SPEAKERS
RITA JORDAN BSc. MSc. MA. PhD. C.Psychol.
After a degree in Psychology, Rita became a teacher in nursery and primary mainstream schools and started an opportunity group and toy library for children with special needs. She took a Masters in Child Development and researched curriculum development and parent training for those with profound and multiple difficulties. She taught children with severe learning difficulties, and then children with autistic spectrum disorders, for nine years. During that time she took a Masters in Linguistics and then went into higher education where she trained teachers on special and mainstream courses and lectured in Clinical Linguistics and Education, at the University of Hertfordshire. Her doctorate was in pronoun development in autism.
Currently, Rita is Reader in
Autism Studies at The University of Birmingham where she runs programmes of
study (campus-based and by distance) for professionals and parents working with
individuals with autistic spectrum disorders, including new web-based
programmes for carers and practitioners and a campus programme for educational
psychologists. She has written and
researched on many aspects of autism and has been involved in training events,
consultations and conferences all over the world (Australia, Austria, Belgium,
Bulgaria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Japan,
Kenya, the Netherlands, Norway, Palestine, The Philippines, Portugal, South
Africa, Spain, Sweden and the USA.). Eleven of her books have been translated
and she has served on national and international task forces and working
parties set up by governments or professional bodies to review evidence and
offer advice in relation to autistic spectrum disorders.
Indicative publications from the last 5
years
1.
JORDAN, R (2002 Autistic Spectrum
Disorders in the Early Years: a guide for practitioners Lichfield, QED Publications
2.
JORDAN,
R.R. (2001) Autism with Severe Learning
Difficulties London, Souvenir Press ISBN 0 285 63599 9 pp272
3.
JORDAN,
R.R., JONES, G & MORGAN, H (2001) A
Guide to Services for Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders for
Commissioners and Providers London, Mental Health Foundation ISBN 1 903645 15 8 pp48
4.
JORDAN,
R.R. (1999) Autistic Spectrum Disorders: an introductory handbook for practitioners
London, David Fulton ISBN
1-85346-666-2 166pp
5.
JORDAN,
R.R. & JONES, G (1999) Meeting the
Needs of Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders London, David
Fulton ISBN 1-85346 -582-8 69pp
6.
JORDAN,
R.R, JONES, G & MURRAY, D. (1998) Educational
Interventions for Children with Autism: a literature review of recent and current research Sudbury, DfEE, ISBN 085522 838 5 158pp
7.
JORDAN,
R.R. (1997) Education of Children and
Young People with Autism Paris, UNESCO ED-98/WS/7 142pp
8.
JORDAN,
R (2001) Effects of culture
on service provision for
people with autistic
spectrum disorders Good Autism Practice, 2,2
9.
JORDAN,
R. (2001) Multidisciplinary work for children with autism Educational and Child Psychology, 18, 2, 5-14
10. JORDAN, R. R. (1999)
Evaluating practice: problems and possibilities Autism: the International Journal of Research and Practice, 3, 411-434
11.
LIBBY,
S; POWELL, S; MESSER, D & JORDAN, R (1998) Spontaneous play in children
with autism: A reappraisal Journal of
Autism and Developmental Disorders 28 487-497
Paul
joined Surrey County Council in March 1996 as Director of Education, and is now
Executive Director for Children and Young People. He was formerly Deputy Chief Education Officer for Devon and
before that worked in Cambridgeshire and Merseyside where he was Assistant
Principal of a Further Education College.
He has responsibility for the County's Education, Community and
Children’s Services. Paul also sits on
a number of national bodies including the National Youth Agency and QCA where
he chairs the Curriculum and Assessment Committee. One of his great interests is working with other organisations
and agencies and he has a particular commitment to lifelong learning and also
developing integrated services for children and young people. Most recently Paul has led a reorganisation
of the County Council and has added Social Services’ children’s work to his
portfolio.
Dr Nick Armstrong is a barrister at 14 Tooks Court in London (the chambers of Michael Mansfield QC). He was formerly a solicitor in the public law unit at Irwin Mitchell, and before that held a post-doctoral research fellowship at Nottingham Law School. Nick lectures and publishes widely on public law and civil justice. He is co-editor of the Civil Court Service Newsletter and the deputy editor of Human Rights, is an advocacy and litigation trainer for Nottingham Law School and a visiting lecturer in public law at the College of Law. Nick has a particular interest in education law including special educational needs, and regularly appears on behalf of parents at the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal.