Regional Annual SEND Conference -SEND Forward: Evidence, Insight and Action

Please join us for this years Regional Annual SEND Conference. The day is aimed at all educational professionals who work with children and young people in any area of SEND.

Our speakers for the day are:

Dr Lauren Powell, Director of MSc Psychology and Education, School of Education, Sheffield University

Lauren is a researcher whose work centres neurodivergent lived experience through participatory, co-produced methodologies. She co-created two nationally adopted UK psychoeducational resources—The ADHD Hero Activity Book and Learning About Autism—developed with neurodivergent children and young people and now used across NHS services, schools, and local authorities.

Her research increasingly informs national policy. Lauren is a co-author of several Child of the North parliamentary reports on autism assessment, SEND/alternative provision, and early years inequalities, and contributed to national reviews of health inequities and the Autism Act 2009.

A late-diagnosed autistic and ADHD academic, she delivers neuroinclusive training for universities, schools, and local authorities and supervises doctoral research on neurodivergence. For more information about Lauren,

Karima Esmail, Co-Founder, Dynamo Maths and Puffin Maths

Karima is co-founder of Dynamo Maths, an award-winning, research-based programme supporting children with Dyscalculia and maths-learning difficulties. A former senior lecturer at the University of Hertfordshire with research experience at UCL, she also helped develop Puffin Maths for deaf learners. Co-author of the Dynamo Number Sense Profiler and a dyscalculia self-perception questionnaire, she advocates for early identification and inclusive, tailored maths intervention. For more information about Karima,

Gary Aubin, Whole Education SEND Consultant, EEF SEND Associate, Curriculum and Assessment Review panel member, author

Gary is a leading SEND specialist and the author of The Lone SENDCO: A Handbook for Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators. As SEND Associate at the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), he supports schools to embed evidence-informed practice, and he also leads SEND provision across a large Multi-Academy Trust. A former secondary teacher, SENDCO and Head of Year, Gary writes the SENDMatters blog and provides training, consultancy, and national guidance on effective SEND practice. For more information about Gary,

Libby Colbert, PhD student, School of Education, University of Sheffield

Libby is researching how to improve teacher awareness and understanding of paediatric OCD through a co-designed psychoeducational resource. Before beginning her doctorate, Libby worked in social services and as a SEND support worker, supporting vulnerable children and families. Her research uses participatory approaches to strengthen mental-health literacy in schools and improve support for children and young people with OCD.

For more information about Libby,

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