Autism research lab

Marc leads the Autism Research Lab which brings together researchers from design, architecture, technology, psychology and education. He leads two EU-funded projects, both concerned with supporting young autistic people through education: The IMAGE project which focuses on autistic students’ transition out of university, into employment, and the DesignMyFuture project which focuses on how best to support young autistic people (amongst other marginalised groups) as they plan to make the transition from compulsory schooling towards future positive destinations, thereby reducing early school leaving (ESL). Previously he led the EU-funded Autism&Uni project which produced now widely used tools and resources to help autistic students navigate the transition into university. Marc has published on the barriers and enablers for autistic university students, participatory design methods, and the technology preferences of autistic people. He recently co-edited an IJHCI Special Issue on “Designing with and for users on the autism spectrum”. Marc serves as Editor for the Journal of Enabling Technologies and on the Editorial Board of Autism in Adulthood. 

Joan’s research focuses on the teaching of the design of autism schools, colleges and residential accommodation, to Interior Architecture students, through a partially live design project. Initially a pilot project informed by working with autistic children, it has developed into a case study based model involving 8 local SEND schools and LCC. This work has resulted in a specific interest in the design of spatial transitioning environments for autistic people. Joan is currently working with two practitioners, one from Sensory-OT4me and one from Henshaw's Specialist College, incorporating sensory integration therapy and positive behaviour into the design brief. She is also undertaking consultancy work for Leeds City Council advising them on the design of some new build bespoke community accommodation for autistic adults.

Lauren is a PhD student and Course Director for BA Product Design and MA 3D Design. Lauren’s research, entitled ‘Designing Graduates’, is centred around the employability of our product design graduates and their transition into the workplace. The study aims to optimise their higher education experience to best align with the needs of industry after graduation. Ultimately the study aims to give our graduates the best chance of achieving and maintaining meaningful employment.  

Studying students’ employability journeys has brought key insights, such as the importance of ownership and agency of their own employability, intrinsic and extrinsic motivations and mindset. Through co-design methods, Lauren works with our students, graduates, academics and members of industry to explore how we might best support graduate employability and how this can feed into the design of teaching and learning materials.  

Lauren contributes to the Autism Research Lab through research threads such as the student journey, employability and transitions from education to employment. 

Mhairi has both professional and academic expertise in autism provision. Prior to joining academia, Mhairi worked in mainstream education which specialised in providing for pupils with autism. At University of Aberdeen School of Education Mhairi worked with Dr Jackie Ravet to develop and deliver an MA in Autism and Learning. During her time at Aberdeen, Mhairi was consulted by Scottish Government on policy and practice changes to improve provision across Scotland. Mhairi has led a number of research projects which focus on professional development for teachers seeking to make their practice more inclusive, including the EU-funded PROLEA, PROMISE and PICAP projects. She is a visiting professor at Klinikschule for Autism at the University of Tübingen, Germany. Since joining Leeds Beckett University in 2017, Mhairi has led the successful UG elective on Autism and Families and has developed a new Masters in Inclusive Practice in Education which is based on the theoretical notion of Inclusive Pedagogy. It provides an opportunity for practitioners to engage in professional learning about inclusion informed by cutting edge research including a module on autism provision. Mhairi is external examiner for autism masters courses at Leeds University and Queen’s University, Belfast.

James’ 2016 book “Naming Adult Autism” is one of the first critiques of cultural and medical narratives of Autism to be authored by an adult diagnosed with this condition. He has presented papers on autism both at Literary Studies and Health Sciences conferences. Like Roz, he brings his personal perspective to research. 

Lisa’s research is informed by over ten years of practical experience in understanding the barriers to employment faced by autistic adults. Previously based within several non-profit and start-up organisations (such as the National Autistic Society, AS Mentoring and Auticon), she has worked closely with autistic adults to address confidence, anxiety and sensory issues in the workplace. She has advised major corporate organisations, such as GlaxoSmithKline and Virgin Money, on how to recruit and manage autistic employees. Lisa’s PhD research focused on executive functioning skills and mental health and she was able to recruit over 200 autistic adults within her research. Presently Dr Harkry is a Lecturer in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences and a co-investigator on the ERASMUS+ funded IMAGE project.

Roz is employability tutor for computing and engineering and has a keen interest in how autistic people come through university and how HE can equip them for work. She has practical lived in experience as someone with autism so brings her own perspective to research. Roz is involved with the IMAGE project partly from the employability aspects but also in how assistive technology can help autistic adults succeed and what can be done to help autistic graduates into jobs. Due to supporting her adopted son (currently on autism/ADHD diagnosis pathway), Roz has a personal as well as professional interest in looking at how technology can be best used in education to support pupils with autism but also other additional needs.

Jonathan’s research is underpinned by a commitment to social justice for children and young people who have special educational needs. He has published chapters and peer-reviewed journal articles on autism. He is currently researching the mental health of children with autism and he is research lead in the Carnegie Centre of Excellence for Mental Health in Schools at Leeds Beckett University.