Cathy Wassell
Member of the GEC Circle of Influence
Bio:
I run Autistic Girls Network charity - we support autistic girls and women and their families, campaign for earlier diagnosis (80% of autistic girls remain unrecognised at 18) and raise awareness about the huge connection between lack of support and poor mental health, along with health inequalities.
I also have a Masters in Autism and Education from University of Birmingham and am researching a PhD at University of Bristol, validating our Internal Profile of Autism checklist. I have published a book called Nurturing Your Autistic Young Person.
Areas of specialism:
Trainer, support to autistic women and girls, educator, mentor
Social channels:
Useful links:
https://autisticgirlsnetwork.org/keeping-it-all-inside.pdf
https://www.youtube.com/@AutisticGirlsNetwork
https://youtu.be/GVrq9EL0mzg
https://www.channel4.com/news/autism-assessments-quarter-of-families-wait-at-least-four-years-survey-shows (see one of our 9-12 year old groups interviewed at 2min 10 secs)
https://www.linkedin.com/company/autisticgirlsnetwork
https://www.facebook.com/AutisticGirlsNetwork
https://www.instagram.com/AutisticGirlsNetwork
https://autisticgirlsnetwork.org/training-for-schools/
https://autisticgirlsnetwork.org/some-tips-for-a-good-transition-from-primary-to-secondary-school-for-autistic-pupils/
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Nurturing-Your-Autistic-Young-Person-ebook
GEC Circle Contributions: Strengthening the GEC Framework:
We are thrilled to have Cathy’s input and research on neurodiversity as part of the Autistic Girls Network! Her expertise is invaluable, and we look forward to sharing her work with our network of schools, colleges, and trusts. Cathy’s research will help deepen our understanding of the unique experiences of autistic girls and inform strategies that can better support their inclusion and success in educational settings. We are excited about the positive impact her contributions will have on our community and the wider education sector.
