Caroline is a Specialist Teacher who has practical experience in all areas of the Access Arrangements process and trains for LAs, Universities and SEN Services. Caroline contributed to the PATOSS/JCQ publication ‘Dyslexia: Assessing the need for Access Arrangements’, has been published in academic journals and has worked with various publishers to develop tests. She was part of the working party which set up ‘Access Arrangements Online’ and has been involved with other DfE and Ofqual training and policy projects.
Debbie organises our online training programme and looks after the central office. Before joining Communicate-ed Debbie gained her Diploma in Advanced Surgical Nursing and worked as a Veterinary Nurse for nearly 20 years and as a NVQ assessor and internal verifier with a Veterinary Training Consultancy. She recently obtained her Level 1 award Teaching Aquatics. Debbie’s interests include running, swimming, walking and reading as well as spending time with her family, husband and two teenagers.
Lia Castiglione is Head of Training at Communicate-ed. She has been teaching and supporting learners of all ages for over 25 years and in varying educational settings. She is a specialist teacher who is highly experienced in all aspects of access arrangements, has held a current Assessment Practising Certificate since 2008 and regularly assesses in schools and colleges. Lia is the co-creator of a postgraduate access arrangements assessor course and is the author of the Patoss/JCQ book, ‘Assessing the Need for Access Arrangements.’ Lia serves on the SpLD Assessment Standards Committee (SASC) Board of Directors.
With a background in administration and communications, Katie carries responsibilities for Communicate-ed databases, website, financial administration and marketing. She also looks after our membership scheme.
Amy plays a major role in the management and running of Communicate-ed. She holds a BSc in Psychology from Southampton University and is a qualified primary teacher and access arrangements assessor. Amy also has a role in managing the postgraduate qualifications we offer with our sister company Include-ed .
Sarah is a Specialist Teacher who runs a number of accredited dyslexia courses through her company dittas Ltd (www.dyslexiatraining.net) She also offers teaching and assessment of dyslexic learners of all ages, through dyslexia services (www.dyslexiaservices.net) and works closely with local schools. Sarah has extensive experience of teaching and assessing learners of all ages, having worked for over twenty years supporting dyslexic learners, including ten years in a College of Further and Adult Education. Sarah also lectures locally and nationally on the subject of dyslexia and SpLD and was joint founder of the PAPAA course. She holds APC and AMBDA status.
Jo is a qualified teacher of the visually impaired (QTVI) who has worked with all ages from pre-school to further education since 1987. She worked in a London peripatetic service supporting children with a visual impairment for 15 years, serving 6 of the London Boroughs as well as heading a nursery. After working with Children with Severe Learning Difficulties in Melbourne Australia, Jo took on the role of Senior Advisory Teacher for Children and Young People with Visual Impairment in East Sussex, alongside volunteering with a local Association for the Blind.
Ally is a Specialist Teacher who has assessed pupils across various age ranges and settings, as well as working as a SENCo in a large mixed comprehensive school. Ally has led on both literacy and numeracy interventions working with pupils with a range of special educational needs. She has been part of a team of experts working with NFER to develop the National Reference Tests.
Derek is a Teacher of the Deaf who has worked for many years modifying examination language for Awarding Bodies. He has represented the British Association of Teachers of the Deaf in liaising with the ABs and compiled the BATOD ‘Language of Examinations’ booklet. He has also acted as an external adviser for Ofqual’s research into language modification. He prepares and presents the courses on Language Modification for both CIEA and Communicate-ed.
Abi is an assistive technology consultant and researcher, specialising in how technology can assist learners with dyslexia and other disabilities. Over the past decade she has led projects to develop, deploy and evaluate how both mainstream and assistive technology removes barriers to learning. Abi also works as a Research Fellow with the ECS Accessibility Team at the University of Southampton and chairs the British Dyslexia Association New Technologies Committee where she advises on the accessibility issues within exams.
Ros was an Adult Dyslexia coordinator at Dyslexia Action and has tutored on their Postgraduate certificate course. She worked part time at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance in Leeds for twelve years where she was responsible for diagnostic assessment, support and the administration of DSA related issues. As an independent consultant (Dyslexia Solutions) she delivers training across the sector and regularly carries out assessments to support DSA applications. From 2008- 2012 she was chair of the Association of Dyslexia Specialists in Higher Education (ADSHE) and during this time she was part of the Disabled Students Stakeholder Group at Student Loans Company.
Brian has extensive experience in the inspection and quality assurance of examination centres. He was formerly an Assistant Director (Communication) at the Welsh Joint Education Committee (WJEC) and a JCQ Centre Inspector as well as an adviser and presenter for the Regional Training Agency (RTA) and various Government bodies. He continues his role as a consultant in examination management, invigilation, centre inspections and malpractice procedures. In his various roles, it has afforded him extensive experience in a range of training for new and experienced exams officers and invigilators. He has also produced a range of training materials for both invigilators and exams officers.
Fintan works nationally as a Behaviour and Learning Consultant and Trainer for schools and school support systems including, social services, health services, the police and foster carers with regards to providing behaviour management strategies for children and families struggling with SEND and behaviour issues. He was Head teacher of the first specialist school in the UK for students with issues relating to ADHD, ASD and ODD, and has written a number of books and articles on these conditions and a range of learning, behaviour and socialisation issues.
Tory is a qualified therapist who mainly works with adopted and fostered young people and their carers. She holds a MSc in Attachment Studies, postgraduate training in Play Therapy, Therapeutic Life Story work and is currently doing a PhD in Psychology. Before training to be a therapist Tory and her husband brought up a large family of birth, adopted and fostered children.
Rob Long is a Chartered Educational Psychologist who offers high quality training to schools and colleges to teachers and other professionals. Rob’s main area of interest is supporting children and young people who face social, emotional and mental health difficulties. He has written and had published several books and assessments to support his work., offering teachers, support staff and families practical ways to manage and understand difficult situations. Rob is vice-chair of the Social, Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties Association and a tutor for the Oxford/Brookes University distance learning course on Social, Emotional and Mental Health Difficulties.
Judy is an independent education consultant specialising in dyslexia and dyscalculia. When Judy was Senior Lecturer in Inclusion at Edgehill University, she was responsible for developing a PGCE in Dyscalculia and she wrote the British Dyslexia Association’s courses on Dyscalculia. She has written a guide book for parents of children with dyslexia, two books of ready-made lessons for learners with dyscalculia, the dyscalculia pocketbook and most recently the SEN books publication ‘Making Maths Visual and Tactile’. She has delivered key notes, workshops and training in Dyscalculia across the world.
