The Team

Cornwall Autism and Neurodevelopment (formally Cornwall Autism) was established by us;  friends and colleagues Mary Hosken and Oni Law. We have both worked in the NHS as well as in private practice and we understand the need for a robust and ethical private ASD and Neurodevelopmental assessment pathway down here in the Southwest of England. We helped establish, and have been key members of the local NHS Autism Spectrum Disorder Assessment Team (ASDAT) and the new Neurodevelopmental Assessment Team (NDAT) in Cornwall, and we therefore understand what an assessment team should offer individuals and families. We have a clear understanding of NICE guidance for ASD, ADHD and neurodevelopmental diagnosis and have a comprehensive knowledge of the DSM5 criteria.

We are also very lucky to be able to call on the expertise of a team of highly experienced  clinicians when their skills are required including a Psychiatrist, Consultant Paediatrician, Clinical Psychologist, Practitioner Psychologist, Occupational Therapists, Speech and Language Therapists, and Mental Health Nurse. They are are also great friends of ours but more importantly for you, are hugely experienced clinicians all of whom have been involved in ASD and Neurodevelopmental diagnosis and support for many years.

  • Mary Hosken

    Highly Specialist Occupational Therapist / Mental Health Practitioner / COMPANY DIRECTOR

    "I am an HCPC registered Occupational Therapist with over 20 years experience of working in health services both in the UK and in New Zealand. I have spent many years working with adults with mental health difficulties and with young people and families in the CAMHS services in the North West and in Cornwall. Since 2013 I have worked exclusively in children's autism and neurodevelopmental assessment teams in both a clinical and leadership role. I recognise the benefits of diagnosis in helping an individual understand themselves, as well as equipping those around them to support them around their specific needs. As an Occupational Therapist, I strongly believe in recognising a person's unique strengths as well as the things they find difficult, in order to help them to build on their skills, learn coping strategies and develop their independence as they progress through their education into adulthood.

    I have a broad knowledge of neurodevelopmental disorders and mental health problems, and an understanding of how these can impact on an individual's functioning, particularly in terms of their sensory processing skills. I love working with families, hearing their stories and helping them to find ways to develop together.

    Outside of work, I am married to Andy and a mother of 2 boys and a girl. Our latest family adventure has been in planting an orchard with the plan to start producing cider and apple juice in a couple of years time. I live in Devon but work in Cornwall, where I was born and my family still live. I love spending time with family and friends, walking and exploring parts of our beautiful countryside. I also love reading and listening to audible books which I do on my long drives to work!”

  • Catriona 'Oni' Law

    Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist / COMPANY DIRECTOR

    "I have been a Speech and Language Therapist working in the NHS since 2007, over that time I have had various Community roles all of which have involved working closely with families to support the Speech, Language and Communication Needs of their child. In 2014 I started working in Cornwall’s Autism Spectrum Disorder Assessment Team and became an ASD Clinical Lead for the SLT service. Since taking on this role I have had many opportunities to develop my clinical skills focused specifically on ASD and other Neurodevelopmental Conditions both within ASDAT but also with CAMHS, contributing to their ASD assessments and providing the service with training on the use of Online ASD assessments. I have lectured at Marjon about the autism assessment pathway, and have recently worked with Oaktree Academy, who provide education to young people who experience social, emotional, mental health, communication difficulties and associated challenging behaviours.

    I have developed particular skills in understanding a young person’s social communication and language profile and the impact this can have on learning, relationships, mental health, behaviour and self-esteem. This information not only adds diagnostic information to our clinical discussions and reasoning, but also my hope is that it helps families understand their child’s specific communication needs, so ensuring appropriate adaptations and supports are put in place.

    Also, very importantly, I am married to Al, a wedding photographer, and am a mum to two children and a beloved dog ‘Daffy’. I hail from Scotland but sadly moved away young so never developed a Scottish accent. I enjoy walking (with café pit-stops), art and Netflix”.

  • Dr Sophie Augarde

    Clinical Psychologist

    "I am an HCPC registered and chartered Clinical Psychologist who has had the privilege of working with and supporting neurodevelopmentally diverse young people and their families across Cornwall and other parts of the UK. Locally, I have worked in the Cornwall Council Autism Spectrum Team as well as in the NHS for the Cornwall CAMHS Learning Disability Team and with Mary, Oni and Lisa in the Autism Spectrum Disorder Assessment Team".

  • Gemma Smith

    Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

    "I have worked for 8 years in the community across a range of NHS settings, providing a high-quality speech and language therapy service to children, young people and their families. In conjunction with families, my previous roles have required me to assess and diagnose children with a range of speech, language, and communication needs. I have longstanding experience of planning and implementing specialist programmes of support and intervention for these children as part of a multi-disciplinary team. In 2020 I joined the Cornwall Autism Spectrum Disorder Assessment Team, recently becoming a clinical team lead. In this role, I provide specialist assessments and advice to children and young people, including those with highly complex presentations, and contribute to diagnosis on the ASD and Neurodevelopmental assessment pathway. More recently I have strengthened my leadership skills by becoming a safeguarding supervisor within my team which has compounded my understanding of the link between effective supervision and improved outcomes for vulnerable young people. Alongside this, I have taken a lead role in both the design and delivery of termly parent information sessions, collaborating with the Cornwall branch of the National Autistic Society and represented the neurodevelopmental assessment team on a wider platform to disseminate valuable resources to clients and families.

    I am passionate about raising awareness of speech, language, and communication needs through training for parents, teachers, support staff and other multi-agency professionals across a wide cultural spectrum. Respecting the opinions and contributions of colleagues and families is at the core of my clinical work. I encourage children, young people and their families to actively participate in the assessment process by empowering them to be key agents in their diagnostic journey.

    Outside of work, I am a very keen runner and have completed several half-marathons for charity…hoping one day to tackle a full marathon! I also practice yoga every week and am working up to accomplishing a headstand! My partner Amy and I enjoy bike rides, paddle boarding and cooking (although I definitely end up making more of a mess than anything else)! We have a very grumpy but loveable cat called Georgie who has moved all over London and now finally down to Devon with us, where we are all enjoying life by the sea."

  • Jo Bryan Brown

    Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

    "I have worked for the NHS since 1991. My whole career has been focused on children and young people who have additional individual needs. As well as children who have autism, I have extensive experience with children who have physical and learning disabilities, developmental language disorder and medical and genetic conditions.

    I have worked in the development of the NHS Early Years diagnostic pathway for autism since it was started in 2006. Since 2020, I have been the Early Years' lead SLT for autism diagnosis within Cornwall Foundation Trust.

    I am always fascinated to do new assessments as every child and family is unique."

  • Lisa Tobin

    Specialist Occupational Therapist

    "I am a HCPC registered Children’s Occupational Therapist and have been working in Children’s Health (NHS) and Social Care for over 20 years. I have been working for Children Family Health Devon since 2011 supporting children with a wide range of physical, sensory and learning difficulties from 0 – 18 years. As part of this role, I regularly work with children who have a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (or are awaiting diagnosis). My role includes assessment and intervention for children who have functional difficulties due to sensory and /or motor challenges. I am also involved in providing training to parents, carers and education staff on sensory processing challenges and ways to help. I have always enjoyed working with children and their families to help each child reach their full potential.

    Outside of work, I live in Devon with my husband and two teenage sons. At weekends, I really enjoy walking and cycling in the countryside and at the coast, with the occasional bit of paddle boarding!"

  • Kerensa Jones

    Highly Specialist Occupational Therapist

    "I am a HCPC registered Occupational Therapist with over 10 years experience of working as a Children’s Occupational Therapist within the NHS and social care in both Cornwall and Wales. Since 2015, I have worked exclusively in the children’s ASD Assessment Team (ASDAT) and the Neurodevelopmental Assessment Team and is currently the OT lead across these teams. I am an Advanced Sensory Integration Practitioner and have completed training in Sensory Attachment Intervention, applying these principles when providing comprehensive assessments and advice to children, young people and their families.

    Outside of work I love spending time outdoors with my friends and family. My two young boys love exploring and foraging so we are often in the woods, on the beach and searching in rockpools. I love creative writing and am trying to spend more time doing this".

  • Dr Lucy Fisher

    Practitioner Psychologist

    "I am a HCPC registered Psychologist with over twenty years of assessment experience. I have worked with children, young people, adults and their families in a range of NHS settings during this time. I am highly skilled and experienced in providing assessment, formulation and treatment intervention with the goal of improving life quality and realising full potential. I have worked in the NHS Autism Spectrum Disorder Assessment Team since 2020, providing highly specialised assessment and formulation for children and young people with a diverse range of presentations, alongside supporting their families and carers".

  • Lisa White

    Mental Health Nurse

    "I am an HCPC and Nursing and Midwifery Council registered mental health nurse with over 10 years experience. I have worked in adult mental health and with young people and families within CAMHS services. Since 2016 I have worked exclusively in an autism assessment team in a clinical and safeguarding role".

  • Charlotte Rushton

    Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

    "I am an HCPC registered Speech and Language Therapist and have worked in the NHS for 10 years. During this period, I worked within both primary and secondary schools as well as the community to support young people and their families aged 4-18 years old with their communication skills. As well as championing the speech and language development of young people, I developed a keen interest in Autism Spectrum Disorder which led me to my role within an ASD assessment team in 2020. I believe every child should be at the heart of the ASD assessment. Outside of work, I am a keen cook and am kept busy by my one year old son and my dog. We love exploring Cornwall together, eating good food and coffee."

  • Jane Hosken

    Occupational Therapist

    "I am an HPCP registered Occupational Therapist with over 35 years of experience across a range of practice settings within both the NHS and social care, including roles in paediatrics, mental health, learning disabilities and children and adults with physical disabilities.

    I have experience of working with children and young people with a variety of co-morbid genetic and neurodevelopmental disorders. Whilst working in a paediatric setting, I supported children with physical, sensory, and learning difficulties, including assessment and interventions for children with functional difficulties due to sensory or motor challenges. I enjoyed working with children, young people, and their families to support them to achieve their optimum level of function and independence both at home, in school and the wider community.

    Outside of work, I live with my partner and have 3 adult children who live in various parts of the country. I love spending time with family and friends in Cornwall, including enjoying the beach and walking on the coastal footpaths".

  • Dr Sanjida Sattar

    Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist

    "I trained as a medical doctor at the University of Manchester and completed my psychiatry training in London. I have been registered with the General Medical Council from 1998 (Specialist Register from 2008) and have over 20 years experience of working as a NHS psychiatrist in acute and non-acute settings with children, young people, adults and families in England. This has been in a range of settings including inpatient units, community clinics, schools, forensic settings and national specialist mental health NHS clinics. I have worked as a Consultant Psychiatrist for Cornwall Partnership Foundation NHS Trust since 2016, for CAMHS and the Autism Spectrum Disorder Assessment Team. I provide highly specialised neurodevelopmental disorder assessments and formulations for children and young people who present with broad range of strengths and difficulties, often when other co-existing mental health disorders are present. I also have a significant amount of experience of working with families and wider multiagency systems to ensure a child’s needs are supported.

  • Dr Jo Lewis

    Consultant Community Paediatrician

    "I am an NHS Consultant Community Paediatrician at Royal Cornwall Hospital and have been in this role since 2005, when I moved from Portsmouth. I have had a variety of roles over the years, including senior lead positions, and have worked across all parts of Community Paediatrics, but more specifically specialising in neurodevelopment. As an experienced community paediatrician, I have a highly specialist knowledge of the complexities of Neurodisability and Neurodiversity across paediatric age ranges. I have been a part of the Early years diagnostic pathway since 2006. I also hold the paediatric lead for Developmental Coordination Disorder assessments at RCHT and within the last 3 years have joined the NHS Neurodevelopmental Pathway team, supporting joined up neurodiversity assessments to try and offer all the right assessments for children and young people in a 'one stop' model.

  • Sarah Jewell

    Occupational Therapist

    "Hello, my name is Sarah Jewell. I am an HCPC Registered Occupational Therapist.
    I have worked for the NHS in the Adult Learning Disability team and latterly in the private sector with children. I have been fortunate to support neurodiverse people across all age groups offering assessment and therapy. I have been part of a specialist sensory integration service assessing children with a range of complex needs, working with parents, liaising with schools and social care.

    I am married to Jim and we have two children.
    In my spare time I enjoy walking our dog, sea swimming and listening to live music.
    I volunteer at my local school, listening to children read, and I am an active member of the PTA.

Please do get in touch if you have any questions or would like to arrange a private autism assessment for you, or your child.