About Adam
Hello, I'm Adam Dean. I believe in people—teachers, leaders, pupils, and parents. I believe that with the right support and some flexibility, schools can help SEND pupils, both in the UK and further afield, not only learn but thrive. I've dedicated my career so far to this belief, and that is the goal of AD Specialist Solutions.
I set up this consultancy because I believe passionately that the experience and expertise (not to mention lived experience) I have can make a difference to even more pupils and schools. I believe passionately that schools want to help children with SEND to thrive, and I have seen the difference a little support from someone with a specialist background can make. I also believe very much in providing the lived-experience perspective and the difference that can make.
I've worked across special and mainstream education for over fifteen years. I've project-managed a highly specialist school from the page to reality with everything that entailed, and I've worked across Essex providing training and consultancy to schools and businesses on autism, behaviour, and specialist support.
I'm so very proud of what I achieved in that time, and even more proud when I see the journeys pupils and staff go on to when they're ready for their next steps.
A little more about me; in 2021, I project-managed and co-led the opening of Chatten Free School in partnership with the Local Authority—a highly specialist provision for pupils whose needs could not be met in any other setting. Just three years later, the school achieved an 'Outstanding' rating in its very first Ofsted inspection.
I also have a Master’s in Autism Education (University of Birmingham) and am a published author, with articles published on topics such as token economy systems, the intersection of autism and ADHD with prescriptive school systems, and my own lived experience. I bring specialist behavioural knowledge, including expertise in support paired with trauma-informed empathy.
I also bring along experience in strategy and project management, including developing systems, recruitment, training, development, and the leadership of complex systems. I have extensive experience in public speaking, having spoken to groups of 500+ on the topic of autism and neurodiversity.