Our team...
Director / Founder
Autism Advocate
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Karen Irvani
Karen is both an autism parent and professional. She holds a first-class Bachelor of Philosophy degree in Special Education (Autism) via University of Birmingham, in addition to her considerable parental ‘lived’ and professional experience. Karen also gave a TEDx talk in 2020 entitled “Have you found your tribe?” (available on YouTube).
She has supported autism families at home, in education, at work and in the community since 2012, alongside her directorship of Bespoke Education & Support Services organisation Parents Talking Asperger’s (PTA) CIC overseeing Education Other Than At School (EOTAS) Programmes. Karen founded ASC in 2022, to meet the demand of autism families in her local community and has, over the years, built invaluable relationships; relationships that engender continual first-hand recommendations for its services from parents, young people, education and healthcare professionals to access its services.
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Karen fought long and hard to secure a specialist school placement for her autistic son in 2013 and went on to win many other places (and preceding Education Health Care Plans (EHCPs)) for other autistic children, both independently and in collaboration with legal advocates. Her drive has always been that children like hers should not struggle alone or be left abandoned in a largely challenging and unjust Special Educational Needs (SEN) system.
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Director - Autism Advocate
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Mandy is already qualified in SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disability) law and is currently studying the last level of her course. This course will enhance her understanding and knowledge of the legal framework that surrounds the education system and complements her vast lived experience as an autism parent, thereby enabling her to provide even better support to families.
Mandy is a passionate advocate for families dealing with the challenges of school refusal, autism, trauma, and anxiety. With 16 years of personal experience dealing with the education system, Mandy has an extensive background in securing specialist school placements, Personal Budgets and EOTAS (Education Otherwise Than At School) for her children who required additional support.
Herself autistic (diagnosed August 2019), Mandy is the mother of two autistic children – one boy and one girl – Mandy has first-hand experience of the struggles that families face when trying to access appropriate support for their children within the education (and healthcare) system. She has successfully appealed against disability discrimination and exclusion from school and is committed to ensuring that every child receives the education they deserve.
Mandy's experience extends to involvement in TAF (Team Around the Family) and CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) meetings. She understands the importance of working collaboratively with educators, health professionals and other stakeholders, in order to develop tailored and effective strategies for children who require additional support.
In pursuit of her passion for advocating for families, Mandy's unwavering commitment to ensuring that all children have access to the support they need to reach their full potential makes her a valued and respected member of ASC. Her personal and professional experience provide a wealth of knowledge that is truly invaluable to those she serves.
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Mandy Burn