Brian Smith, Specialist Autism Teacher, Nottinghamshire County Council
Brian is currently completing his final year as an Advisory Teacher in Nottinghamshire’s Enhanced Resource Autism Team, before embarking on a new chapter to his career in education by moving to take up his role as Managing Director of R.E.A.L. (Re-thinking Engagement & Approaches to Learning) and consultant teacher to the Nisai Virtual Academy.

He has spoken at a number of national conferences on personalised approaches to learning for young people “lost to learning” and strategies for working with children with autism.

After a career break of ten years in industry, he returned to specialise specifically in behaviour management linked to complex special needs; undertaking an MPhil at Birmingham University in Autism. Working in this field has brought a range of experiences from the isolation of home tutoring to deputy in a Pupil Referral Unit and advisory work with schools.

Prior to his advisory role, Brian worked as Head of Nottinghamshire’s Special Individual Programmes team. This involved the reengagement in learning of almost a hundred young people over a 4 year period who had previously been “lost to learning” or at danger of being placed “out of county”. The team was particularly proud of its record in placing all year 11 leavers in meaningful post 16 opportunities. This year has seen a number of these learners graduate from Universities and pursue careers as diverse as computer game design to accountancy.