Amanda Kirby

Amanda Kirby

Professor Amanda Kirby has a chair in developmental disorders in education at the University of Wales, Newport. She founded and has run the Dyscovery Centre since 1997, an interdisciplinary centre providing assessment and intervention for children and adults with a range of developmental disorders including Dyspraxia (also known as DCD), ADHD, Dyslexia, Specific Language Impairment, Autism Spectrum Disorders and Behavioural issues. Her background as a GP and also working in community paediatrics and psychiatry has provided a good understanding of developmental disorders in both child and adulthood. She is also the parent of an adult with developmental disorders so has personal as well as professional experience of living with the difficulties.She leads a research team at the centre and her PhD has focused on the stage of emerging adulthood in DCD. She has lectured internationally and spoken to over 30,000 teachers, health professionals and parents. She is currently patron of the Dyspraxia Association in New Zealand, Advisor to the Dyspraxia Association in Ireland and Medical Advisor to the Dyspraxia Foundation in the UK.

Amanda Kirby has written four books on Dyspraxia and DCD for parents, health and education professionals and has an international reputation in the field.