Nicola Ryan
Nicola Ryan is registered clinical nurse specialist specialising in Neuro-developmental disorders in children and adolescents. She is registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and trained at Kingston University and St Georges teaching hospital . She is also a trained Child Cognitive Behavioural Therapist and carried out her training at Kings College London and the Anna Freud Centre . She has worked in mental health for 20 years in various roles such as mental health advocate, supportive roles within the National Autistic Society and teaching social skills in a special needs unit attached to a secondary school. She worked therapeutically in an NHS CAMHS setting for 12 years with children and young people with a range of difficulties such as anxiety and depression and have adapted therapies for children on the Autistic Spectrum as well as carrying out diagnostic assessments for children and young people with Autism and ADHD. Nicola is a trained behavioural therapist for those who want to manage Tics and Tourettes Syndrome using both Habit Reversal (HRT) and Exposure Response Prevention (ERP) and is registered with Tourettes Action. She currently work as a senior lecturer at local university and teaching hospital where she teaches about mental health and specialise in child and adolescent mental health/neuro-developmental conditions and cognitive behavioural therapy.
She has developed and delivered local ASD post diagnosis parent training within a CAMHS service and is an occasional speaker at a local ADHD charity.She also carries out diagnostic assessments supported by the National Autistic Society where she received diagnostic training and continuing professional development.
She was a professional adviser to the Young Minds (mental health charity) parent line.
Qualifications and training
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Registered Mental Health Nurse specialising in Child Psychiatry
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Trained child CBT Therapist PG Dip and a member of the British Association of Cognitive and Behavioural Psychotherapists
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Masters of Science Mental Health (Kings College London)
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BSc Psychology (University of Surrey)
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Fellowship of higher education
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Training in diagnostic assessment tools:
Child assessment
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Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS 2)
Parent Interview
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The Developmental Dimensional and Diagnostic Interview (3DI version 5) for Autism and comorbidities such as ADHD
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Diagnostic Assessment for Social and Communication Disorders (DISCO) used qualitatively.