I am a Psychology PhD student studying part time. Before returning to academia, I worked for 20 years as a Speech & Language Therapist with children and young people. I began my PhD in 2020 and I'm very much enjoying it!
The focus of my PhD is improving support for autistic young people in mainstream secondary schools, from their own lived experience perspective. My work is qualitative including thematic synthesis and reflexive thematic analysis. Key interests are autistic/ neurodivergent people's experience and the experience of minority &/or stigmatised groups more generally. Also methodology which promotes strengths based and inclusive approaches to research & communicates lived experience perspectives.
Article
McKinlay M, Thorpe D, Cage E, Grainger C, Jasper C & Stewart M (2024) A systematic review: Which psycho-social-environmental factors do autistic students identify as being important for positive experiences in mainstream secondary school?. Autism. https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613241285974
I work in a variety of teaching assistant/ tutor roles including supporting seminars & lectures and also marking. I teach a unit within the Autism & Developmental Conditions MSc regarding Autism & Education.