“Axia Team”
Due to the expansion of Axia ASD Ltd Dr Linda Buchan reviews every referral received to match the skills of our clinicians with the guest’s experiences and requirements.
For children assessed by our service, all appointments are multidisciplinary in accordance with NICE Guidelines.
Please Note: We try to keep photos on our meet the team page current, although hairstyles, facial hair, glasses, makeup and the like, may possibly change.
Directors
Clinical Governance Lead,
Founder and Director of Axia ASD Ltd.
My name is Dr Linda Buchan. I am a Consultant Clinical Psychologist, qualified since 1978.
Axia-ASD Ltd is one of the top providers of services for adults and children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. We use a model of partnership to ensure that individuals and families lead the process, and therefore obtain the most accurate diagnosis and the most appropriate individual support. I am a member of the Axia Collective
Self-proclaimed Nerd Consultant
and Head of Axia’s Film Society.
Calvin Atkinson is co-director of Axia, along with Dr Buchan. He is a member of our Senior Management Team, and is also a member of the Axia Collective. This is a subgroup of the Axia team, made up of members representing Psychology, IT/Website, Senior Management and the Anime Amigos (detailed below). The Axia Collective includes neurodiverse individuals and acts as a focus group when discussing changes such as updated resources or new ways of working.
Calvin is our Self-Proclaimed Nerd Consultant, adopting the title to stress the importance of valuing interests. One interest is reflected in the first book that he has written: The Nerd Consultant’s Guide to Anime. Anime is also celebrated via our Anime Amigos who vlog every month, posting the vlogs to our website and Calvin’s YouTube channel.
We connect with individuals post-diagnostically in a number of ways, including our Post Diagnostic Support Group, which both directors regularly attend, and also fortnightly game streaming on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This is a fun way to connect informally with us.
Calvin is head of the Film Society and regularly posts film reviews and, along with the Anime Amigos, also posts regular game reviews covering a range of genres.
Calvin’s other passions include cooking and heavy metal music.
Administrative Assistants
I’m Cath, the Office Coordinator at Axia.
I’ve worked in the administration team since December 2020. Previously I had worked as a Legal Secretary for 20 years so Axia was a very different environment than I was used to.
My role is to provide support for guests from their initial contact with Axia through to possible assessment and diagnosis. We aim to give support and assistance to people and their families during this process to make sure everyone is comfortable and supported during their time with us.
Working at Axia has taught me about neurodiversity and what it means for people. Axia encourage us with training and new skills so we are constantly learning which makes my job interesting and also a little challenging which I love.
When I’m not at work I have a busy family life and I like to read, listen to music, swim and getting out in the fresh air.
Hi, my name is Halil, and I am part of the administration team joining from June 2022, I am also the fire warden and first aider for Axia. Prior to me working for Axia I used to work for a Law firm for 4 years as an Administrator Assistant. Everyone at Axia has made me feel welcome and everyday at Axia is different!
In my spare time I like to spend time with my family and go out with friends. I do have an obsession with video games and collecting memorabilia. My favourite game being World of Warcraft! I also have two cats, and a Border Terrier called Monty!
Hi. I’m Jo and have been part of the Administration team here at Axia since April 2024. My role is to facilitate a seamless transition from your initial call or referral right through to assisting you with the preparation of your assessment, offering guidance and support throughout the entire process.
Working alongside a lovely, friendly, caring team makes work a lovely place to be.
Away from work spending time with family is important. We enjoy getting together, socialising and a good kitchen disco. We also enjoy the outdoors, walking and paddle boarding with our two dogs, Cooper and Gonzo.
Outside of work I am a keen knitter and quilter, regularly creating baby cardigans, jumpers and quilts in a vast variety of colours, patterns and sizes. I also have three little dogs; Sydney, Alfie and Tilly who keep me very busy, with Tilly also being my Assistance Dog.
My name is Abi, and I am Axia’s typist. I work closely with the diagnosticians to ensure your reports are accurate and truly reflect everyone’s unique personalities. It’s great to be able to contribute to giving people answers and ensuring they can go on to live life in their most authentic way.
In my spare time I love spending time with my cat, drag queens, baking, horror movies and rock music.
Hi, I’m Clare! I do some typing from home for Calvin’s film and gaming reviews. When I’m not typing, I’m either drawing or watching sitcoms! I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Illustration and I hope to create a sci-fi graphic novel one day.
Assessment Support Assistants
Hi! My name is Alexandra but please call me Alex. I am a member of the assessment support team here at Axia. A big part of my job is being on hand to help our guests, offering advice and support ahead of their assessment. Another aspect involves joining children’s assessments, helping our younger guests feel comfortable in what can be seen as a daunting environment. Being led by the children and their family’s providing activities to make them feel at ease and to enable parents to talk freely and openly with the clinicians.
I have been a part of the team here at Axia since June 2022 undertaking various roles within my time here. I genuinely love my job, each day is different and incredibly rewarding.
In my free time I enjoy engaging in my special interests, spending time with my family, going on long walks and having puggy snuggys from my dog, A Pug called Pixie.
Greetings, my name is Anmol Sahu, and I am an Assessment Support Assistant at Axia. I hold a Bachelor of Science with Honours in Psychology from the University of Liverpool, as well as a Master of Science in Clinical and Health Psychology from Bangor University. I engage in activities such as swimming and badminton in my leisure time, enjoy listening to music, and catch up and chat with family and friends. I was drawn to Axia due to its guest-centred approach, which effectively meets guests’ needs and fosters a positive contribution to the community. This methodology establishes trust and reassurance for individuals seeking our services. Being part of Axia is a fulfilling experience, as we collaborate as a multidisciplinary team to address guests’ concerns promptly upon their arrival and during their journey with us.
Hello, I’m Hannah!
I have recently joined Axia, and I am a member of the assessment support team. I am passionate about helping people and before I worked for Axia I was working for the NHS. I have experience working with vulnerable people, supporting them with their mental health, housing, employment and finances.
I myself got diagnosed through Axia with Autism in 2024 and my son is also neurodivergent.
In my personal life I am happiest being at home with my head in a good book! Or spending time with my family.
I’m Sarah, and after gaining my MSc in Psychology in 2012 I worked for Axia as an assistant psychologist before qualifying from Lancaster University as a Cognitive Behavioural Therapist in 2015. After becoming accredited with the BABCP I then undertook further training and specialised in treating psychological trauma at the University of Oxford. I’ve been privileged to have a varied career in different settings ranging from a private forensic facility and charities, to NHS CAMHS, working with children and adults through their therapeutic journey. After working in Oxford, Wales, and Manchester, I established my own psychotherapy practice in Chester, and delivered guest lectures on CBT at the University of Chester’s BA in Counselling Skills. I am returning to the workplace after taking a career break to enjoy raising my son, and am thrilled to be back with Axia as an Assessment Assistant. My work has always been rooted in building collaborative relationships with my clients that value their expertise on themselves, and joining it with my therapeutic knowledge to make transformative changes that are meaningful to them – an ethos I learned at Axia and brought with me throughout my career.
Diagnosticians
Hello, I’m Lucy Ridley. I first met Linda Buchan when she and her partner were training me for my first support work role, back in 1993 in Liverpool. Partnership training was key and formed the crux of all my work thereafter. I studied for a Diploma in Social Work and worked in mental health and learning disabilities; my main focus was on advocacy work. I can’t bear people being treated unfairly! My passion for autism began in the mid 90’s when supporting an autistic person for whom I advocated, which opened my mind to a whole new world of delectable detail and fascinating conversation. Over the years, I have been particularly interested and engaged with post-diagnostic support for individuals on a one to one basis. I am also a mother of three and grandmother of two heavenly chaos warriors! Two out of three of my children were formally identified as autistic through Axia. I have a lot of personal experience in dealing with education services, which I can politely describe as an exasperating experience (though worth the effort in the long run!).
IHi! My name is Hannah. I qualified as a Clinical Psychologist from the University of Liverpool in 2018. During my doctorate I did a specialist placement with Axia and I have been very passionate about remaining part of Axia ever since. I am proud to be part of a team that has such a strengths-based and person-centred approach to assessments and support.
I have specialist interests in Neurodivergence and also Learning/Intellectual Disabilities. I also have a strong interest in psychological trauma and how this is experienced by, and presents, for neurodivergent individuals. I work for Axia part-time, and I also work in the NHS part-time in a Medical Psychology (health psychology) service. I have loved developing and sharing my knowledge about the physical health needs of neurodivergent people there, and being an advocate for improving services for neurodivergent people in healthcare.
I started researching autism over 20 years ago, completing an MSc on diagnostic issues and theories in 2004. My PhD was funded by Edinburgh Napier University and completed in 2011, and focussed on the lived experiences of autistic girls, and anxiety. I founded charity, SWAN: Scottish Women’s Autism Network 10 years ago, to provide peer support, build on the knowledge-base and raise levels of understanding.
I’ve been an advisor to a number of high level national enquiries and campaigns, including the Scottish Government Improving Understanding of Autism #DifferentMinds campaign for which I’m an Ambassador. I’ve delivered many academic papers and conference plenary presentations, internationally, and run numerous training sessions and workshops.
As a professional firmly embedded in the community, I have worked, over the years, with many hundreds of autistic people, women, girls, men, non-binary and trans people and families too.
I’m mother to 2 wonderful adult daughters.
I’m Renwick Bromiley (please call me Ren), one of Axia’s diagnosticians and a member of the Anime Amigos. I am an ADHDer and also have Irlen Syndrome.
I am a ginormous and unrepentant nerd. Magic: The Gathering has been a long-term fixture in my life, alongside Warhammer (Fantasy and The Old World), Dungeons & Dragons, tonnes of video games, and countless anime. I am also fanatical about Karate (I practice Shotokan), but appreciate martial arts in all its forms. About any of the above, I am always thrilled to wax lyrical – likewise, I love to hear about other people’s passions, hobbies, fascinations, and everything in between.
I joined Axia in 2017, first helping out with administration before joining the Anime Amigos. I achieved my degree in Mental Health Nursing from Bangor University in 2021, which provided invaluable experience of treatment in acute care settings, throughout my studies and in subsequent practice. I became a full-time diagnostician at Axia a few years back and adore the role.
Having seen Axia evolve and change over the years, I’m very proud that the importance of people’s special interests remains at the heart of the heart our ethos. Nowhere is this felt more (in my biased view) than in the assessment process, a fact about which I am immensely proud.
Hi, I am Zhenya, originally a linguist from Ukraine, now a UK-qualified occupational therapist. After finishing my first degree, I took a gap year volunteering with neurodivergent individuals and people with learning disabilities in Poland. This has inspired my passion for working within the neurodevelopmental field and journey to getting my master’s in the UK.
I greatly value individuality, self-expression, autonomy, empowerment, and letting people come as they are. I felt my personal and professional principles align perfectly with Axia’s commitment to partnership work, treating people as experts by experience, and focusing on strengths, so I look forward to my diverse experiences here! I am inspired by encouraging others and supporting individuals to be their true selves.
In my daily life, I am busy trying to keep track of countless hobbies and fit them into my busy life! I am obsessed with all things creativity, crafts, art, and music. I am a huge video- and board-games player, and love tabletop RPGs. Aside from that, I greatly enjoy reading and learning languages. I’ve also got two cats, Mulan and Irys, who occupy the rest of my spare time and attention.
I have been working independently since 2021; however, my prior experience includes NHS inpatient, Children and Adolescent Mental Health and Adult Mental Health Community teams. My work as an Occupational Therapist provides a unique lens with which to view functional challenges and environmental adaptations across the lifespan. within this, neurodiversity, sensory differences, and mental health are my professional passions, and I have focused much of my additional research and training around these core areas. This includes postgraduate certificates in advanced occupational therapy and sensory integration. I am certified in the administration of the ADOS-2 and have completed the ARI-R diagnostic training. I have also completed the UK ADHD network ADHD Assessment and Diagnosis training and Diagnosing ADHD in Female Adults using the ACE+ Clinical Interview course. I have further studied Differential Diagnosis, Trauma and Childhood ACES and completed Dyspraxia UK training in Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD)/Dyspraxia assessment and diagnosis.
I enjoy creating supportive resources for neurodivergent individuals, raising awareness online, in person and in print. I am honoured to be part of the team at Axia, who continue to build on over 25 years of experience in assessing and supporting individuals to meet the needs of neurodivergent individuals professionally and with compassion.
Hi I’m Siân! I am a Chartered Psychologist and Neurodevelopmental Diagnostician at Axia. My work at Axia includes conducting neurodevelopmental assessments for both children and adults as well as post-diagnostic support for our adult guests. I have been with Axia for nearly two years now and there is genuinely nowhere quite like it, I feel extremely privileged and grateful to get to work in such an interesting and warm place with a wonderful team of people.
My qualifications include a BSc in Psychology and an MSc in Research Methods in Psychology. Over the past decade, I have gained extensive assessment and intervention experience in both research and clinical settings, working with children and adults across the lifespan and supporting individuals/their families with a range of physical and mental health conditions and neurodevelopmental differences. My approach is inclusive and person-centred, focusing on building collaborative relationships with our guests. I work alongside them to explore and celebrate their strengths, understand and validate their challenges, and support their individual journeys and values.
I am also neurodivergent myself and I believe this provides with an additional lens to be able to understand our guests’ experience. I’m also a parent to two wonderful children, which again I feel enhances my understanding of the families we work with. My main interests are being with my kids, going to the gym, getting a coffee and going for a massive walk with friends, listening to alternative music and going to gigs. My newest obsession is contrast therapy sessions!
David qualified as a Speech and Language Therapist in 1985 but got the computer bug in the final year of the degree and started a career in IT for the next 18 years! However, memories of the fascination he held with his original degree subject drew him back into the profession in 2004 when he joined Cheshire NHS Trust as a Therapist. Over the next 8 years he worked in the paediatric department running clinics, working in schools, special schools and nurseries during which time he developed a particular interest in Early Years and the presentation of neurodevelopmental difficulties such as autism and ADHD.
On leaving the NHS in 2012, he started his own practise being engaged by educational settings and individual clients and also focusing on identification, support and training in the area of autism spectrum conditions often working in partnership with other professionals in the field. He is a member of the National Autistic Society and accredited by The Society (Lorna Wing Centre) to use the DISCO autism diagnostic methodology. In addition, he is qualified in use of the ADOS-2 and the ADI-R diagnostic instruments. He is a founding Trustee and now volunteer for Autism Inclusive. He is an ELKLAN, ICAN and Hanen tutor and regularly provides training in the areas of autism, speech, language and communication, in educational settings and for parents.
Jess is an autistic/ADHD neurodevelopment diagnostician with Axia. She first started her career in the autism field offering 1-2-1 support/mentoring to autistic adults. This evolved into delivering training on neurodivergent conditions and speaking about her own personal experiences as a late diagnosed autistic/ADHD woman. She has delivered training to both the public and private sectors and presented internationally. Some of talks can be found on YouTube. Jess also runs her own training and support company, Hendrickx Associates.
Jess has a PgCert in Autism, with a focus on eating disorders, and is a twice published author. She co-authored Could I Really Be Autistic? and was a contributing author to Women and Girls on the Autism Spectrum – 2nd Edition – both with Sarah Hendrickx.
Sarah is autistic and has ADHD. She has provided diagnostic Autism assessments at Axia since 2017, being clinically supervised by Dr. Linda Buchan. She is highly experienced in the assessment of autistic females and those with co-morbid profiles of Autism/ADHD. Sarah has carried out more than 1000 assessments over 13+years – both with Axia, for the MoD and independently. She is author of 7 books in neurodiversity including Women and Girls with Autism Spectrum Disorder, which has sold more than 55,000 copies and Could I Really Be Autistic? (co-authored with her daughter, Jess Hendrickx). Sarah is currently writing The Complete Guide to AuDHD (publication date Jan 2027).
Sarah has trained psychiatrists in the diagnosis of female Autism. She has a Postgraduate Certificate in Asperger Syndrome and an MA in Autism. Sarah has delivered over 1000 Autism training workshops and conference presentations internationally to all types of professionals from educators and care providers to counsellors and lawyers. Many of her presentations can be found on YouTube. The following link is a presentation by Sarah at a National Autistic Society event, speaking about Autism in women and girls: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKzWbDPisNk
Sarah has been involved in the development of training materials for the Dept of Education funded AET National Autism Training Programme and also spent three years working for the Ministry of Defence supporting autistic employees in science and technology. She was also involved in Scottish Autism’s Right Click Programme for Women and Girls and the National Autistic Society Professional Module for Clinicians diagnosing women and girls. She was Project Leader for ASpire autism mentoring project and has worked in residential care and educational settings.
Sarah’s partner, two children and various other family members are all neurodivergent.
Anime Amigos
After first being referred to Axia in July 2015, I was diagnosed by Dr Linda Buchan with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Dyspraxia when I was 21.
Since my diagnosis I joined the Post Diagnosis Support Group run by Axia and got to meet the wonderful staff as well as “The Nerd Consultant” Calvin Atkinson, where after we discovered we were both passionate about Anime.
After much deliberation on how we could use our shared interest to benefit Axia, Calvin and I decided to found the Anime Amigos in March 2017 with myself as the co-founder and Calvin as the leader of our sect. Then on an almost monthly basis we have been creating and uploading podcasts based on various topics e.g. Seasonal anime, films and recently Video game conferences with Videogame conferences like Summer Games Fest and Nintendo Directs.
Another part of what I do for Axia is create reviews for new and existing video games (Mainly focusing on Nintendo Switch 2 and Sony PlayStation5).
Apart from the Anime Amigos and video game reviews, I am a member of the Axia Collective, which evolved out of Axia’s “Journal Club” where we reviewed the latest in academic literature relating to Autism Spectrum Disorder and other related topics so we could create our own research.
Also, more recently I have been given more responsibility to now being a Nerd Consultant. Where I can be called in to help consult on an assessment to use my expertise on various pop culture topics to help staff relate to the person receiving the assessment.
I started going to the Post Diagnostic Support Groups at 18 after dropping out of college due to anxiety. After over a year of attending I joined the Anime Amigos as a regular co-host.
Since then, I remain the glorious yet mildly annoying jokester of the Anime Amigos and been a co-host of the Professionally Unprofessional podcast (I was even the one who came up with the name). Since 2020 I’ve been writing game reviews for the site, and I joined the Axia Collective where I occasionally bring my insight but mostly tell bad jokes at Calvin’s expense. Most recently, as of 2025 I have been joining Calvin for weekly livestreams, providing commentary and criticism (mostly criticism) to his gameplay.
Even more than anime and video games, I’m deeply obsessed with music, mostly all genres of metal and am pretty addicted to seeing bands live. I also have special interests (or as I call them unhealthy obsessions) with fantasy and sci-fi books, Magic the Gathering – exclusively the commander format – and Warhammer 40,000 lore. I have an assistant dog named Ripley who regularly appears at PDSG’s and has been affectionately named “Director of Emotional Support”.
General Management
Outside of work I love to spend time with my friends and family (usually round a table of good food!), and take my two dogs for lovely walks.
Hi, I’ve been with Axia since 2017, starting out as an Admin Assistant. I now work closely with Evie, our General Manager, and I’m also the Deputy Safeguarding Lead and Caldicott Guardian. A big part of my role involves collecting and reporting data for the NHS providers we work with.
I’m part of the Axia Collective and also join in on the social media meetings with the Anime Amigos.
Outside of work, I live in Peterborough and enjoy spending time with my family, going on days out, relaxing at home, and going to the Emirates Stadium to watch Arsenal play.
Housekeeping and Maintenance
Author of “Mental Models of Reality – A Diatribe by Dream”
Voluntary Helper to the Axia Team and member of the Axia Collective as
“Guest ‘IT’ Consultant” –
(whatever “IT” actually IS?!?)
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