I became a member of AWMC (now SEBDA) in 1976 – I was following an Advanced Diploma in the Education of Maladjusted Children at the University of Manchester, where I met up with a member who persuaded me to go to a meeting of the north-west branch of AWMC where the speaker was Robert Laslett! I became a member at that meeting! In no time at all I was involved in helping to organise events, 5 day conferences etc and eventually found myself attending National Council meetings. I have not regretted being persuaded to go to that meeting and feel privileged to have been part of the Association.

My day job was working in a day special school, mainly with 11-16 year olds – I thoroughly enjoyed the relationships one can build with that age group – especially the ‘leavers’ groups. I became the head of such a school for 15 years until I took early retirement in 1994.
Almost immediately after that I became a specialist member of the SEN and Disability Tribunal, continuing in that work for 16 years. My ‘retirement’ also resulted in me becoming a part-time lecturer in a range of Higher Education establishments which I found very fulfilling – it was a joy to meet and work with those working with CYP who are now given the acronym SEMH – the CYP are the same – it is just the acronyms which change!