Alan Leschied, Ph.D., is a psychologist and professor in the Faculty of Education at Western University in London. He began working in children’s mental health in 1977 at the London Family Court Clinic, joining the faculty at Western in 1998. He serves on the advisory committees to the Centre of Excellence in Children’s Mental Health at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, the Child Welfare Secretariat for the Ministry of Children and Youth and with Correctional Services Canada. He is an associate scientist with the Lawson Research Foundation, the Consortium for Applied Research and Evaluation in Mental Health and the Children’s Health Research Institute.

Leschied has appeared as an expert witness in youth courts and coroner’s inquests in the provinces of Alberta, Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick. He has presented on numerous occasions on children’s issues to both the provincial and federal governments. He is called upon as a frequent contributor in the media regarding issues related to the well-being of children and families.

Leschied is a Fellow of the Canadian Psychology Association, a recipient in 2003 of both the Edward G. Pleva Award for Excellence in Teaching and the Judge Wendy Robson Award for outstanding service to children in Ontario. In 2004 he was a recipient of a life-time achievement award through the Criminal Justice Section of the Canadian Psychology Association.