Speakers

Sarah-Jane Critchley is passionate about helping autistic people, their families, friends and supporters live happier lives of their own choosing. She is the internationally recognised author of ‘A Different Joy: The Parents’ Guide to Living Better with Autism, Dyslexia, ADHD and More...’.  and contributor to two titles on autism and girls. She wrote an ‘Introduction to Autism’ for AC Education to support adoptive and foster parents. She is an international keynote speaker and trainer in autism and Mental Health for the NHS NATP programme.  

Sarah-Jane is also a highly valued coach, having supported over 50 neurodiverse people and their families privately and as part of the Affinity Programme a partnership between Scottish Autism and AT-Autism. Affinity connects autistic people to professional, goal directed and time-limited support

For over 10 years (2008-1018), Sarah-Jane managed the Autism Education Trust working to improve educational provision for young people with autism. She was instrumental in the development, monitoring and management of the award-winning training programme that reached over 300,000 education-based staff in the UK and adapting the AET’s highly successful training programme to meet the local context in Italy and Greece. She worked with stakeholders to produce guidance on exam accommodations and exclusions. Sarah-Jane holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) specialising in the management of change from London’s City University. She identifies as autistic and is the proud mother of two young adults (a late-diagnosed girl and boy), has been married to her husband for nearly 30 years and shares her home with 2 Aspie cats.