Meet our Team

Olivia is a parent to two neurodivergent boys and self-identifies as neurodivergent. She brings together lived experience and professional practice to support children, young people, and families navigating the education system.

Olivia has worked with families, children and young people, and schools in both face to face and virtual settings. She has since moved into management and now holds the role of Alternative Provision Coordinator, alongside a separate role as EOTAS Coordinator. She also runs a tree surgery business with her husband.

She has a particular special interest in Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) and holds a Level 3 qualification in PDA, gained through study with Laura Kirby of P.A.S.T. This is informed by both professional training and lived experience, including supporting a child unable to access school due to Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA) and navigating the SEND tribunal system.

Olivia holds a 2:1 Honours degree in Anthropology and Environmental Policy, alongside a Level 3 qualification in Mental Health and a Level 2 qualification in Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). She is also a qualified yoga teacher, bringing a holistic, regulation-focused and trauma-informed approach to her work.

Her practice is rooted in empathy, advocacy, and a deep commitment to understanding neurodivergent children and their families beyond labels and compliance.

“Olivia came out to us today and spent an hour with our son and us. She was amazing and absolutely lovely and just what we needed. We would like to book another one for next Thursday.”​

“Olivia has been fantastic, very informative and helped us to understand our daughter more, enabling us to improve how we deal with certain situations for much better outcomes.”

“My husband and I had a virtual consultation with Olivia. Olivia had clearly read the information we had shared with her before the call and in the call she proceeded to share thoughts and ideas.“

“We had booked the call to talk about our daughter's behaviour, but to be honest we spent most of the call talking about our reaction to our daughters behaviour and the impact that our reaction had. Olivia helped us see what we couldn't see before. She gave us clear strategies which we were able to implement straight away and that has been game changing for us. She also gave my husband and I a new way of understanding where each other are and that has been really helpful.”

“We now feel like we are more of a team working together to do the best for our children even when we are exhausted after another day in the office. Before it felt like we were two individuals with different and sometimes conflicting ideas about the best way forward. Olivia was calm and thoughful.”

“It was a lovely hour, but I did come away emotionally drained! She gave us some great reading to do, which has subsequently been really useful, in again helping us see things differently. I would highly recommend Olivia to any parent to be honest. Whether there is neurodiversity or not in your family.”

Gill is the proud parent of an amazing neurodivergent child and now a proud member of the Autism Champions family.  

Through understanding and curiosity, she is keen to work alongside professionals and families to further support neurodivergent children. Gill also holds a DPhil in Special Education: Autism.

Learning about neurodivergence through her lived experience has lead Gill to work with other parents/carers by offering firsthand understanding and a deep commitment to supporting neurodivergent children and their families. Gill is a firm believer that everyone deserves to be seen, heard and supported in a way that respects their unique needs and circumstances.  

She approaches each client with compassion, curiosity, and a genuine desire to understand their needs. She is passionate about helping empower families to thrive in their own unique way and to foster environments in which curiosity drives learnings, compassion drives action and understanding drives connections.

From a parent: “Gill is wonderful and amazing and we are so lucky to have her [our child] adores her and they have the best time together. It honestly is so lovely to see him interact with her. She is truly an amazing person. I just wanted to say how wonderful she is and how over the moon we are.”

Catherine worked for 20 years in psychological research where she explored the use of mindfulness and compassion-based approaches to address mental health problems, including the use of these approaches to support the wellbeing of young people and teachers in schools. Prior to this she worked as an outreach worker for care-experienced children and as a teaching assistant, supporting children with emotional and behavioural challenges in school as well as providing in-home and in-school support for an autistic young person over several years.

In 2019 she began training as a Clinical Psychologist. She is passionate about supporting parents and carers so that they are best able to support their autistic young people. As a parent of neurodivergent children, Catherine understands how challenging and sometimes isolating it can be parenting differently and the persistence required to get the right support in place for a child. Her experiences have also shown that often the changes we make in our own reactions can have a big impact on our children and families. However, working out what changes to make, and then actually putting these changes into practice, over time, is not an easy task! 

Catherine is non-judgemental. She knows that parents and carers are doing their best and know their young people best. She works to understand each family’s unique situation and think together about what helpful next steps might look like for that young person and their family.

Since gaining her PGCE from Oxford Brookes in 2009, Katie has dedicated her career to supporting young people and their families inside and outside of formal education. 

Katie first worked as a Primary school teacher in Oxford for nearly 15 years, and loved the meaningful relationships that she developed with young people and their families. In teaching (and in life!) she has found great power in seeing ‘behaviour as communication,’ allowing space for curious, open-hearted conversations and connections.  

Before joining Autism Champions, Katie worked as a Parent Advocate for a charity in Oxford. During her time there, she worked alongside numerous families who were at various points in their SEND journeys - she loved empowering and advocating for parents inside and outside of the education system. Katie set up and facilitated a Peer Support SEND group in Oxford, which provided many families with a safe and compassionate space to seek support and be heard. 

Katie has two children and has been on a journey to learn more about neurodiversity in order to help her navigate family life. She took part in the pilot of the Autism Champions Power to Parent course, which transformed her thinking about parenting, neurodiversity and family systems in general. One of her favourite concepts that she learned on the course was that of ‘the most generous interpretation,’ which has shaped her parenting (and all of her other relationships!) to become rooted in curiosity, empathy and connection.

Ellie holds a Master’s degree from the University of Birmingham in Special Education, with a focus on autistic individuals’ experiences of education, alongside a Bachelor’s degree in Childhood Development. Her work is rooted in relational, strengths-based practice and a strong understanding of the barriers neurodivergent individuals and families can encounter when accessing support.

Ellie works within a whole-family model, offering support to both children and parents and collaborating closely with professionals involved in their care. Support is always tailored to the individual and their wider family context, with experience across a broad range of neurodivergent presentations, including PDA profiles and high masking individuals.

Over the past three years, Ellie has specialised in supporting autism and ADHD assessments within a clinical setting, particularly for children with complex and intersecting backgrounds. She works confidently alongside multidisciplinary teams and contributes to assessment processes in a way that promotes understanding and supports meaningful outcomes. Her practice places particular emphasis on early identification and collaborative working to ensure children, young people, and families develop their knowledge and skills within a supportive environment.

Emma has many years of experience in the education field, working as a qualified teacher across a range of school settings. She is highly skilled in working with children and families, approaching each situation with a kind, supportive manner that builds trust, empathy, and responds to individual needs and emotional well-being.

In her spare time, Emma has a real love of animals and enjoys exploring nature with her dog. She also enjoys running and traveling.

After a senior leadership career at Microsoft where she led large teams and supported people through change and development, Jo co-founded Edge IT Ltd with a focus on training, consulting and helping organisations navigate digital and business transitions with confidence and compassion. Together with her husband, she also developed iNetGuardian — a tool designed to support schools and youth groups in building safer, healthier online experiences for young people.

Outside her work life, Jo has been actively involved in school communities — serving as a Primary School Governor and as Chair of a prep school PTA — and started Mindful Families, a support group for parents of neurodivergent children. These roles reflect her belief in the power of connection, shared understanding and community.

Jo’s approach is warm, collaborative and grounded in respect: she listens first, works alongside families, schools and professionals, and values the unique insight each person brings as the expert of their own experience. She believes that when people feel understood and supported, they can thrive in ways that feel true to them.

To deepen her understanding, Jo has undertaken studies in Psychology, Understanding Autism, and Brain & Behaviour at Oxford University — a journey that continues to enrich her work and perspective on neurodiversity, human development and what’s truly empowering for families.

Jo is a qualified English teacher and SENCO with experience supporting young people in schools and at home.

Throughout her career, she has worked closely with students, families and professionals to understand how each child learns best and to help create environments where they can thrive. Her work focuses on identifying what young people are genuinely interested in, recognising their strengths, and finding approaches that allow them to display the best of their talents and abilities.

Jo believes that when a mind has been stuck learning in a way that doesn’t suit it for a while, there is a period of rediscovery that has to happen to get learning happening again. This involves reigniting enjoyment, finding a meaningful sense of purpose, and rebuilding self-confidence. She respects and values the fact that neurodivergent minds can find it hard to tolerate learning for its own sake, and often need to see a convincing bigger picture and to discover intrinsic motivation.

She enjoys discovering skills gaps that are holding students back that they might have been masking or not even realised themselves, and working with them to find techniques and structures that give them access to meaningful learning for the long term.

When young people understand who they are, what they need, and how they learn, they are able to self-advocate, and benefit from necessary accommodations and adjustments to their learning environment.

Neurodivergent minds are capable of extraordinary things and can make huge contributions to their communities in schools and the wider world, they often just need support to find their path.

As a mother to neurodivergent children, Jo has learned more about the SEND system from the inside. Her experience as a teacher means she understands the pressures on school staff too, and she uses the information and experience she has gained from sitting in many seats around the table to centre the young person and work to illuminate a way forward for them.

Clare’s work is deeply informed by her lived experience as a mother to a neurodivergent son and daughter, which has given her a personal understanding of how unique everyone is and a passion for supporting others on their journeys of discovery, self-acceptance, and empowerment.

Clare is keen to work collaboratively with families and multi-disciplinary teams to recognise everyone's unique profile and to develop practical, compassionate strategies that support both the individual and those around them to reach their full potential.

Prior to joining Autism Champions, Clare worked as a Peer Support Practitioner at Autism Oxford. In this role, she was actively involved in autism and ADHD assessments, provided post-diagnosis support, and delivered one-to-one mentoring. Clare also holds Level 2 Certificates in Understanding Autism and Counselling Skills.

Ana has 5 neurodivergent children who also have other additional needs. She discovered her own neurodivergence in 2023 and was diagnosed with ADHD in 2025.

Her twins were first diagnosed as autistic at 3 years old and are now 12. In the years following, her other children have then been assessed/referred for assessment, all having very differing needs and challenges.

Ana understands how different and complex individual’s needs can be. She uses her lived experience as a parent to autistic children to provide the best support possible to children and/or young people and their families.

Since discovering her families’ ADHD diagnosis, Ana has earned an ADHD Fundamentals qualification from the Neurodiversity Training Academy and completed two more certified qualifications as an ADHD Coach and Advanced ADHD Coach.

With extensive experience across statutory assessment, child protection, and long-term safeguarding teams, Lydell has supported children and families navigating complex risks including serious youth violence, extra-familial harm, and systemic disadvantage.

Lydell is particularly passionate about working with marginalised communities and young people whose voices are often unheard. Her practice is rooted in relationship-based and trauma-informed approaches, combining strong analytical risk assessment with empathy, cultural competence, and advocacy. She has led multi-agency interventions, coordinated safety planning processes, and worked closely with policing and harm-reduction partners to improve outcomes for vulnerable young people. 

Originally beginning her career in community arts and early years leadership, Lydell progressed into social work after developing a strong commitment to safeguarding and family advocacy. She holds an MSc in Social Work and a Diploma in Psychotherapeutic Counselling, bringing reflective insight and emotional intelligence into her practice.

Lydell is driven by social justice, integrity, and a belief in the inherent dignity and potential of every individual. She views her work as both a professional responsibility and a personal calling — walking alongside children, young people and families to create safer environments and meaningful, sustainable change.

Rachel has personal experience of neurodivergence as someone who was diagnosed with ADHD later in life, and as a parent and aunt to neurodivergent family members.

She has spent 34 years working with neurodivergent children and young people of different ages and abilities. She takes time to understand each child and adapts her support to suit their needs, strengths and way of communicating.

Rachel uses humour and the PACE approach—playfulness, acceptance, curiosity and empathy—to help children feel comfortable and build trust. She enjoys finding practical ways to help children understand themselves and speak up for what they need.

Her background includes work in a local authority SEN support service and with local and national charities, including Autism Family Support Oxfordshire. This has given her experience of working alongside families, schools and other professionals.

Caroline has an incredible AuDHD son and she self-Identifies as neurodivergent. Her first role after university was working as a Classroom Assistant to an Autistic student which she describes as both challenging and brilliant.

After gaining her level 5 in Teaching Learners with SpLD, Caroline worked in 1:1 Learning Support for 13 years.

She has a BA in English with Anthropology and a MA in Education in Museums and Galleries Education.

Caroline is committed to deepening her knowledge and experience of neurodiversity to support both young people and their parents.

All her spare time at the moment is with her puppy- training, playing and looking after. She hopes that he will be a therapy dog able to volunteer.

When she is not so busy she enjoys going to museums, galleries and places of cultural interest. She enjoys baking for her family and finds colouring/art a calming activity.