Consultancy & Speaking
Speaking Engagements
I have given talks for the National Autistic Society, the College of Psychiatrists of Ireland, Scottish Autism, Therapist Neurodiversity Collective, and The Euroregionaal Congresburo. I’ve presented internationally at a number of conferences, including as a speaker on an invited panel for the International Society for Autism Research and as an invited speaker for ITAKOM 2023. I’ve also been an invited speaker for a number of seminar series in the UK and abroad, including ones hosted by the British Psychological Society, the Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute, and [Manchester Metropolitan University, and guest lectured for the University of Stirling’s Autism Masters course.
I don’t just give talks that are to and for other academics. A lot of my speaking engagements have been aimed at stakeholders outside of academia: parents, charities, businesses, service providers, medical professionals, advocates, activists. I’ve given educational talks aimed at people involved in service provision for autistic people (including care and support workers, teachers, and more), to bring them the latest insights and real-world applications from autism research, with specific relevance to their work. I’ve given talks for the general public, without the jargon, aimed at explaining cutting-edge autism research to parents and carers of autistic people, and to autistic people themselves. And I’ve given more workplace-focused talks for people who live and work alongside autistic people – as colleagues, coworkers, friends, line managers, or in other professional contexts – about why the inclusion of autistic people, and embracing neurodiversity, is important for us all.
You can see a list of my prior speaking engagements on my Talks page, including some details of their content. Whether one of those sounds like something you’d want at your event, or whether you’d like something a bit more bespoke, please do get in touch.
Consultancy
I have previously done research work in services for autistic adults with high support needs. This work has been used to produce training materials on using the neurodiversity paradigm in high support needs contexts, and on how the double empathy problem is relevant in cares settings for autistic people with high support needs. It has also influenced service provision and organisation policy. I’ve also done equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) work for the Development and Alumni department at the University of Edinburgh, with a focus on neurodiversity in the workplace and improving the recruitment, retention, and inclusion of neurodivergent employees.
If you’re looking for advice, support, or research on any of the topics covered on this site, I can help. This might include (though is not limited to) one-off or ongoing input into a project as part of an advisory board; training provision or delivery; reviewing your current projects, policies, or documents; producing literature reviews or evidence summaries; conducting research, especially in the form of interviews, focus groups, ethnographies, or other qualitative methodologies; and/or in-person visits to services or workplaces. If you think I’d be a good fit for whatever it is you’re looking for, then please do contact me. We can discuss your requirements, and put together something tailored specifically to your needs.
Further Information
Please see the relevant pages on this website for more information on my publications and speaking engagements, both academic and otherwise. A brief overview of my CV is available on this website’s homepage, along with a link to download my more comprehensive academic CV.