About Steph Reed - Autism & SEND Specialist | Trainer, Consultant & Advisor

About

Steph Reed

Autism & SEND Specialist | Trainer, Consultant & Advisor

BA (Hons) Special needs and Inclusion & Early Childhood Studies, PGCE

I've sat where your students sit.

And that changes everything about how I support them — and how I support you.

Hi, I’m Steph Reed, an independent Autism & SEND Specialist Consultant, Trainer, and recognised Specialist Leader in Education (SLE). I work with schools, services, and educators to build genuinely inclusive classrooms where neurodivergent learners don’t just cope, they thrive.

A special interest that became a career

As a teenager, I developed a deep interest in autism and the different ways we all learn and think. It wasn’t a module at school or a career suggestion, it was a genuine special interest, the kind where you just can’t learn enough. When I got the chance to do work experience in specialist provisions, something clicked. I loved finding different ways to connect with autistic learners, being creative about engagement, meeting them where they were rather than where I expected them to be.

That experience led me to study a degree in Special Needs and Inclusion alongside Early Childhood, and it set the path for everything that followed.

The moment I understood why this work matters so much to me

Years into my career, I made a connection I hadn’t seen before: my own school experience had shaped everything.

Parts of school was hard for me in ways I couldn’t name at the time. I felt different. I didn’t understand why everyone else seemed to get it when I didn’t. I copied. I daydreamed. I was quietly overwhelmed, and completely mortified whenever I was asked to answer a question or read a loud. I worked out how to get by, but I was masking and muddling through, not genuinely engaged (unless it was PE or something physical!).

I now know that I have ADHD and dyslexia. Those diagnoses reframed so much and they reinforced what I already believed: that every struggling learner has a reason for their struggles, and every teacher deserves the knowledge to help them.

What that means when I walk into a classroom

I can walk into a classroom and quickly identify what might be getting in the way of a student’s learning, not just from professional training, but because I’ve experienced it from the inside. That combination of lived experience and specialist expertise gives me a perspective that’s hard to replicate from textbooks alone.

I believe, without reservation, that there is always a reason behind a disengaged, dysregulated, or challenging student. Our job is to dig a little deeper, with patience, compassion and curiosity, to understand what that reason is. Not to manage behaviour, but to meet the need underneath it.

I also know that students don’t all learn, or communicate, in the same way. Multisensory resources, planned movement, personalised supports, tailored communication: these aren’t extras. They’re how equity actually happens in a classroom.

How I work with schools and educators

Through my CPD-accredited training programmes, school consultancy services and community advisory projects, I’ve supported thousands of educators to deepen their understanding of autism and neurodiversity, and to translate that understanding into real change in classrooms.

My flagship programme, Autism for Teachers, is a self-paced, practical training course built for busy teachers who want confident, compassionate strategies they can actually use, without the overwhelm.

Everything I create is neuro-affirming, evidence-informed, and grounded in both professional expertise and the kind of understanding that only comes from having been there yourself.

If you’re a teacher or SENCO who wants practical, specialist-led support that genuinely reduces your workload and improves outcomes for your students — you’re in the right place.

— Steph Reed.

My experience is grounded in real leadership. I’ve held positions as Autism Outreach Leader, Special Educational Needs Coordinator, Inclusion Leader (SENCo), and SEMH Lead Teacher — roles that gave me a system-level understanding of how schools support (and sometimes fail) their most complex learners. That perspective shapes everything I do.

I’m proud to have also been involved in projects beyond the classroom. I’ve served on the Inclusion Panel for the Museums of London, collaborated with Widgit on symbol based projects and worked on autism education programmes in Muscat, Oman supporting families who were on the verge of leaving their country simply to find better provision for their children. That experience stays with me. It’s a reminder of how much is at stake when the right support and safeguarding isn’t there.

I believe in sharing knowledge and this passion led me to create my first teaching blog back in 2012. I now host and produce the Autism, Neurodiversity and Me podcast, where I explore autism, education, and neurodivergence in a way that’s accessible and practical. I also lead the Facebook community Autism and Inclusive Teaching — a group of over 4,000 educators trying to do right by their students and seeking or sharing ideas. If you’re not already in there, you’re welcome.

Everything I teach is rooted in evidence-based, child-centred practice. My training spans a wide range of established approaches including SCERTS, Social Stories, TEACCH, Makaton, Positive Behaviour Support, PECS, Intensive Interaction, Trauma Informed Practice among others. I don’t advocate for one approach above all others, because no single framework fits every child. What I do is help you understand the principles behind them, so you can make confident, informed decisions for the learners in front of you.

Here's What Senior Leaders Say...

"Steph’s guidance and support has been invaluable to our federation. Her expertise has been instrumental in reviewing and improving the provision for children with SEN. Steph builds excellent relationships with all staff members. Our support staff welcome her visits and relish these as an opportunity to develop their practice. Steph will readily work with children and staff to model expectations and activities that support learners to progress. Steph’s knowledge and expertise has been critical in supporting our SENCOs with their strategic leadership of the role. Her feedback is always clear and actionable and she is supportive of the needs and development of our staff."

"In the time that Steph has been working with my school, I have been able to see a sustained improvement in the provision offered. This has been the case in the growing knowledge and skills of the staff she has worked alongside, the physical environment provided for autistic pupils and the outcomes for those pupils. The excellent provision for pupils with SEND, for which Stephanie’s support was a key element, was also verified by my School Improvement Partner."

"Steph Reed provided me with excellent support in understanding how to support autistic students. Her intricate knowledge of the curriculum and specialisms with students with SEND was invaluable. Her style of support and coaching is tailored and she took time to assess my needs and the schools. I would highly recommend her services."

"Steph’s consultant work with our school has been a valuable tool in steering improvement of our provision for pupils with SEN. She works closely with senior leaders to coordinate our SEN strategy and plans her support based on planning meetings with our SENCo. Steph’s knowledge and expertise has been critical in supporting our teachers with their classroom practice. Her feedback is always clear and actionable and she readily provides resources and strategies to help teachers implement new ideas. She shares her knowledge and expertise with staff in a supportive way. Staff feel confident to try new strategies once they have observed her working with pupils and she takes time to reflect with them on what makes these effective."

"Over the past year, I have worked with Steph in her role as Autism Advisory Teacher for our school. She has supported us in areas such as: setting up an autism resource provision, general observations and recommendations to support individual pupils' needs and wider training for staff. Steph is very organised, knowledgeable and flexible in her approach, to ensure that your bespoke needs as a school are targeted."

"Steph has been a source of knowledge, expertise and compassion for many years in her time as our Autism Specialist Teacher. Steph explores the current offer for a child through meaningful observations and dialogues with staff. She is incredibly patient with all staff, no matter their experience in and competencies in working with autistic children and empowers and upskills both adults/parents and carers to evolve the support around a child."