I am a PhD student in Applied Autism Research at the University of Strathclyde under the supervision of Dr Anna Robinson. I am currently researching how autistic adolescents shape their learning experience through playing Minecraft and interacting with other gamers on the Autcraft server. My dual role as a neurodivergent researcher and neurodivergent mother of neurodivergent children gives me access to rich and privileged insights. In turn, this unique position informs my approach and enriches my research.
My work is embedded in the principles of lived experience, inclusion, neurodiversity, and agency. As a researcher, I am interested in the strategies neurodivergent young people develop to self-regulate their sensory sensitivities and emotions, and to improve their mental health through affective technologies. As a researcher-parent, my work focuses on how playing video games affords parents and their neurodivergent children the ability to connect, bond, and understand each other.
