Our team

PDA Society is made up of individuals with lived experience, passionate advocates, and dedicated professionals. Together, we are committed to creating a more inclusive, informed, and supportive world for PDA individuals.

Our team structure

CEO, Elizabeth Archer

I have worked with families of disabled children for nearly 25 years. Before taking on this job I held strategic level roles at Mencap, the SEND Consortium and Ambitious about Autism. I am also a trustee for Contact and a partnership board member of the Autism Alliance.

I started my career as a specialist play worker, have helped set up parent carer forums and run advice services. I value my own family life and am passionate about PDAers and their families having an equal chance to enjoy theirs.

As well as working with trustees and the team to ensure we do our very best for the community we support, I particularly focus on our research and external affairs work.

Training and Consultancy Team

Our training team create and deliver training which makes it easier for people, families and professionals to learn about PDA. Our training comes from a place of deep knowledge, and many of our sessions are delivered by people with lived experiences of PDA. In addition to our public courses, we deliver bespoke training and consultancy services to a range of professionals, including in schools, councils and clinical settings.

Emma, Training Team Manager – I am the parent of two fantastic autistic children one of whom is a PDAer. I have volunteered and worked at PDA Society in a variety of roles since 2019 and now use my knowledge to ensure our training is as useful as possible. I have worked with autistic children both privately and for a range of charities. Previously I worked in database management for the public sector.

Support Service Team

Our free, confidential peer support service provides information and guidance about PDA to individuals, families and professionals. We are the only free service in the UK which specialises in PDA, and our goal is to help people understand their options so they can make informed choices.

Helen, Support Service Manager – I have nine years of experience working and volunteering for the PDA Society, and bring both professional insights and lived experience of autism and PDA to my role. I have worked in schools, autism outreach, and facilitated peer support groups for parents of autistic and PDA children. I have also delivered Cygnet training to parents and hold qualifications from the Autism Education Trust, including the Autism Education Trust Gold Education Award.

Communications & Community Team

The comms team focuses on building relationships with our incredible community of supporters through our social networks and fundraising activities. By highlighting stories from the PDA community, we help raise awareness about PDA and the life-changing impact it can have when we are able to access the right information and support.

Ellen, Communications and Community Manager – My background is in graphic design, but I started out working in a constituency office before moving to campaigning in the charity sector. I have since worked for a range of charities in many different capacities. This includes content creation, community management, fundraising, brand stewardship and campaigns. I have lived experience of autism and an understanding of the challenges that come with late recognition.

People and Operations Team

We help manage the daily running of PDA Society. As a fully remote organisation, this means making sure our digital systems are up and running, and that the team are thriving. We also keep in touch with our volunteers to make sure they feel valued and connected.

Sasha, People and Operations Team Manager – I have worked in HR within the charitable sector for almost 20 years and I have a masters in Personnel and Development. I’m very keen on encouraging inclusive and supportive workplaces and helping the PDA Society be the best we can. As a parent of a PDA daughter, I feel a strong personal connection to the PDA Society and am very passionate about the work we do.

Trustees

Sally Russell, Chair

I originally began as a volunteer for PDA Society after my youngest child was identified as PDA. As Chair, I work to bridge the gap between parents and professionals. In 2014 I was awarded an OBE for my work as co-founder of Netmums, helping it to become a locally-based support community and the largest women’s website in the UK. During my 14 years as a Director, I led studies on topics like perinatal mental health and found new ways to support parents and ensure their voices were heard by Government. I was the Founding Chair of the Institute of Health Visiting and have been a lecturer and research fellow at Imperial College.

Rachel Perrin, Trustee

I have 25 years’ experience in statutory and voluntary sector organisations providing support for disabled children, young people, and adults. As Associate Director for Programmes at Sense my experience includes development, resource planning, operational delivery, fundraising and public affairs. As a parent of a child with Autism, I understand the impact of navigating the complex systems of support for disabled children and how vital it is to get it right.

Sally Cairns, Trustee

Alongside serving as a Trustee with the PDA Society I am on the development board for Ambitious About Autism. I have two children who are both autistic, one with PDA. As Chief People Officer at Global Media & Entertainment I lead the company’s people and culture strategy. I am also a Trustee of Make Some Noise, Global’s national charity that funds projects helping disadvantaged children, young people and their families across the UK. I started my career as a commercial lawyer and hold an MBA from Melbourne University and a Masters in Sustainability Leadership from Cambridge University.

Michael Pleasants, Trustee

I joined the PDA society because I have experienced firsthand the lack of available support for PDA children and their families. I have spent my career designing industry leading training courses and developing profitable training businesses. My area of expertise is psychology, and this gives me valuable experience to help the charity push forward with our training offer so we can better support those who need help.

James Hulse, Trustee

I am a parent of a PDAer and through this experience have realised that I am also PDA. The PDA Society has been a really helpful source of information and made us realise we weren’t alone in what we were going through. I got involved with the charity a few years ago and became a Trustee in 2022. I have a background in finance and provide support with PDA Society’s fundraising.

Hilary Harvey, Trustee

I have a personal connection to PDA through my two daughters and have run a successful support group within my local PDA community since August 2015. I joined the PDA Society Trustee Board in May 2018 after volunteering for two years delivering training. My professional background is in personnel and administration, and I have also served as Pension Scheme Trustee for a registered charity supporting the British Armed Forces. I have been the treasurer for a local church and a volunteer at both local and county level within the Scout Association.

Yvonne McLintok, Trustee

As a parent of a young PDAer, I understand the unique challenges that PDAers and their families can face. I recently started home education after a lengthy period of advocating with my child’s school and our friends and family. I volunteered to be the Treasurer Trustee of the PDA Society and am a qualified Actuary. I specialise in financial risk management, leading Treasury, Capital and Investment teams.

Sacha Wheatley, Trustee

I have over 20 years of experience in children and adult social care and I have an inclusive and value-based leadership style. I have held roles responsible for commissioning services and quality assurance in Mental Health, Substance Misuse and Learning Disabilities. My professional and personal life experiences and connections to autism drive my strong commitment to promoting good practice and awareness of PDA in social care.

Join our team