The foundation
Tailor Ed Foundation is a small, independent charity committed to improving the quality of life for children with autism and their families. We offer a home based service, where we teach practical skills and provide useful strategies tailored to your child and family. This service is available free of charge to families with a child with autism between 3 and 12 years old, living in the City of Edinburgh. We target practical skills, from getting dressed and toileting, to brushing teeth and going to bed, as well as most things in between.
Who are we?
Tailor Ed Foundation is made up of a group of trained professionals from a variety of backgrounds - including education, psychology and health - who want to improve the day to day living of children with autism and enhance their family’s quality of life.
The team
Dr Ruth Philip PhD (Roo)
Project Manager
Roo has worked with children with autism since 2000, primarily in home based, family run education programs. She has worked with children from age 4 to 13, focussing on teaching communication skills as well as play,academic and self-help skills.
She completed a PhD at Edinburgh University in 2009 which she studied emotion processing in Autism Spectrum Disorder. During her studies Roo attended international conferences and courses on autism and has several peer reviewed journal publications in the field. Much of her research was carried out in conjunction with Number 6 – the one stop shop for adults with autism in Edinburgh, where Roo also volunteered.
Maria Cameron
Project Worker
Maria has worked with both children and adults with autism since 2005. Within a respite service for children and young people with autism she supported individuals to develop their communication and daily living skills. Maria has applied various approaches to support learning and reduce anxiety for children with autism. Maria has also worked within a community outreach service within Autism Initiatives. Within this role she supported young adults with ASD to access the community to give them the opportunity to have new experiences, develop social skills and ultimately boost their self esteem. Maria has also completed an HNC in social care.
Kate Preston
Project Worker
Kate has worked with children with autism and their families since 2001. During this time she has worked predominantly on a one-to-one basis with children with autism both in their homes and in schools. The main focus of this work has been to develop communication and daily living skills. She has worked with children from age 3 to 13 and has experience of working with many individuals with a diverse range of needs and capabilities. Kate is a qualified nursery nurse and is currently working on an Open University degree in Childhood and Youth Studies.
Pete McNaughton
Project Worker
Pete has worked with children and young people with autism since 2008. He has supported children both on a one to one basis and with group work in a variety of settings including family homes, schools, holiday play schemes, social clubs and in the wider community. He has worked on various targets including communication skills, self help skills, play skills and social skills. He has helped run social clubs for children with aspergers syndrome and high functioning autism aged 8-18. He also runs a respite service for children and young people with a wide range of disabilities, including children with autism. Pete completed an honours degree in psychology at Edinburgh University.
Lynsey Gray
Administrative Assistant
Lynsey graduated from Glasgow University in 2009 and has since volunteered and worked for several voluntary organisations. Her experience mainly lies within admin and communications, working with the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations and more recently the Scottish Association for Mental Health.
The board
A comprehensive mix of people, providing a range of skills, expertise and perspectives to guide Tailor Ed.
Matthew Day (Chairperson) - Having worked with adults on the autistic spectrum since 1991, Matthew is currently the service coordinator for Number 6, Autism Initiatives. He has previously served as treasurer on the board of Changes Community Project (an East Lothian mental health charity). Matthew has had extensive training in autism, mental health and managing challenging services, and has a diploma in employment law.
Susie Harding - Susie is a trainee clinical psychologist and has worked in applied psychology for several years with children, young people and families. She has previously worked as a researcher for a children's charity and as a behavioural therapist with children with autism on home intervention programmes.
Chris Brown (Treasurer) - Chris is a Finance Analyst who has previously worked in the voluntary sector for a large Edinburgh based childcare organisation.
Dr Andrew Stanfield - Andy is an NHS consultant psychiatrist and co-director of the Patrick Wild Centre at the University of Edinburgh - a research initiative which focuses on autism and intellectual disability.
Jo McDermid - As a parent who has a son with Autism, Jo has had experience with a variety of different services that Tailor Ed work alongside. She adds a parent perspective to the Board, as well as supports Tailor Ed's ethos that learning practical skills are the things which have the biggest impact on families.
