Annual SEND Update 2018 - Speakers

Duncan Astle
Research Lead, Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Medical Research Council

Duncan completed his training at Durham and Nottingham, before holding fellowships at Oxford, Royal Holloway and Cambridge. He now leads a research programme at the Medical Research Council's Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit in Cambridge, which explores the neural and cognitive mechanisms of attention and working memory in typically and atypically developing children.

Professor Elisabeth Hill
Deputy Warden, Goldsmith's University of London

In her role as PWLTE, Professor Hill is responsible for optimising student experience, achievement and employability, as well as the development, delivery and evaluation of learning and teaching strategies, such as Goldsmiths’ Learning, Teaching and Assessment Strategy for 2017-2021. Her remit involves areas such as curriculum design, assessment and feedback, learning resources, academic support, and embedding employability within the curriculum.

Melanne Randall
Founder/Director Maximum Potential

Melanne specializes in the treatment of Sensory-Integration and Neurodevelopmental disorders, and is an AOTA, NBCOT and HPC registered Occupational Therapist. She is the Founder/Director of Maximum Potential, a progressive therapy service, consults to clinical and educational programs globally and conducts Sensory Integration workshops for doctors, parents, educators and therapists in the international arena.

Judy Hornigold BSc, PGCSpE, AMBDA, FHEA
Lecturer, Edge Hill University, Associate Tutor, BDA

Judy is an independent educational consultant specialising in dyscalculia and dyslexia and has been a Singapore Maths trainer, for UK based Maths No Problem since 2014. She is particularly passionate about the teaching of maths and of finding ways to support learners with dyscalculia and general maths learning difficulties. Consequently, Judy has written the PGCert in Dyscalculia and Maths Learning Difficulties for Edge Hill University and an accredited dyscalculia course for the BDA.

Dr Andrew Curran
Author, Presenter & Neurobiologist

Dr Andrew Curran is a practising paediatric neurologist and neurobiologist who is also committed to using his extraordinary knowledge of the workings of the human brain to make a difference in the educational experience of all young people. He believes passionately in the importance of understanding the individual, connecting with them emotionally and leading them into self-directed learning. He is a talented and internationally recognised presenter both to live audiences and on television.

Dr Chloe Marshall
Professor of Psychology, UCL Institute of Education, University College London

Chloe started her career as a Montessori nursery teacher and teacher-trainer. As a teacher, she became fascinated by young children's language and early literacy development, and by how language and literacy set the foundation for academic learning. She was particularly interested in those children in my class who appeared to have difficulties acquiring language and early literacy skills. This led her to return to University in 2000 to study linguistics. She now holds the position of Professor of Psychology, Language and Education at the UCL Institute of Education.

Samantha Garner

Director, Garner Education Services Ltd

Sam is a renowned trainer and speaker on Mental Health & SEN. Originally a music teacher she became a SENCo in a large Secondary School where she gained a wealth of SEN training and experience, particularly in behaviour and mental health. She then worked with children who had been excluded from school, and children in care before establishing GES Ltd. She trains education staff nationally and internationally, and writes regularly for education publications.

Wendy Lee
Speech and Language Therapist, Lingo Speech

Wendy has worked with children and for children for over 30 years in all settings, from early years to mainstream secondary. Her role has been diverse, from Therapist to Lecturing undergraduates. Then onto the third sector as a Professional Advisor for I CAN and Professional Director for The Communication Trust. She has worked on professional content of a national campaign, developed interventions, such as Talk Boost and resources for practitioners.

Andrew McDonnell
Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Director, Studio III Clinical Services

Andrew has particular interest in the design of community settings for people who challenge. He has extensive experience of working with service users with a learning disability and/or an ASD who self harm.

Dr Jennifer A Nock
Chartered Psychologist and Educator

Jennifer has worked for over three decades with educators, children and young people, families, foster and adoption agencies, and those in the caring professions. She has worked in diverse education and special needs settings, including special secondary and primary schools, mainstream primary and nursery schools, FE colleges, HE settings and as an SEN advisor. 

Dr Doris-Eva Bamiou
Professor in Neuroaudiology, UCL

Doris is a Professor in Neuroaudiology at the UCL Ear Institute, and Honorary Consultant in Audiological Medicine at the University College London Hospitals and Great Ormond Street Hospital. Currently she is  adviser in Audiology to the JLO, and in the Editorial Board of the Audiological Medicine journal and the Folia Logopaedica Phoniatrica.