Dr Carmel Conn, PhD., is Associate Professor at the University of South Wales in the UK, where she is Course Leader for the Masters in autism. Her expertise is in inclusive education and disability having worked for over twenty years as an educational practitioner across pre-school, primary and secondary school settings. As a researcher, Carmel is interested in investigating autistic children’s experiences within education and has sought to provide a better understanding of what constitutes effective support for this group of learners. Carmel has published numerous academic articles on autism, childhood and inclusive pedagogy. She has also produced a number of books, including Autism and the Social World of Childhood, Play and Friendship in Inclusive Autism Education (both published by Routledge), and most recently, Autism, Pedagogy and Education: Critical Issues for Value-based Teaching (Palgrave Macmillan).