Viv Dawes Autistic Advocate

Viv Dawes is a late diagnosed autistic advocate, writer and trainer. She’s also the parent of a ND teenager. Viv has over 25 years’ experience of working with vulnerable young people and adults, including neurodivergent people. She has many years’ experience in delivering training, management of programmes and has vast experience and understanding of how to work with vulnerable young people and adults.

For 7 years she worked as an NHS Senior Practitioner, managing a team of prison drug workers and after this ran her own addiction recovery programme for 10 years, which helped many people with extremely complex needs, achieve recovery from addiction.

Viv runs a weekly support group in Aldershot Hampshire, for parents of autistic teens and is on the board of trustees for the ‘Impulse charity’, which supports people with ADHD caught up in the criminal justice system. She recently contributed to the Hampshire Autism Strategy on Autistic Burnout. Viv is also a member of the Rushmoor and Hart Police constabulary Independent Advisory Panel.