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Arran Smith is a dyslexic entrepreneur that was diagnosed with severe dyslexia at 9 years old, along with other tendencies of neurodiverse conditions.

During Arran’s working life he has worked in many industries including previously working at the British Dyslexia Association.

Arran’s career has continued in the field of dyslexia with him now being the Managing Director of the SEND Group Ltd and Founder of the Dyslexia Show Ltd.
 

Tim Dickson is a journalist whose perception and understanding of the world has been shaped  by synaesthesia. Later in life he was also diagnosed as autistic, but what really opened his eyes was that several issues he had spent a lifetime interpreting through synaesthetic prism in fact turned out to be key identifiers of the autistic condition. Since then he has been working with schools and other academic bodies to raise awareness of synaesthesia and its co-occurrence with autism in the hope it might help to better serve the needs of children who process and learn about the world in a slightly different way.

The Special Education Needs Policy Reference Forum (SENPRF), an independent sector expert forum, have published their report  ‘How schools are coping with the impact of Covid-19 on the teaching of pupils with SEND: lessons for schools’

Sue is the Policy Advisor for the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists Northern Ireland (RCSLT NI), where she works closely with members and stakeholders to advocate for people with speech, language, communication and swallowing needs across Northern Ireland. Sue completed a Master of Science (MSc) in Autism and Neurodevelopmental Conditions, with her thesis focusing on Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) and how prepared post-primary teachers are to support young people with DLD. In recognition of her dedication to raising awareness of Developmental Language Disorder (DLD), she was awarded an Honorary Fellowship from RCSLT in September 2023. 

May 2026

Education professionals are being encouraged to take note of Parallel Windsor 2026, an inclusive mass-participation event designed to support children and young people with a wide range of needs.

The Tes SEND Show’s national poetry competition returns for pupils in primary and secondary education to promote creative writing and conversation around SEND inclusion in the classroom.

*read on for T&Cs

Saturday 3rd December is International Day of Persons with Disabilities celebrated every year to bring about awareness of the importance of equality for people with disabilities in all areas of society.

The Department for Work & Pensions has updated its guidance for users and employers around the Access to Work grants. Access to Work is a publicly funded employment support programme that aims to help more disabled people start or stay in work.

Dr Emily Bennett is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Paediatric Neuropsychologist specialising in paediatric neuropsychology and neurorehabilitation at the Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust. She is the lead psychologist for the Trust’s paediatric neurorehabilitation (BRILL Team) service. Emily’s clinical work involves supporting children, adolescents and young adults with acquired brain injury (ABI) and complex neurological, neuro-oncological and neurosurgical conditions.  

In addition to her clinical role, Emily lectures on local Doctorate, Masters and Undergraduate courses and is actively involved in research. Emily also collaborates with educational colleagues, to support the development of provision for CYP with an ABI in education. Emily is the Chair for the National ABI in Learning and Education Syndicate (N-ABLES) and has been involved in the ‘Time for Change’ work of UKABIF and the All-Party Parliamentary Group hoping to secure better awareness, provision, and support for people with an ABI.