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Research 2023-12-15T16:07:24+00:00

RESEARCH

My research interests are primarily in the area of Additional Educational Needs (AEN) and inclusive education, with a particular focus on social, emotional, and/or mental health needs or neurodivergences.

My vision for education is the development of truly inclusive schools, where “all” students (regardless of differing abilities or ages) are included; have access to opportunities for development (academic, social, and emotional), so as to achieve their full potential and become thriving contributing members of their school community and within the broader communities and society.

I believe that central to this goal is access to meaningful opportunities for voice and empowerment.

Research Interests:

  • Psychology of Special Educational Needs (SEN) and Inclusive Education
  • Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
  • Social, Emotional, and/or Mental Health Difficulties
  • School-based interventions (early years and primary schools) targeting challenging behaviour, socio-emotional learning, and executive functioning
  • Lay theories of deviance / difference / disorder
  • Teachers’ perceptions and attitudes
  • Teacher training
  • Participation (co-creation) in research and practice
  • Children / patient / learner voice
  • Child-friendly creative research methods
  • Early childhood education / intervention

My research interests focus on all children and young people SEN, but I have a particular interest in students with ADHD and other neurodivergence, particularly those associated with Social, Emotional, and Mental Health difficulties.

I have a particular interest in the use and efficacy of creative and arts-based techniques for to provide a space for children’s and other stakeholders’ voice, in research and practice. I have developed and tested tools to facilitate the consultation process with children, especially those with SEN.

Membership in Research Groups:

I am involved with a number of different research groups in the UK, Ireland, and across Europe.

In the University of Bristol, I continue to work with PhD students and researchers as an Honorary Academic and I am involved with researchers in the Centre for Psychological Approaches to the Study of Education.

I have also remained active in the research group Inclusion in Education and Society in Trinity College Dublin.

Professional Advisory Boards: 

A part of my commitment to actively working with people with neurodivergences, I works closely with a range of ADHD ‘patient’ groups, charities, and grassroots advocacy organisations.  At present, I sits on the Professional Advisory Boards of ADHD Europe with a remit over education and research.

Current and Previous Research Projects:

  • Lessons in Neurodiversity: Exploring the voices of neurodivergent students about belonging to co-construct a PSHE curriculum for primary schools.
  • ‘Positive Disruptors: Woman with ADHD and their Wins’: A patient-led study to identify empowerment enables for woman with ADHD in education.
  • Helping Hand Project: Co-creation and evaluation of an early childhood/ early intervention home-school curriculum for Kindergartens in Romania, Slovakia, and Hungary  for students identified as having social, emotional, and/or mental health needs (Erasmus+ / EU commissioned research)
  • Disablist Bullying (SCoTENS project)
  • Initial Teacher Education (ITE): Pre-service teachers’ knowledge, understanding, and attitudes towards students with Special Educational Needs (SEN) and/or Disabilities (SCoTENS project)
  • Transitions: Exploring professionals perceptions and experiences of the transitions of students with SEN (e.g., primary to post-primary school or education to employment) (NCSE project)
  • Developing an evidence-based parent training program for children with ADHD (Erasmus+ project)
  • Expert White Paper on ADHD: Research-based policy document addressing the societal impact, costs and long-term outcomes, in support of affected individuals
  • Co-morbidity
  • Pan-European survey of diagnosis and treatment of ADHD.
  • Pan-European survey of educational accommodation in policy and practice.
  • The recognition of ADHD as a disability across Europe.
  • EU directives and anti-discrimination legislation in the workplace.
  • Submissions to ICD-11.
  • Patient-led research and practice.
  • Promoting mental health and well-being in schools.
  • Children’s voice
  • Teacher-led coaching interventions for students with ADHD
  • Developing a whole school early childhood curriculum promoting socio-emotional skills and resiliency in all students.