Professor Geoff Lindsay, Director of the Centre for Educational Development, Appraisal and Research (CEDAR) has been appointed Specialist Adviser to the House of Commons Education Committee on matters relating to Special Educational Needs (SEN).

The Education Committee is currently scrutinising the Government’s draft legislation which is intended to make substantial changes to the SEN system, intended to improve services for children and young people with special educational needs and their parents.

Geoff has undertaken extensive research on special educational needs. He was also a consultant to the Lamb Inquiry, which addressed parental confidence in the SEN system. He led the research that informed the Bercow Review into provision for children and young people with speech, language and communication needs, and leads the Better Communication Research Programme (2009-12), which was one outcome of the previous Government’s Action Plan in response to the Bercow Review.

Geoff said:

I am delighted to be appointed as Specialist Adviser to the Education Committee. A society can be judged by how it deals with its most vulnerable children and young people. I am looking forward to supporting the Education Committee in seeking to optimise the legislation that will shape the SEN system for many years to come."