Projects

Throughout our research, we aim to work closely with autistic individuals and their families. Our research is conducted using behavioural measures and psychophysiological measures. Our current projects are…

Autism and Mental Health

We are currently conducting a study investigating the relationship between sensory reactivity and mental health in 3-6-year-old autistic children, who we will follow for 2 years. The child’s responses to sensory stimuli will be observed and their parent/caregiver will fill out questionnaires about their child’s sensory symptoms and mental health. This research will inform of whether there is a link between autistic children’s sensory reactivity and mental health, providing a potential opportunity for new intervention strategies, to benefit mental health services for autistic people.

http://www.mqmentalhealth.org/research/profiles/mental-health-autism

https://www.autistica.org.uk/our-research/research-projects/sensory-reactivity-and-anxiety

Autism and The Indoor Environment

This is a SeNSS funded project and in collaboration with Autistica. The project is understanding the learning experiences of autistic children in special needs schools through a better understanding of the indoor environment. The relationship will be investigated via measuring aspects of the indoor environment such as CO2 levels, the sensory reactivity symptoms of autistic children, and the children’s behaviour within the classroom. This project will help us to better understand how we might adapt special needs classrooms to better support the learning of autistic children to reach their full learning potential.