Laura Millen
Hi my name is Laura Millen. This is my third term of office as a member of the Board and I am, currently, the acting Secretary. I am a Speech and Language Therapist by profession. Initially I worked in an SLD school in Lisburn and developed an interest in Autism. My colleagues in school were already members of the local PAPA group and persuaded me to attend with them. The opportunity to meet parents and hear their experiences gave a whole new perspective to my work. As these things tend to happen I ended up on the Lisburn committee and then became Chairperson. From that it was a step and a jump to the Board. I have since moved jobs and am currently working in an SLD school in Newtownabbey although I have kept my allegiance to the Lisburn group. The faces may have changed but the problems and the challenges continue and my interest in Autism has continued to grow. Through Autism NI I have become a TEACCH trainer and have been involved in training throughout Ireland.
It has been an exciting time to be a member of the Autism NI board. From a small charity it is becoming a force to be reckoned with in the world of Autism. The political lobbying has really pushed Autism into the faces of the people who make decisions and it is not going to stop there. I am glad to be able to support the cause in any way that I can.
