The Autism Advisory Panel was created at the suggestion of one of our Strategy Board members, Dinah Murray, to provide her with advice from the ASD community and to act as a sounding board for the ideas and recommendations coming from the Strategy Board. A member of the panel, Ann Harber, was featured in an article in The Guardian on April 29th.
Arnold, Larry
Larry Arnold has a long record in disability advocacy going back more than thirty years. He was extensively involved in information provision in the 1980’s and 90’s having authored guides to service provision and designed research projects investigating the prevalence of disability in Coventry. His association with autism has included 9 years service on the board of the National Autistic Society as well as continuing involvement peer advocacy and support. More recently he has been concerned with the ethical aspects of autism research and what the implications are for the autistic community. His academic interests and qualifications span Education, Disability Studies and Media Studies. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.
Buckle, Leneh
Leneh Buckle approaches autism research from a hard science background with degrees in neuroscience, psychology and bioethics; also founder of Autscape autistic conference, mother of 5, speaker and trainer when she gets the chance.
Dunn, Dr Yo
Yo Dunn is an independent trainer and consultant who works across the public sector (primarily in social care and education) with specialisms in autism and law. She has expertise on the legal framework of adult social care in particular and on a range of areas of public law relevant to the lives of autistic people including the Care Act; safeguarding; commissioning; Mental Capacity law; Deprivation of liberty; Special Educational Needs and Disability Law; health law; data protection; equality and human rights law. She provides training and consults for many English local authorities and other clients (sometimes on behalf of Belinda Schwehr’s Care and Health Law). She has a background in social policy analysis and a thorough working knowledge of professional practice issues in both adult and children’s services. She is autistic, a parent of autistic children and is deeply involved in the adult self-advocate community, having recently retired after many years as company secretary of Autscape. Yo is also one of NAP’s Autism Experts.
Harber, Ann
Ann Harber has lived in NHS services for most of her life; now middle aged, she is interested in using technology, swimming and socialising; Ann is autistic with learning disabilities.
Nurse, Katie
Katie Nurse is Ann’s support person; she has worked with people on the autism spectrum for 18 years and has a Masters degree in Autism.
Lawson, Dr Wenn
Wenn is a psychologist, lecturer, researcher, author, autistic adult, parent to autistic son & grandparent to two autistic girls; he has run his own business for nearly 20 years; Wenn was considered learning disabled in early life.
Milton, Dr Damian
Damian Milton recently completed a doctorate at the University of Birmingham and has worked on a number of projects for the Autism Education Trust. Damian works for the National Autistic Society as Head of Autism Knowledge and Expertise and as a researcher for London South Bank University. Damian is also a member of the Scientific and Advisory Committee for Research Autism. Damian’s interest in autism began when his son was diagnosed in 2005 as autistic at the age of two. Damian was also diagnosed with Asperger’s in 2009 at the age of thirty-six.
Stewart, Dr Catriona
Catriona Stewart chairs SWAN (Scottish Women’s Autism Network) which offers peer-support and advice and is committed to increasing knowledge and understanding. Currently Academic Advisor to Scottish Autism’s Right Click programme, she is conducting ongoing research into women and girls. She gives talks and training, and has had input into a range of consultations, publications and reports, including presenting to a committee of UN Women. Findings from her study on girls with Asperger’s were published in GAP, 2012. In 2015 SWAN delivered two ground-breaking Learning Events for autistic women/girls, families/carers and practitioners at Strathclyde University with Autism Network Scotland. Catriona is working towards her 2nd MSc, an applied research degree in Gender Studies at Stirling University. Catriona is also one of NAP’s Autism Experts.