The nasen Northern Ireland Advisory Group Conference: Connection in the Classroom
- Face to face
- Northern Ireland
- 21 Feb 2026 (08:45 - 13:30)
The nasen Northern Ireland Advisory Group Conference will be an inspiring event, uniting educators, health professionals and leaders to share strategies that improve outcomes for children and young people with SEND. With a face-to-face conference focused on speech and language, sensory approaches, and social communication, the day combines expert seminars, keynote insights, and exhibitor showcases to create real opportunities for learning and collaboration.
Address: Stranmillis University College, Stranmillis Road, Belfast, Co. Antrim, BT9 5DY
Date & Time: Saturday the 21st of February, 2026. 8:45am - 1:30pm
Join colleagues from across Northern Ireland for a rare opportunity to learn directly from sector experts and leading practitioners.
Download the agenda
Suitable for any professionals or practitioners working with children and young people with SEND
Stranmillis University College, Stranmillis Road, Belfast, Co. Antrim, BT9 5DY
Suitable for: Teacher, SENCO, Learning Support Coordinator, Classroom Assistant, Support staff, Principal, Vice Principal, Senior Leader, A parent/carer, Student, Tutor
Meet your trainer
John Madden
John Madden is the Principal of Roddensvale School, Larne since 2003. Upon joining Roddensvale School, he oversaw the building of the new school in 2005, before many more extensions were added to accommodate rising pupil numbers. He was awarded a BEM in 2018 for services to special education and charity. John started his career as a PE teacher in England, moving to Northern Ireland where he taught in post-primary and then in MLD units in the Causeway Coast and Glens area. He took on the Vice Principal role in Loughan School in Ballymena, working there for a number of years before taking up the role of Principal in Roddensvale School.
Meet your trainer
Andy Hazley
Andy Hazley brings a powerful blend of personal and professional insight to his work as a neurodiversity advocate and trainer. As an adult with Autism, ADHD, PDA, and Dyslexia/Dyspraxia—and a proud father to three adult children, all on the autism spectrum Andy’s lived experience deeply informs his approach. With over 25 years of experience, Andy has delivered impactful training to families, professionals, and organisations across a wide range of settings. His passion lies in helping children be better understood and supported, using empathy, real-world knowledge, and continuous research to inform his practice.
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Dr Gillian Beck
Dr Gillian Beck is a senior lecturer of Special and Additional Needs and Inclusion studies at Stranmillis University College. Previously she was a teacher and SENCO, supporting the upskilling of teachers and classrooms assistants and the academic and holistic development of pupils with a wide range of SEN from Nursery to P7. She pioneered the first sensory room and 1:1 sensory support programme for children with ASD in an NI mainstream school, extending this to whole school sensory provision. Now her recent PhD research has demonstrated the value of a teacher-led, whole class approach to sensory provision.
Meet your trainer
Ruth Sedgewick
Ruth is Head of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists Northern Ireland (RCSLT NI), a role she has held since July 2021. She enjoys the opportunities this post brings in representing NI members and advocating for people with speech, language, communication and swallowing needs across Northern Ireland. Ruth is also a Director of the Special Educational Needs Advice Centre (SENAC). Before joining RCSLT NI, Ruth worked within the Belfast Trust, where she led the Clinical Lead Mental Health pilot post established in 2019, which secured permanent funding in 2021.
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Sue McBride
Sue is the Policy Advisor for the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists Northern Ireland (RCSLT NI), where she works closely with members and stakeholders to advocate for people with speech, language, communication and swallowing needs across Northern Ireland. Sue completed a Master of Science (MSc) in Autism and Neurodevelopmental Conditions, with her thesis focusing on Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) and how prepared post-primary teachers are to support young people with DLD. In recognition of her dedication to raising awareness of Developmental Language Disorder (DLD), she was awarded an Honorary Fellowship from RCSLT in September 2023.
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Sharon Brownlee
Sharon is a Speech and Language Therapist with almost 20 years of clinical experience working with children and young people presenting with speech, language and communication needs. Her employment within the NHS has provided her with opportunities to work across a variety of clinical contexts including community clinics, mainstream primary schools and special school settings. Working with children and young people with speech sound disorders is an area she holds a particularly keen interest in.
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Ruth McDowell
Ruth is a qualified and HCPC registered SLT with extensive experience working with children across a range of ages and communication needs. Her specialised training in early childhood language development, speech sound disorders and social communication, has enabled her to help to support children, families and education settings who experience a wide range of communication challenges. Ruth is passionate about helping children to communicate with confidence and reach their full communication potential.
Meet your trainer
Zelda Dunn
Zelda is an experienced Speech and Language Therapist who has been supporting children with Speech, Language and communication needs for 23 years. For the last 17 years she has had the privilege of working within a trans disciplinary team, supporting children in Mainstream Primary schools. Zelda is passionate and committed to developing every child to their full communicative potential and fervently believes that by working alongside families and educators we can achieve this.
Meet your trainer
Clare Sedgwick
Clare is a Speech and Language Therapist with over 16 years of experience working in paediatric settings. She currently works within mainstream primary schools, taking a transdisciplinary approach to supporting children with speech, language and communication needs. She is passionate about supporting children in their own environment with a focus on fostering inclusive learning environments.
