Amaze Knowledge is supported by qualified and experienced professionals in the field of Autism Spectrum Disorder who make up our Reference Group. It includes National and International experts and professionals.
Our Thought Leaders have supported Amaze Knowledge since its conception, and we are pleased to have their support, knowledge and expertise to facilitate the corporate awareness training, professional education and certified training that Amaze Knowledge provides.
Please see below to explore the profiles of our reference group members.
We would like to express our ongoing thanks to all of these people for their time and dedication to Autism Spectrum Disorder and quality education practices, and in particular their support for Amaze Knowledge.
Professor Tony Attwood
Tony is a clinical psychologist who has specialised in Autism Spectrum Disorders since he qualified in England in 1975. He works in private practice in Brisbane, and is also adjunct professor at Griffith University, Queensland. His book, “Asperger’s Syndrome – A Guide for Parents and Professionals”, has sold over 400,000 copies and has been translated into over 20 languages. Tony has worked with over 6,000 individuals of all ages with Asperger’s Syndrome or an ASD.
Tony presents workshops and runs training courses for parents, professionals and individuals with Asperger’s Syndrome all over the world and is a prolific author of scientific papers and books on the subject. His latest book “The Complete Guide to Asperger’s Syndrome” was published in October 2006.
Professor Tony Charman
Tony holds the Chair in Autism Education at the Institution of Education, London. His main research interest is the investigation of social cognitive development in children with autism and the clinical application of this work via screening, epidemiological, intervention, education and “at risk” studies.
Tony is a Chartered Clinical Psychologist and works in a clinic at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Trust for children with complex neurodevelopmental conditions. He has published more than 140 peer-reviewed papers and is the author of over 25 book chapters. He is former Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry; Associate Editor of the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, International Editor-at-Large of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and is on the Editorial or Advisory Boards of several other journals.
Tony has served on a number of expert panels for the Medical Research Council in the UK and NIH in the USA. He is a member of the Guidelines Development Group for the NICE guidelines on children and young people with ASD. He is Chair of the Advisory Group to the All Party Parliamentary Group on Autism and has worked closely with the National Autistic Society, TreeHouse, research Autism and Autistica to advocate for services and positive policy development for individuals with ASDs and their families.
Charlene Tait
Charlene has been involved in the field of autism since 1990. Her career begane with the Scottish Society for Autism where she worked for 14 years. During that time, she managed and developed a range of services including day services for adults on the spectrum and a national service to provide support and information for families of children and adults on the spectrum.
From 2004 to 2010, Charlene lectured in autism, working as Course Director for Postgraduate Certificate and Diploma Courses in Autism Spectrum Studies at the University of Strathclyde. Work included the development of accredited awards in Autism for those working in the social care sector; evaluation of two “one stop shop” projects funded by the Scottish Government; co-authorship of “The Autism Toolkit: A resource for Scottish Schools”; research on the transition and retention of students on the autism spectrum in Scottish Universities.
Charlene’s main interests are around autism and family life and understanding the needs of individuals on the spectrum who are parents; this includes quality of life issues and promoting positive perceptions of individuals on the spectrum. She is a member of the Scottish Government Autism Spectrum Reference Group, a multi-professional group that includes parents, carers and individuals on the spectrum and aims to inform national strategic developments relevant to those on the spectrum.
Since January 2011, Charlene has returned to the Scottish Society for Autism in the Development Director role.
Nigel Vernon
Nigel Vernon, an educator for the past 15 years has a varied and diverse profile in the education industry. Beginning his career in East Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory, Nigel quickly developed skills in creating enriched and engaging learning experiences. He currently works in Special Education as a Case Manager for ASD/Asperger’s, gifted and talented students, and students at risk. He enjoys the challenge of developing new and innovative case management tools and giving his students exciting and engaging learning experiences.
Nigel often calls upon his interest and skills in information and communication technology to create communication and eLearning tools which act as a resource for his work with school staff, students, parents and the wider community.