NAKMAS National Governing Body

Dr Sandra Beale-Ellis lives in semi-rural Kent, England with her husband, two dogs and variety of feathered and scaly creatures. After a childhood peppered with illness, including cancer, she became determined never to let anything prevent her dreams from being fulfilled. She danced her way through her teens and qualified as a dance teacher as soon as she was able. Additionally she has enjoyed a varied career ranging from the NHS, Prison Service, sports governance and audit, as well as a wide range of educational institutions. She is a qualified karate teacher and has a doctorate in education (autism). She is also studying to be a yoga teacher.

Since she was three years old, books have always played a major part of Sandra's life: the smell, the feel, the ability to educate, inspire or fire the imagination. She loves nothing more than curling up in a comfortable corner, or under her favourite willow tree, blanket and yorkies on lap, book in hand, and a cheeky mug or glass of something delicious by her side.

With an adult diagnosis of Asperger's Syndrome and a longstanding passion for teaching students with differences; be they medical, neurological, emotional or social; her writing reflects her commitment to inspiring others. Her academic interests lie firmly in auto-ethnography, and her writing reflects this by placing anecdotes of herself at the heart of the subjects she pens.

Sandra's website is via http://theautisticvoice.co.uk