man. As the Youth Advocacy and Engagement Manager at Mermaids, a UK charity supporting gender diverse young people and families, Lee works to empower and amplify the voices of gender diverse young people. 93% of the Youth Advocacy Panel Lee works with are neurodiverse and the correlation between autism and gender diversity is significant. In this session, Lee alongside Luan and S, autistic, gender diverse young people, share their lived in experiences of gender, autism, and education, to provide important information that will allow AET partners to support autistic young people with their gender identity empathetically and effectively.

• 06/05/2025 - Helen Cooke - Every Voice Matters (but are we really listening?)

This session will be presented by Helen Cooke (speech and language therapist and service lead for neurodiversity in Enfield) who will share her work in gathering the voice of Triple A students (Autistic, Able and Anxious). She will share her findings about gathering the child’s voice, teaching them to identify and name their anxieties, and learning some vital self-advocacy skills to use in school. Helen will use a Year 9 girl as a case study.

• 03/06/2025 - Chris Hoyle - Sleep Therapy Services

As a qualified Sleep Practitioner, Chris believes that sleep should be prioritised as a first line of intervention for every child: improving a child’s sleep has a cascading effect on all aspects of health and well-being. In this session, Chris will share key research around autism and sleep, explore case-studies and share a top tip toolkit to support autistic children, young people and families.

• 01/07/2025 - Jodie Clarke - Autistic Burnout

Jodie is a neurodivergent woman and parent to three neurodivergent children. Jodie is an author of books such as ‘Young, Autistic and Burnt out’ and is an independent specialist working with autistic children, their families and their schools. Today, Jodie will focus her discussion on autistic burnout through the lived experience/voice of autistic children and young people, discuss the current research and share helpful support strategies. 

• 05/09/2023 Dr Damian Milton

Senior Lecturer in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities at Kent University and researcher – Double Empathy and recent autism research

• 03/10/2023 Marie Louise Irvine

Autism Lead and AET Partner at St Piers School and College (part of Young Epilepsy) – Autism and Co-occurring Conditions; Epilepsy

• 07/11/2023 Wendy Peel

A parent of an autistic young person, AET Partner and Assistant Team Manager for the Communication and Autism Team at Birmingham City Council – Working Collaboratively with Parents

• 05/12/2023 Loren Snow

An autistic man, consultant and trainer - Autism and Mental Health

• 09/01/2024 Catrina Lowri

Director of Neuroteachers and AET Partner - Autism and Anxious Non Attenders/Emotionally based School Avoidance.

• 06/02/2024 Andy Smith

Founder of Spectrum Gaming, an autistic young man - My Experiences of Secondary School and Gaining Student Voice

• 05/03/2024 Alice Boon

Autistic woman, parent of autistic children and AET Partner in Reading - My Experience of Autism and Inclusive Teaching

• 07/05/2024 - Sarah Helton

From Back Pocket Teacher has a background in SEND teaching and a PhD relating to how those with learning differences communicate grief.  Today, Sarah is talking about Autism, Grief and Loss – from research to practice in its widest sense e.g. loss of my favourite toy, my tablet is broken.   

• 04/06/2024 - Carrie Grant 

MBE, award winning broadcaster, charity ambassador and leadership coach. Carrie is an autistic woman and parent of four neurodivergent children. Today, Carrie is talking about autism from her own perspective. Please note: Carrie has asked that this session is NOT recorded but a handout will be provided.

• 02/07/2024 - Emily Niner

AET Head of Partnerships and Projects. Emily is a registered intermediary in the Criminal Justice System.  Today Emily is talking about Autism and the Criminal Justice System from a victim perspective.