Our presenters

Dr Jill Titterington is a consultant Speech and Language Therapist/Researcher https://www.thespeechdoctorni.co.uk/ a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, and one of the International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders’ Editor-in-Chiefs.  Jill has ~20 years of clinical experience, and ~17 years working for Ulster University’s Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) department. Jill is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and her speciality area of teaching is in child speech sound disorder: both phonetic transcription skills, and clinical management (particularly of phonological delay and disorder). Jill provides ongoing CPD teaching and learning opportunities for qualified SLTs in these areas. Jill’s research focuses on supporting implementation of evidence to Speech and Language Therapy practice for children with speech and language difficulties. She has a particular interest in supporting the delivery of evidence-based dosage/intensity of intervention for children with moderate to severe speech sound disorder. Driven by this interest, Jill established a group of academics, researchers, and clinical/managerial SLTs (Raising Awareness of Dosage in Speech Sound Disorder (RADiSSD)) in 2023 which is working to drive change to practice across the UK and Ireland. Recent publications include a chapter on the pedagogy of clinical phonetics for students of SLT, and journal articles on applying evidence on dosage to practice for children with severe speech sound disorder, and how to work effectively with parents to increase dosage of intervention. See here for recent publications.

Dr Pam Williams retired from her clinical post as Consultant Speech and Language Therapist at the Nuffield Hearing and Speech Centre, in December 2017. Dr Williams was involved in creating the original Nuffield Centre Dyspraxia Programme (NDP), published in 1985.

Following this she co-edited the current NDP (3rd edition) with her colleague Hilary Stephens. Dr Pam Williams has lectured widely in the UK, Ireland, Europe and Australia. Dr Williams continues to run training workshops on the subject of NDP and childhood apraxia of speech. Pam was a member of the project team that produced the original (2011) Policy Statement on Developmental Verbal Dyspraxia, and more recently the RCSLT (2024) Position Paper on Childhood Apraxia of Speech. Furthermore, she was a supporting author of the RCSLT (2024) Speech Sound Disorders Guidance.

Dr Williams was awarded a Fellowship of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists in 2013 and is a former chair of the UK Dyspraxia Foundation Charity. She is a current member of the Child Speech Disorder Research Network for the UK and Ireland.

Dr Sean Pert is a Speech and Language Therapist with more than 25 years of experience in the NHS, Higher Education and charity sector. Dr Pert is also the Lead Consultant for Indigo Gender Service, Greater Manchester and is the Chair of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT).

He teaches a range of subjects at the University of Manchester. These include Clinical Phonetics (IPA Clinical Transcription), Speech Sound Disorder (Analysis & Intervention), Bilingualism and Voice and Communication Therapy for trans and gender-diverse individuals.

Dr Sean Pert has won the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists’ Sternberg Award for Clinical Innovation on an unprecedented three occasions. His online teaching methods were recognised with the Pandemic Pedagogy Teaching Award. Dr Pert has also been nominated for his students’ Most Inspiring Lecturer.

Click here to find out more about Dr Pert’s professional interests and activities.

Elena Loraine is a Speech and Language Therapist and clinical academic. She has trained speech and language therapy teams nationally within the NHS and SLT students in POCA, a practical and evidence-based coaching approach. Elena researched a federally funded early intervention model in her Churchill Travelling Fellowship to the USA in 2017 where she was first introduced to the use of ‘coaching’. Elena then further designed and developed a coaching training programme in her National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) funded research project. She brings her experience as a speech and language therapist, working both in the NHS and private sector, along with insights from her academic research into her training courses.  Elena Loraine has presented nationally and internationally, including at the Division of Early Childhood International Conference (USA) and at the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) events.

Helen Botham has worked as a Speech Pathologist for forty years in Melbourne and in the UK. She worked with preschool and young school-aged children in private practice and has a particular interest in speech and language problems associated with literacy difficulties.

Helen has consulted with and advised parents, teachers and carers, and she ran Cued Articulation courses for preschool and school teachers throughout Australia and overseas. She has a particular interest in issues concerning teaching Aboriginal students. Helen has conducted courses in northern Australia for teachers of Aboriginal students and has taken part in workshops for teachers of Aboriginal students in New South Wales.

Helen Botham completed a Master of Applied Science at La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia, where she investigated outcomes for teachers attending a Cued Articulation course. She was interested to know whether their attendance can improve the phonological and letter-sound awareness required by teachers of reading.