Speakers

Dawn has worked as a clinical psychologist in the NHS since 2000 starting her career in community learning disability teams and specialising in autism assessment soon after. Having been part of a weekly autism diagnostic clinic in Brighton for adults without learning disabilities since 2007 she is now clinical lead for the Sussex-wide Neurodevelopmental service and has experienced the huge change in how we understand neurodivergence over the past 20 years. In 2019 she had the opportunity to develop the innovative Transforming Care Autism Team in Sussex commissioned to avoid inpatient admissions for autistic young people and adults. She has had the privilege to see how developing a collaborative understanding of an individual's autism and ADHD presentation leads to transformational outcomes in terms of improved mental health, reduction of risk and avoidance of hospital admissions. She is keen to share the learning from the clinical approaches of her highly skilled colleagues including how the service benefits from having neurodivergent clinicians and the importance of peer support post diagnosis.