I am a retired professor of education and a school governor at an alternative provision for pupils with additional learning needs. I am also Nan to three gorgeous grandchildren, one of whom is autistic.

My Fellowship will focus on supporting the learning and wellbeing of autistic pupils. In the UK, with increasing numbers of pupils identified as autistic and a drive towards more inclusive approaches to education, there is an increasing challenge to meet the needs of autistic pupils in mainstream schools.

My aim is to identify and share global advances in research and practice that could be implemented in the UK. I am particularly interested in advances in participatory or collaborative research models that involve partnership, facilitate meaningful collaboration between researchers and the autism community and lead to better support for autistic pupils, enabling them to learn and thrive. I hope I can help close the research to practice gap and arrive at feasible suggestions to enhance the learning environment, educational experience and outcomes for autistic students and their peers.