Our Specialists
A little bit about the specialists we work with to bring you Aybe’s evidence-based insights and tools.
A little bit about the specialists we work with to bring you Aybe’s evidence-based insights and tools.
Emma McNally is the CEO of Tourette’s Action, the UK’s leading support and research charity for people with Tourette Syndrome (TS) and their families.
Emma is a mum and her son has Tourette Syndrome, which sparked her advocacy journey where she fought for right to access the services denied to people living with TS across the UK.
For those in the TS community, Emma is now a household name thanks to incredible efforts to get her petition debated in Parliament. What started as a desperate effort to find support for her son, Emma soon realised that hundreds of families were facing the same lack of services, so Emma has been campaigning for change.
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Ed.D
Donna is the Founder and Education Director at Pathways to Empower.
Always an educator, Donna finds innovative ways to translate neuroscience so that people can apply it to their own lives. Her work is grounded in the latest research in neurology, psychology, and education. Donna holds Advisory Board positions for One Revolution Foundation & Kids Helping Kids, is a Global Presence Ambassador for Parenting 2.0, and a member of the Character Collaborative.
PhD
Dr Samantha Hiew is the Director of ADHD Girls, a company with a dual mission to empower girls and women with ADHD to thrive in society and improve societal understanding of ADHD.
Sam has a background in healthcare communications and a medical science PhD, which she harnesses to create thought-provoking digital campaigns, talks, and events within education and work settings to improve cultural understanding of ADHD and provide best practice approach to support ADHDers.
Sam runs personal and professional development workshops for ADHDers in which she provides critical tools to support their challenges.
Her work has been recognised with double nominations in the “Stereotype Buster” and Community Choice” categories at the 2022 Celebrating Neurodiversity Awards.
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BSc, PsychD
Dr Jo Steer (BSc, PsychD) is a Clinical Psychologist and has specialised in working with children and adolescents with mental health difficulties.
Jo’s interest in children with ADHD started with her doctoral research on ADHD and attachment at the University of Surrey. Jo has worked in Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services in London for the last 18 years.
Jo is the Associate Director for Emotional Health Services at Achieving for Children who provide services on behalf of Kingston and Richmond borough councils in South West London. Jo has developed and leads a large service which provides psychological therapy to children and their families alongside training and consultation to the children’s workforce.
Over recent years Jo has developed a special interest in working with girls with ADHD and provides training to schools and health professionals on the key issues. She edited and contributed to ‘Understanding ADHD in girls and women’, published in 2021 and described as “the most important book written in the field for many, many years.”
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MA in Play Therapy
Sophia Giblin is a Play Therapist who established her career in the charity sector founding Clear Sky Children’s Charity, an organisation that supports children impacted by trauma through Play and Creative Arts Therapy.
After spending more than a decade supporting children and families in the mental health space, Sophia founded Treasure Time with her co-founder Nicole McDonnell. Treasure Time is an evidence based psychotherapeutic support programme that strengthens the parent-child relationship through play.
Based on her Masters research, Treasure Time is proven to improve parents and children’s wellbeing across a range of measures including reducing parenting stress levels, increasing children’s kind and helpful behaviour and reducing challenging behaviour.
Sophia combines her experience in scaling and growing a charity with her specialist knowledge as a Play Therapist to create systemic change in improving the lives of children and families.
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PhD in Child Neuropsychology
Dr Rachel Gow is a Nutritional Neuroscientist, Neuropsychologist and Neurodevelopmental specialist with expertise in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and associative learning and behaviour differences. She is a Registered Nutritionist (category of Science) and Founder of the Charitable Trust Nutritious Minds. Dr. Gow provides diagnostic, assessment, behavioural, educational and nutritional support and services to families and children.
Collectively, Dr. Gow has approximately 18 years of research and experience in psychological research in child/adolescent and adult clinical populations and published 22 peer reviewed book chapters and scientific papers. She has extensive knowledge in neurodiverse learning and behavioural differences and the effects of dopamine enhancing brain‐selective nutrients.
Her newly published book – “Smart Foods for ADHD and Brain Health” – is available to order on Amazon (Jessica Kingsley Publishers part of the Hachette UK Group). Dr. Gow’s son, who has ADHD and Dyslexia, was the driving force behind all her endeavours in the neurodiverse arena.
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B.A., Elementary Education, M.A., Special Education (Autism), Certified Children's Yoga Teacher
Connie is passionately working with other professionals bringing mindfulness and wellness into schools. She is a Certified Children’s Yoga Teacher and holds her 200-hour RYT Certification, as well as Mindfulness Training.
As the founder of Budding Yoga, Connie offers professional development and graduate coursework to educators. Her program, PAUSE, offers resources and inclusive lessons for Social Emotional Learning through movement and mindfulness for teachers, parents, and students.
Connie comes from a background in elementary and special education, with an undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan in Elementary Education and a master’s degree from Bowling Green State University in Special Education with a focus on autism spectrum disorders. She has 25+ years’ experience teaching preschool through high school students in both General Education and Intervention settings.
She is on the Advisory Board for Global Wellness Institute Wellness for Children and the Pillars School Staff Wellness Initiative. She writes, speaks, and consults nationally and internationally.
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