Meet the Team
Clinical Team
Mrs Pat Abbott BSc (Hons), MSc
Clinic Manager
Pat graduated from the University of Southampton with a BSc (Honours) in Psychology in 1994, and in November 2007 was awarded an MSc in Cognitive Neuropsychology from Oxford Brookes University. She has more than 13 years experience of working in a regional neurological centre, helping to provide a diagnostic neuropsychology service to patients with a range of neurological conditions, including epilepsy, acquired brain injury, and dementia.
Dr Tony Brown BSc, MSc, D.Clin Psych, CPsychol, AFBPSS
Consultant Clinical Psychologist
Tony is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist and lecturer on the Doctoral Programme in Clinical Psychology at the University of Southampton. His NHS clinical practice has been in the areas of child and adult mental health, learning disabilities, severe challenging behaviour and autism diagnosis. Outside of the NHS he has worked with Social Services as part of the Emergency Duty Team and the Hampshire Autistic Society. His main focus of research has been in the areas of developmental disabilities, severe behaviour disorders; family adaptation and stress; staff stress, coping, and training; early intervention.
Dr Dominic Casey MB, BS, SR
Consultant Psychiatrist (Learning Disabilities Service)
Having completed Higher Training in the Psychiatry of Learning Disabilities on the North East Thames Training Scheme, Dominic was appointed as Consultant Psychiatrist for Adults with Learning Disabilities to the New Forest locality in 1996. He continues in this role with Hampshire Partnership NHS Trust, working both with inpatients and people living in the community; these are people who have mental health difficulties or challenging behaviour in addition to a primary diagnosis of Learning Disability or Autism.
He has also held managerial responsibility in the role of Associate Medical Director for the Learning Disability Directorate, and as Directorate lead for Clinical Governance, and most recently as Mental Capacity Act lead for the New Forest Locality.
In his leisure time, Dominic is on the Management Committee of the Gantry Youth Theatre, Southampton, a member of the Woodcraft Folk, and is currently learning how to be a printmaker.
He lives with his partner and three children in Southampton.
He is relishing the opportunity to bring his particular expertise and skills to the ADRC.
Dr David Murphy BSc (Hons), MSc, D. Clin Psych, PG Dip Clin Neuro, CPsychol
Forensic and Clinical Neuropsychologist
David is a Chartered Forensic & Clinical Neuropsychologist. Following an undergraduate degree in Psychology at Royal Holloway, University of London and a Masters degree in Research and Statistics in Psychology at the University of Reading, he completed his clinical training in Oxford and specialist neuropsychology training at the Institute of Psychiatry, London.
With over ten years qualified experience practising clinical neuropsychology in a range of settings and client groups, David has full practitioner membership to three professional divisions of the British Psychological Society (the divisions of clinical, forensic and neuropsychology respectively). He has specialist expertise in the assessment and management of adults with autistic spectrum disorders, including having received specialist training by the National Autistic Society and Dr Lorna Wing at the Centre for Social and Communication Disorders, Elliot House.
His main appointment is as a practising forensic and clinical neuropsychologist in Broadmoor High Security Psychiatric Hospital. He is regularly involved in the assessment and management of complex forensic psychiatric cases, gaining national recognition within neuropsychology and the forensic aspects of autistic spectrum disorders, including providing evidence in several high profile criminal cases and expert evidence in the high courts. Within Broadmoor Hospital, in addition to providing a general neuropsychological assessment service, David has developed a specialist assessment and advice service for patients with autistic spectrum disorders. He provides teaching to several universities and is an active researcher with publications on autistic spectrum disorders in international peer reviewed journals.
Dr Richard Polson MB, BS, MRCPsych
Consultant Psychiatrist (Adult Mental Health)
Richard qualified from St Bartholomew's Hospital Medical School in 1982 and was appointed as a Consultant Psychiatrist in adult mental health in Fareham in 1993. He has a wide range of experiences including work in the community, acute inpatient, intensive care, and rehabilitation settings, and for ten years worked within substance misuse services.
Richard developed an interest in autism through involvement as a School Governor at Shepherds Down School, Hampshire which had expertise in educating autistic children using TEACCH methods in particular.
Dr Matt Symes BSc, PhD, D. Clin Psych, CPsychol
Clinical Psychologist
Matt is a Chartered Clinical Psychologist. He trained at the University of Southampton, and has been awarded a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology and a Doctorate in Philosophy.
He has experience of diagnosing and providing psychological support for adults and children with autism, Asperger syndrome and/or learning disabilities. Matt has worked with parents and families, teachers, health professionals, and support staff in a variety of contexts to develop their understanding and facilitation of individuals with autism spectrum disorders and associated conditions.
Matt has also conducted research exploring health professional and public perceptions of adults with Asperger syndrome, and has published in the area of early intensive behavioural intervention for young children with autism.
In addition to his work with the ADRC, Matt also works as a Clinical Psychologist in a local Community Learning Disability Health Team.