I qualified as an Occupational Therapist in 1988 and have been involved in Higher Education for the last eighteen years. I am currently a lecturer on the pre-registration Occupational Therapy courses delivered at Cardiff University. Having started my academic career at Cardiff I moved in 2008 to University of Wales, Newport/University of SouthWales to deliver a Masters in in Autism and Developmental Disorders returning to Healthcare sciences at Cardiff in 2015. Throughout my time in Higher Education I have continued to work as an occupational therapist and have developed specialist skills working with individuals across the lifespan with neurodevelopment disorders, in particular Developmental Coordination Disorder and Autism Spectrum Conditions. My research reflects my practice interest and I am currently exploring how co-design can be used as an asset focused intervention in the field of neurodevelopmental disorders.
Education:
2010: Masters in Education, Cardiff University
1988: Diploma in Occupational Therapy, Welsh School of Occupational Therapy
Professional Membership:
Member of the Royal College of Occupational Therapy
Registered with HCPC
Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
Publications:
2017 Understanding the functional mobility of adults with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) through the International Classification of Functioning (ICF). , Current Developmental Disorders Reports
2017 “Neurodiverse and proud!” The co-production of a series of Guides to Success.
2017 Neurodiversity: developing guides to success using participatory research, Making a difference with psychology
2017 Measuring the impact of Intensive Interaction on joint attention and intentional communication using the FOCAL wheels. Good Autism Practice
2015 Implications of DSM-5 for recognising adults with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), British Journal of Occupational Therapy
2015. An investigation into the prevalence of the co-existence of dyslexia and self-reported symptomology of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Higher Education students and the effect on self-image and self-esteem.
2014 The EarlyBird Plus programme: How do Learning Support Assistants benefit from this? The Journal of Good Autism Practice