Josh Fitzgerald has worked in education since 2002 and held leadership and headteacher roles across mainstream secondary, post-16 and special education settings. He has experience in leading portfolios of specialist provision for social, emotional and mental health (SEMH), autistic learners and specialist trauma services. Latterly, he has worked at a director of schools level for a range of SEND education providers in state funded, independent specialist and academy trust settings – all working for autistic young people.

Attending school and college in the 90s as a then undiagnosed autistic person, Josh’s personal experience of education was very difficult. Later, his youngest son received his formal autism diagnosis at age three, and he experienced first-hand the challenges faced by parents in navigating our complex SEND system. This has cemented his commitment to providing education that works better for autistic people at the National Autistic Society.

Josh says: “Not only are our schools demonstrating practical credibility of the values the charity works towards and showing that we can ‘walk the walk’. When it comes to the wider world helping autistic young people realise their potential, they are the front line. I feel privileged to work at the National Autistic Society as Director of Education.”