Dr Sue Smith

Who Dr Sue Smith is

Dr Sue Smith is Head of the Lorna Wing Centre, the National Autistic Society's national diagnostic and assessment service based in Kent, which was the first centre in the UK to provide a complete diagnostic, assessment and advice service for children, adolescents and adults with social and communication disorders. Her role encompasses both clinical assessment and responsibility for the management and supervision of staff working within the centre. She has worked with adults and children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) throughout a career spanning more than 25 years, including previous roles at Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust. She has worked as a specialist clinician and as a manager of specialist learning disability and ASD services, and has been responsible for developing and managing autism diagnostic services. Her academic work, completed through a research doctorate at the University of the West of England (2009–2014), has focused on quality of life of people with ASD.

References for this biography

1. 1.Dr Sue Smith – National Autistic Society staff profile — Confirms role as Head of the Lorna Wing Centre, clinical and managerial responsibilities, 25+ year career with ASD, prior learning disability service management, and academic focus on quality of life in ASD
2. 2.Contact us – National Autistic Society — Confirms current NAS head-office address as 2nd Floor, Weston House, 42 Curtain Road, London EC2A 3NH
3. 3.1991: The UK's first autism diagnosis centre is set up – The Lorna Wing Centre – National Autistic Society — Confirms the Lorna Wing Centre is the NAS's national diagnostic and assessment service, established 1991
4. 4.Sue Smith – Head of Lorna Wing Centre, National Autistic Society (RocketReach) — Corroborates prior role at Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust and research doctorate at University of the West of England (2009–2014)

Notable achievements

• Head of the Lorna Wing Centre, the NAS's national diagnostic and assessment service, described on the NAS website as having been responsible for developing and managing award-winning autism diagnostic services. Source ↗

What Dr Sue Smith has said

• “We've got a group of people with a genuine need. We're having this weird debate about what they should be called.”

  head of clinical services, National Autistic Society · Learning disability & autism · 27 Aug 2026 · A split in the spectrum? The ongoing battle to define autism ↗

Where Dr Sue Smith has been quoted

1. Think your parent is neurodivergent? Here’s what you need to knowtheguardian.com · 27 Aug 2026
2. A split in the spectrum? The ongoing battle to define autismbbc.co.uk · 27 Aug 2026

Related media coverage

Recent UK press coverage of their topics — not necessarily citing them directly.

• Wiltshire SEND Reform Plan approved by Department for Education: Parents and carers invited to webinar to find out moreWiltshire Council
• Have your say on proposed changes to post-16 SEND transportCumberland Council
• Buddy Walk helping support people with Down’s SyndromeABC27

Contact & links

• Staff pagehttps://www.autism.org.uk/what-we-do/who-we-are/our-people/lorna-wing-centres/sue-smith
• Websitehttps://www.autism.org.uk/contact-us

Organisational contact points only, each taken from a page the organisation publishes itself. No personal or direct contact details are held or shown.