We will be joined by Dr Jo Moss from the University of Surrey, who will be speaking about “Understanding atypical patterns of autism in individuals with genetic syndromes associated with intellectual disability”. If you are interested in attending this seminar, please contact s.cedar@warwick.ac.uk for the joining details.

About the speaker

Dr Jo Moss is a Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Surrey where she runs the Neurodevelopmental Disorders Research Lab (Home | Mysite (ndevresearchlab.com)). Through her research, Jo aims to better understand social, emotional and cognitive diversity in individuals with a range of neurodevelopmental conditions.

Seminar abstract

Individuals with genetic syndromes associated with intellectual disability are significantly more likely to present with social-communication difficulties that are consistent with a diagnosis of autism compared to the wider intellectual disability and general populations. However, there is significantly lower recognition of autism in clinical practice within the genetic syndrome population, contributing to poorer long-term prognosis. In this talk I will discuss the factors that confound assessment and diagnosis of autism and related characteristics in these populations and consider wider implications for understanding the development and presentation of autism.

CEDAR Research seminar series (pdf)

Dr Emma Langley of the Centre for Educational Development, Appraisal and Research (CEDAR) has been awarded a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) to continue her work on the psychological wellbeing of fathers of children with Intellectual Disability (ID). The one-year fellowship will begin in October 2019 and will build on her doctoral research in Education and Psychology which explored the psychological wellbeing of family members of children with ID and/or autism.

ESRC Postdoctoral Research Fellowships aim to provide researchers in the postdoctoral stage of their career the opportunity to consolidate their PhD through developing publications, networks, and their research and professional skills. The scheme is very competitive, with 7 funded fellowships available across six universities in the Midlands Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP).

During the fellowship Emma will analyse large-scale longitudinal data to investigate how paternal wellbeing affects the outcomes of children with ID. She will also be collaborating with a small group of fathers of children with ID to disseminate research findings and co-produce a practical guide for fathers based on their experiences.

Emma said:

“I am extremely grateful to the ESRC for this invaluable opportunity which provides me with the time to focus on my research activities and develop as an early career academic. More importantly, it allows me to continue to explore the psychological wellbeing of fathers of children with ID to be able to better understand their needs.”

Dr Louise Denne, Senior Research Fellow in CEDAR has been awarded one of 12 new research grants from the National Institute for Health Research for a project which helps teach adults with intellectual disabilities how to read. Further details can be found here