SEN in Ten

Darren speaks to Liz Day, founder of Collectively Diverse, about the growing need for greater understanding, the challenges around diagnosis waiting lists, and how initiatives like Liz’s new “Champions for Difference” programme are helping communities embrace difference as a strength. 

Darren speaks to Taimur Khan, founder of SENDSORTA, as he discusses helping parents of children with special educational needs navigate complex systems and access support through simple, step-by-step guidance.

Darren speaks to Ginny Bootman and Dr Sarah Moseley as they share their journeys into special education, shaped by both professional experience and personal struggles with learning. They highlight the importance of lived experience, removing barriers for both pupils and teachers, and empowering SENCOs to focus on classroom impact rather than paperwork.

Darren Clark is joined by researcher and dyslexia advocate Helen Ross, founder of Helen’s Place. Helen shares her own late dyslexia diagnosis and how feeling “wobbly” at school shaped her mission to challenge traditional measures of academic success. From teaching to completing a PhD she reflects on why our education system must value diverse strengths.

Darren speaks to Rachael Eyre, who shares her personal journey of being diagnosed with dyspraxia at age 10 and how it has shaped both her education and career. Rachael reflects on the challenges of school life, the coping strategies and organisation techniques that have helped her thrive, and why greater awareness of dyspraxia is still needed, particularly beyond primary education. 

Darren speaks to dyslexia specialist Debbie Hayes who explores the deep-rooted links between literacy difficulties, school exclusion, and issues later in life, highlighting the critical importance of early identification, understanding co-occurring neurodiversities and challenging societal stigma around dyslexia and dyscalculia. 

Darren speaks to founder of The Toolkit Therapists Gee Eltringham as she shares her personal and professional journey into supporting neurodiverse families, exploring the hidden impact of compound trauma, the importance of connection and brain energy and offering practical, science-backed strategies to help parents better understand and support children with autism and ADHD. 

Darren speaks to Bertrand Descours, Co-Founder of Lili for Life, an award-winning innovation that uses personalised flickering light to rebalance how the brain processes visual information in dyslexia, unlocking new possibilities for more comfortable, confident reading at school, work and beyond. 

Darren Clark speaks to Katrina Cochrane, dyslexia specialist, assessor, and former Head of Education at the British Dyslexia Association, about her journey from English teacher to becoming a leading voice in dyslexia and dyscalculia, driven in part by her own child’s neurodiverse experience. She discusses the importance of better teacher training, early identification, and why dyscalculia deserves greater awareness alongside dyslexia. 

Darren speaks to Joe Fernandez, CEO and founder of Alpaca, a spin-out from Trinity College Dublin focused on identifying children at risk of reading difficulties before they even start reading. Joe shares how early screening, data, and AI can help schools and parents spot potential dyslexia sooner, reducing stress, improving outcomes, and preventing years of struggle. 

Darren speaks with Simon Airey, teacher and neurodivergent consultant, about receiving an autism diagnosis at 46 and how it transformed both his personal and professional life. An honest conversation about late diagnosis, resilience, and turning personal insight into powerful advocacy for neurodivergent young people. 

Darren speaks to Nana-Kofi Okyere, founder of Sen Bytes, about his inspiring journey into the world of SEND. What started as an accidental role in a special school became a lifelong career dedicated to helping children, families, and schools navigate special educational needs.

Darren speaks to Simon Kitchen, from Dolphin Computer Access about how assistive technology is transforming access to learning for students with SEND. From reducing classroom barriers to building independence, Simon shares how tools are empowering young people with dyslexia, vision impairments, and other print-based disabilities to thrive in school and beyond.

Darren speaks to Jo Rees, former primary teacher, SENCO, and specialist dyslexia assessor, about the importance of trusting parental instinct, advocating confidently, and building positive partnerships with schools. She discusses why some learners can go unnoticed, particularly those who appear to be “coping”, and explains how gathering evidence and requesting appropriate screening can make a meaningful difference.

Darren speaks to Sally Arblaster about how her mobile classroom, Purple Spider The Learning Bus, uses multi-sensory, interest-led reading strategies and supportive environments to engage children, especially those with SEND, in literacy, empowering both students and parents to foster long-term reading skills. 

Darren speaks to Dr Kathryn Gibb about the vital role of educational psychologists in schools, emphasising early intervention, whole-school capacity building and parent-teacher collaboration to support children with complex needs.

Darrren speaks to Chantal Bryan OBE from Teach Us Too  who explains how her charity empowers children with profound and multiple learning difficulties to learn to read and write, emphasising the importance of seeing beyond labels, providing individual access and raising teacher awareness to transform children’s lives. 

Darren speaks to Aada MacGregor, founder of AI Scholar, about using AI-driven personalisation to identify early signs of ADHD and dyslexia, tailor learning in real time and support both students and teachers through data-informed insights.

Darren speaks to Doug Stein, Executive Inclusion Lead at The Outdoors School, about using a forest-based, project-led approach to support neurodivergent children who struggle in mainstream settings and how this creates a calming, inclusive environment where children they can thrive.

In this episode Darren speaks to Claire Walley who shares her journey from teacher to founder of The SEN Expert and discusses the urgent need for better SEN training, funding, and systemic reform to create a more inclusive and sustainable education system. 

In this episode, Darren speaks to Beth Devereux, Professional Education Advisor at Elklan Training, about the growing need for speech and language support in schools, highlighting how curriculum pressures can hinder early intervention and arguing for a more developmentally informed, inclusive approach to better meet children’s communication needs.

Darren speaks to Natalie Verbo, founder of Firefly Education London, about the gaps in support for families of children with special educational needs in the UK. 

In this episode of the SEN in Ten, Dee Osmond from Tobii Dynavox shares how assistive communication technology is transforming the lives of non-speaking individuals. She discusses why communication is a human right, challenges common myths around AAC, and explains how greater awareness and access in schools can open doors to independence and opportunity.

 Darren speaks with Martin Bloomfield, from Dyslexia Bytes, Neuroconverse, and The Accessible Learning Foundation, about how early screening, identification, and appropriate teaching can help prevent children from falling through gaps in education. 

Darren speaks with Marius Frank, Co-Head of Education at Microlink, who shares his passion for improving outcomes for young people facing any form of barrier to learning. Drawing on his extensive experience, Marius offers powerful insights into how the education system is evolving to better support learners who encounter these challenges. 

Darren speaks with Luke Butcher, Product Developer at IDL, about the importance of wellbeing in young learners and the steps that can be taken to support it. Luke shares practical methods teachers can use to boost learners’ wellbeing in the classroom, as well as the vital role that communication plays. 

Darren speaks with Laura Powell, Learning Resources & Marketing Lead at Learn and Thrive, about the online digital learning resources they create to support children and young people with Down syndrome and a range of other special educational needs. They discuss the importance of independence for all children, and how helping them feel comfortable, safe, and confident can empower them to become more independent.

Darren speaks to Annamarie Hassall MBE, Chief Executive & Chair of Whole School SEND at Nasen, reflecting on progress in SEND inclusion and discussing ongoing barriers and the importance of embedding inclusion in schools.