phd autism uk

We have 5 autism PhD Projects, Programmes & Scholarships for UK Students

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autism PhD Projects, Programmes & Scholarships for UK Students

Potential comorbidity and diagnostic overlap between complex post-traumatic stress disorder, borderline personality disorder and autism spectrum disorder: considering trauma and damaging behaviours, phd research project.

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

This project has funding attached, subject to eligibility criteria. Applications for the project are welcome from all suitably qualified candidates, but its funding may be restricted to a limited set of nationalities. You should check the project and department details for more information.

Investigating the effects of sensory stimuli and repetitive sensory-motor behaviours upon anxiety in autistic and non-autistic people

Funded phd project (european/uk students only).

This project has funding attached for UK and EU students, though the amount may depend on your nationality. Non-EU students may still be able to apply for the project provided they can find separate funding. You should check the project and department details for more information.

Investigating the molecular mechanisms underlying dysregulated synaptic plasticity in neurodevelopmental disorders

Physical activity and wellbeing through drumming, funded phd project (uk students only).

This research project has funding attached. It is only available to UK citizens or those who have been resident in the UK for a period of 3 years or more. Some projects, which are funded by charities or by the universities themselves may have more stringent restrictions.

Join Our Team: Fully Funded 4-Year PhD Position in Cognitive and Social Neuroscience

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PhD opportunities

We have internationally recognised research expertise in participatory and creative methods and approaches. Our vibrant ACoRNS research culture is supported by term-time, weekly online meetings for our students, staff, Visiting Fellows, and volunteers. You’ll be part of an inclusive, inspiring and collaborative research environment that includes opportunities for:

Presenting research ideas, progress and findings
Hearing from invited internal and external speakers
Taking part in ‘journal club’ discussions around a published paper or related news story
Developing research and leadership skills including writing for publication, managing ethical dilemmas, and chairing meetings
Sharing triumphs as well as challenges in a supportive and collegial environment
Contributing to taught programmes to improve your academic skills and career development

If you'd like to discuss our PhD opportunities informally, please email Sarah Parsons or Hanna Kovshoff:

Professor Sarah Parsons [email protected]

Dr Hanna Kovshoff [email protected]

Course modules
Acoustical engineering
Biomedical and medical engineering
Civil engineering
Every day I’m completely immersed in an environment that’s creative in all aspects
Everything I learn feels so relevant, even If it’s a subject rooted in the past
Maritime engineering
Photonics and optoelectronics
Social statistics and demography
A missing link between continental shelves and the deep sea: Have we underestimated the importance of land-detached canyons?
A seismic study of the continent-ocean transition southwest of the UK
A study of rolling contact fatigue in electric vehicles (EVs)
Acoustic monitoring of forest exploitation to establish community perspectives of sustainable hunting
Acoustic sensing and characterisation of soil organic matter
Advancing intersectional geographies of diaspora-led development in times of multiple crises
Aero engine fan wake turbulence – Simulation and wind tunnel experiments
Against Climate Change (DACC): improving the estimates of forest fire smoke emissions
All-in-one Mars in-situ resource utilisation (ISRU) system and life-supporting using non-thermal plasma
An electromagnetic study of the continent-ocean transition southwest of the UK
An investigation of the relationship between health, home and law in the context of poor and precarious housing, and complex and advanced illness
Antibiotic resistance genes in chalk streams
Being autistic in care: Understanding differences in care experiences including breakdowns in placements for autistic and non-autistic children
Biogeochemical cycling in the critical coastal zone: Developing novel methods to make reliable measurements of geochemical fluxes in permeable sediments
Bloom and bust: seasonal cycles of phytoplankton and carbon flux
British Black Lives Matter: The emergence of a modern civil rights movement
Building physics for low carbon comfort using artificial intelligence
Building-resolved large-eddy simulations of wind and dispersion over a city scale urban area
Business studies and management: accounting
Business studies and management: banking and finance
Business studies and management: decision analytics and risk
Business studies and management: digital and data driven marketing
Business studies and management: human resources (HR) management and organisational behaviour
Business studies and management: strategy, innovation and entrepreneurship
Carbon storage in reactive rock systems: determining the coupling of geo-chemo-mechanical processes in reactive transport
Cascading hazards from the largest volcanic eruption in over a century: What happened when Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai erupted in January 2022?
Characterisation of cast austenitic stainless steels using ultrasonic backscatter and artificial intelligence
Climate Change effects on the developmental physiology of the small-spotted catshark
Climate at the time of the Human settlement of the Eastern Pacific
Collaborative privacy in data marketplaces
Compatibility of climate and biodiversity targets under future land use change
Cost of living in modern and fossil animals
Creative clusters in rural, coastal and post-industrial towns
Deep oceanic convection: the outsized role of small-scale processes
Defect categories and their realisation in supersymmetric gauge theory
Defining the Marine Fisheries-Energy-Environment Nexus: Learning from shocks to enhance natural resource resilience
Design and fabrication of next generation optical fibres
Developing a practical application of unmanned aerial vehicle technologies for conservation research and monitoring of endangered wildlife
Development and evolution of animal biomineral skeletons
Development of all-in-one in-situ resource utilisation system for crewed Mars exploration missions
Ecological role of offshore artificial structures
Effect of embankment and subgrade weathering on railway track performance
Efficient ‘whole-life’ anchoring systems for offshore floating renewables
Electrochemical sensing of the sea surface microlayer
Engagement with nature among children from minority ethnic backgrounds
Enhancing UAV manoeuvres and control using distributed sensor arrays
Ensuring the Safety and Security of Autonomous Cyber-Physical Systems
Environmental and genetic determinants of Brassica crop damage by the agricultural pest Diamondback moth
Estimating marine mammal abundance and distribution from passive acoustic and biotelemetry data
Evolution of symbiosis in a warmer world
Examining evolutionary loss of calcification in coccolithophores
Explainable AI (XAI) for health
Explaining process, pattern and dynamics of marine predator hotspots in the Southern Ocean
Exploring dynamics of natural capital in coastal barrier systems
Exploring the mechanisms of microplastics incorporation and their influence on the functioning of coral holobionts
Exploring the potential electrical activity of gut for healthcare and wellbeing
Exploring the trans-local nature of cultural scene
Facilitating forest restoration sustainability of tropical swidden agriculture
Faulting, fluids and geohazards within subduction zone forearcs
Faulting, magmatism and fluid flow during volcanic rifting in East Africa
Fingerprinting environmental releases from nuclear facilities
Flexible hybrid thermoelectric materials for wearable energy harvesting
Floating hydrokinetic power converter
Glacial sedimentology associated subglacial hydrology
Green and sustainable Internet of Things
How do antimicrobial peptides alter T cell cytokine production?
How do calcifying marine organisms grow? Determining the role of non-classical precipitation processes in biogenic marine calcite formation
How do neutrophils alter T cell metabolism?
How well can we predict future changes in biodiversity using machine learning?
Hydrant dynamics for acoustic leak detection in water pipes
If ‘Black Lives Matter’, do ‘Asian Lives Matter’ too? Impact trajectories of organisation activism on wellbeing of ethnic minority communities
Illuminating luciferin bioluminescence in dinoflagellates
Imaging quantum materials with an XFEL
Impact of neuromodulating drugs on gut microbiome homeostasis
Impact of pharmaceuticals in the marine environment in a changing world
Impacts of environmental change on coastal habitat restoration
Improving subsea navigation using environment observations for long term autonomy
Information theoretic methods for sensor management
Installation effect on the noise of small high speed fans
Integrated earth observation mapping change land sea
Interconnections of past greenhouse climates
Investigating IgG cell depletion mechanisms
Is ocean mixing upside down? How mixing processes drive upwelling in a deep-ocean basin
Landing gear aerodynamics and aeroacoustics
Lightweight gas storage: real-world strategies for the hydrogen economy
Long-term change in the benthos – creating robust data from varying camera systems
Machine learning for multi-robot perception
Marine ecosystem responses to past climate change and its oceanographic impacts
Mechanical effects in the surf zone - in situ electrochemical sensing
Microfluidic cell isolation systems for sepsis
Migrant entrepreneurship, gender and generation: context and family dynamics in small town Britain
Miniaturisation in fishes: evolutionary and ecological perspectives
Modelling high-power fibre laser and amplifier stability
Modelling soil dewatering and recharge for cost-effective and climate resilient infrastructure
Modelling the evolution of adaptive responses to climate change across spatial landscapes
Nanomaterials sensors for biomedicine and/or the environment
New high-resolution observations of ocean surface current and winds from innovative airborne and satellite measurements
New perspectives on ocean photosynthesis
Novel methods of detecting carbon cycling pathways in lakes and their impact on ecosystem change
Novel technologies for cyber-physical security
Novel transparent conducting films with unusual optoelectronic properties
Novel wavelength fibre lasers for industrial applications
Ocean circulation and the Southern Ocean carbon sink
Ocean influence on recent climate extremes
Ocean methane sensing using novel surface plasmon resonance technology
Ocean physics and ecology: can robots disentangle the mix?
Ocean-based Carbon Dioxide Removal: Assessing the utility of coastal enhanced weathering
Offshore renewable energy (ORE) foundations on rock seabeds: advancing design through analogue testing and modelling
Optical fibre sensing for acoustic leak detection in buried pipelines
Optimal energy transfer in nonlinear systems
Optimizing machine learning for embedded systems
Oxidation of fossil organic matter as a source of atmospheric CO2
Partnership dissolution and re-formation in later life among individuals from minority ethnic communities in the UK
Personalized multimodal human-robot interactions
Preventing disease by enhancing the cleaning power of domestic water taps using sound
Quantifying riparian vegetation dynamics and flow interactions for Nature Based Solutions using novel environmental sensing techniques
Quantifying the response and sensitivity of tropical forest carbon sinks to various drivers
Quantifying variability in phytoplankton electron requirements for carbon fixation
Resilient and sustainable steel-framed building structures
Resolving Antarctic meltwater events in Southern Ocean marine sediments and exploring their significance using climate models
Robust acoustic leak detection in water pipes using contact sound guides
Silicon synapses for artificial intelligence hardware
Smart photon delivery via reconfigurable optical fibres
The Gulf Stream control of the North Atlantic carbon sink
The Mayflower Studentship: a prestigious fully funded PhD studentship in bioscience
The calming effect of group living in social fishes
The duration of ridge flank hydrothermal exchange and its role in global biogeochemical cycles
The evolution of symmetry in echinoderms
The impact of early life stress on neuronal enhancer function
The oceanic fingerprints on changing monsoons over South and Southeast Asia
The role of iron in nitrogen fixation and photosynthesis in changing polar oceans
The role of singlet oxygen signaling in plant responses to heat and drought stress
Time variability on turbulent mixing of heat around melting ice in the West Antarctic
Triggers and Feedbacks of Climate Tipping Points
Uncovering the drivers of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease progression using patient derived organoids
Understanding recent land-use change in Snowdonia to plan a sustainable future for uplands: integrating palaeoecology and conservation practice
Understanding the role of cell motility in resource acquisition by marine phytoplankton
Understanding the structure and engagement of personal networks that support older people with complex care needs in marginalised communities and their ability to adapt to increasingly ‘digitalised’ health and social care
Unpicking the Anthropocene in the Hawaiian Archipelago
Unraveling oceanic multi-element cycles using single cell ionomics
Unravelling southwest Indian Ocean biological productivity and physics: a machine learning approach
Using acoustics to monitor how small cracks develop into bursts in pipelines
Using machine learning to improve predictions of ocean carbon storage by marine life
Vulnerability of low-lying coastal transportation networks to natural hazards
Wideband fibre optical parametric amplifiers for Space Division Multiplexing technology
Will it stick? Exploring the role of turbulence and biological glues on ocean carbon storage
X-ray imaging and property characterisation of porous materials
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Cancer Sciences Protein Facility
Geotechnical Centrifuge
Maritime Robotics and Instrumentation Laboratory (MRIL)
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Departments

Study Postgraduate

Mphil/phd in education and psychology (2023 entry).

Students walking outside the Social Sciences building at the University of Warwick.

Course code

2nd October 2023

3-4 years full-time; Up to 7 years part-time

Qualification

University of Warwick

Find out more about our Education and Psychology MPhil/PhD.

Explore intellectual disabilities and autism in depth on Warwick's MPhil/PhD in Education and Psychology. The Centre for Educational Development, Appraisal and Research is an internationally recognised research centre specialising in intellectual and developmental disabilities and autism, across the lifespan.

Course overview

Students carry out a PhD by research only. There are no taught course components.

Teaching and learning

The department has several small PhD work spaces that students can access.

General entry requirements

Minimum requirements.

2:i undergraduate degree (or equivalent) in a related subject.

English language requirements

You can find out more about our English language requirements Link opens in a new window . This course requires the following:

IELTS overall score of 7.0, minimum component scores of two at 6.0/6.5 and the rest at 7.0 or above.

International qualifications

We welcome applications from students with other internationally recognised qualifications.

For more information, please visit the international entry requirements page Link opens in a new window .

Additional requirements

There are no additional entry requirements for this course.

Our research

We are interested in hearing from people who are thinking of pursuing a PhD in areas of CEDAR’s expertise:

Intellectual and developmental disabilities (including autism) across the lifespan
Assessment and diagnosis
Families, family adjustment, siblings of children with Intellectual and developmental disabilities and sibling relationships
Mental health in children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (including autism)
Forensic mental health in adults with intellectual disabilities and/or autism
Developmental psychology with children and adults with intellectual disabilities and/or autism
School attendance
Early intervention
Early development of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (including autism)
Transition to adulthood
Parenting skills and interventions
Psychological and educational therapies and interventions for children, adolescents, adults and families of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (including autism)
Training of education, health and social care staff

If you are interested in doing a PhD with us, you can look for and contact potential supervisors using our CEDAR Staff Directory .

Students are encouraged to contact K dot Gray dot 1 at warwick dot ac dot uk to discuss their interest in applying to study at CEDAR prior to submitting an application.

You can also see our general University guidance about finding a supervisor .

Find a supervisor

Students are encouraged to contact K dot Gray dot 1 at warwick dot ac dot uk to discuss their interest in applying to study at CEDAR prior to submitting an application.

You can also see our general University guidance about finding a supervisor. Link opens in a new window

Tuition fees

Tuition fees are payable for each year of your course at the start of the academic year, or at the start of your course, if later. Academic fees cover the cost of tuition, examinations and registration and some student amenities.

Taught course fees Research course fees

Fee Status Guidance

We carry out an initial fee status assessment based on the information you provide in your application. Students will be classified as Home or Overseas fee status. Your fee status determines tuition fees, and what financial support and scholarships may be available. If you receive an offer, your fee status will be clearly stated alongside the tuition fee information.

Do you need your fee classification to be reviewed?

If you believe that your fee status has been classified incorrectly, you can complete a fee status assessment questionnaire. Please follow the instructions in your offer information and provide the documents needed to reassess your status.

Find out more about how universities assess fee status

Additional course costs

As well as tuition fees and living expenses, some courses may require you to cover the cost of field trips or costs associated with travel abroad. Information about department specific costs should be considered in conjunction with the more general costs below, such as:

As well as tuition fees and living expenses, some courses may require you to cover the cost of field trips or costs associated with travel abroad.

For departmental specific costs, please see the Modules tab on the course web page for the list of core and optional core modules with hyperlinks to our  Module Catalogue  (please visit the Department’s website if the Module Catalogue hyperlinks are not provided).

Associated costs can be found on the Study tab for each module listed in the Module Catalogue (please note most of the module content applies to 2022/23 year of study). Information about module department specific costs should be considered in conjunction with the more general costs below:

Core text books
Printer credits
Dissertation binding
Robe hire for your degree ceremony

Scholarships and bursaries

Scholarships and financial support

Find out about the different funding routes available, including; postgraduate loans, scholarships, fee awards and academic department bursaries.

Living costs

Find out more about the cost of living as a postgraduate student at the University of Warwick.

Centre for Educational Development, Appraisal and Research (CEDAR)

CEDAR is an internationally recognised research centre with an applied research focus on intellectual and developmental disabilities, including autism.

We also specialise in researching special educational needs and inclusion, disability across the lifespan (especially intellectual / developmental disability and autism). We emphasise combined methods research undertaken in multi-disciplinary teams, secondary analysis approaches, and intervention evaluation designs including randomised controlled trials.

Find out more by visiting our website.

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Why Warwick

Discover why Warwick is one of the best universities in the UK and renowned globally.

8th in the UK (The Guardian University Guide 2023) Link opens in a new window

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About the information on this page

This information is applicable for 2023 entry. Given the interval between the publication of courses and enrolment, some of the information may change. It is important to check our website before you apply. Please read our terms and conditions to find out more.

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Analytics Theory and Applications for Teaching Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Self-funded

Project code

CCTS4540219

Start dates

October, February and April

Application deadline

Applications accepted all year round

Applications are invited for a self-funded, 3-year full-time or 6-year part-time PhD project, to commence in October or February.

The PhD will be based in the School of Computing and will be supervised by Dr Honghai Liu and Dr Zhaojie Ju .

Machine enhanced therapy/intervention for children with ASD has been propelled by the innovations in human-machine interfaces and computer vision. Impressive results in the sensing and analytics of ASD children’s behaviour have enabled the avenue for more dexterous interaction taking into account their less preference for interacting with non-human agents. Despite the significant attention in machine assisted healthcare for children with ASD, an educational purpose targeted machine assisted system is still missing. The knowledge and valuable data from machine enhanced therapy/intervention has not been converted into actionable application in special education yet.

The goal of this PhD project is to develop a better understanding of how machine assisted education systems are more effective at a reduced burden of human intervention and build a machine assisted education system for children with ASD. To achieve this aim, the state-of-the-art human behaviour sensing and analytics techniques will be transformed into a real application with an emphasis on the curriculum design, affective computing and system integration. The outcome of this PhD project will enable the special education school users to reduce their repeated workload in daily teaching while observing the progress of children behaviour/knowledge with quantitative measurements.

The project will involve building a virtual environment based curriculum and knowledge visualisation in the special education domain of ASD, developing an affective computing framework for children behaviour analysis comprising gaze estimation, expression recognition and motion recognition, and the contactless sensory system integration for an education targeted platform. Based on the tangible system, a long-term evaluation of the machine assisted education for children with ASD will be conducted in special education schools. Experiments will be run to assess how effectively the burden of teachers is reduced and how ASD children benefit from the machine assisted teaching of knowledge and skills.

Fees and funding

Visit the research subject area page for fees and funding information for this project.

Funding availability: Self-funded PhD students only.

PhD full-time and part-time courses are eligible for the UK Government Doctoral Loan (UK and EU students only).

Some PhD projects may include additional fees – known as bench fees – for equipment and other consumables, and these will be added to your standard tuition fee. Speak to the supervisory team during your interview about any additional fees you may have to pay. Please note, bench fees are not eligible for discounts and are non-refundable.

Entry requirements

General admissions.

You'll need a good first degree from an internationally recognised university (minimum upper second class or equivalent, depending on your chosen course) or a Master’s degree in an Civil Engineering or related area. In exceptional cases, we may consider equivalent professional experience and/or Qualifications. English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 6.5 with no component score below 6.0.

Specific admissions

The candidate should have a UK Honours Degree at 2.1 (or equivalent) in Computing Science or related area. A good understanding of OpenCV and related programming skills are ideally preferred for shortlisting the candidates.

How to apply

We’d encourage you to contact Dr Honghai Liu ( [email protected] ) to discuss your interest before you apply, quoting the project code CCTS4540219.

When you are ready to apply, please follow the 'Apply now' link on the Health Informatics PhD subject area page and select the link for the relevant intake. Make sure you submit a personal statement, proof of your degrees and grades, details of two referees, proof of your English language proficiency and an up-to-date CV. Our ‘ How to Apply ’ page offers further guidance on the PhD application process.

Laboratory for Innovation in Autism PhD Studentships

At the multidisciplinary Laboratory for Innovation in Autism we seek to understand the subtle, but significant motor disruption in autism spectrum disorder, its neurodevelopmental origins and contribution to psychological development across early childhood. We are an engaged, award-winning team working to advance knowledge of child development with technological innovation in smart technology and serious games made fun for young children. We work across psychology, neuropsychiatry, education, and engineering with key international collaborators at Edinburgh, Gothenburg, Pisa, and Melbourne.

Child Development
Machine Learning

Supervision is available from Prof. Jonathan Delafield-Butt (Autism and Child Development), Prof. Phil Rowe (Motor Control and Biomedical Engineering), and Dr Christos Tachtatzis and Prof Ivan Andonovic (Machine Learning and Electronic Engineering). Studentships are available from the following:

Carnegie/Caledonia PhD Scholarships – 3 Year PhD. Closing Date: 28 February 2020
Economic & Social Research Council – 3 Year PhD or 3 + 1. Closing Date: 10 January 2020
Arts and Humanities Research Council – 3.5 Year PhD. Closing Date: 6 January 2020
Student Excellence Awards – 3 Year PhD. Closing Date: 6 March 2020
Dean’s Global Research Scholarship (HaSS) – Up to 3 Years. Closing Date: 30 March 2020

Please contact us at [email protected] or [email protected] well in advance of the deadlines to discuss your application, and if selected for support, to prepare your submission. Studentships offer a stipend at UKRI rates and cover UK fees. Additional funding is available for outstanding international candidates through the Dean’s Global Research Scholarship.

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Student profiles

Autism Studies (Distance Learning)

The Autism Studies MA provides the academic background necessary for good practice both with autistic individuals and organisations that provide or arrange support.

Key information

Distance learning

Duration 1 year full-time
Start date September
Location Canterbury

Our programme is designed for graduates and practitioners, giving you the confidence to apply an advanced level of knowledge to many real-life situations. Gain a specialist, vocational qualification that will develop your career in the field of intellectual disabilities and autism.

The deadline for applications in consideration for entry in September is the 18 JULY , and we advise applicants who wish to be considered for entry in September to apply and provide all supporting documents by this date. Applications will remain open after the deadline, and we may be able to continue to consider applications received after this date for entry in September. However, there may be insufficient time to do so, in which case consideration would be for entry the following academic year.

Reasons to study Autism Studies (Distance Learning) at Kent

Study alongside some of the UK’s leading academics working in autism, learning disability and community care.
We offer a range of funding opportunities to fund your studies.
As a student or graduate, you can join the Tizard Practitioners’ Network of experts in the field.
Our distance learning course allows you to fit your studies around your work and personal life.
Receive academic and professional support from leading clinicians and researchers in the field of intellectual disabilities and autism.
Benefit from our excellent links with health and social care organisations, and other relevant establishments.

What you'll learn

You study a combination of academic modules and (if doing the MA/PDip) carry out a case study and/or dissertation which may be empirical or library-based. PDip students do the case study, while MA students do the case study and the research project.

Everything you need to know about our Autism Studies (Distance Learning) course

Entry requirements, course structure, how you'll study.

A good honours degree, typically in psychology or other relevant social sciences, or comparable professional qualifications and experience.

All applicants are considered on an individual basis and additional qualifications, professional qualifications and relevant experience may also be taken into account when considering applications.

Please see our International Student website for entry requirements by country and other relevant information. Due to visa restrictions, students who require a student visa to study cannot study part-time unless undertaking a distance or blended-learning programme with no on-campus provision.

English language entry requirements

This course requires a Very Good level of English language, equivalent to a high B2 on CEFR.

Details on how to meet this requirement can be found on our English Language requirements webpage .

Examples:

IELTS 6.5 with a minimum of 5.5 in each component

PTE Academic 67 with a minimum of 59 in each sub-test

A degree from the UK

A degree from a Majority English Speaking Country

Please note that if you are required to meet an English language condition, we offer a number of pre-sessional courses in English for Academic Purposes through Kent International Pathways .

The following modules are indicative of those offered on this programme. This list is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation. Most programmes will require you to study a combination of compulsory and optional modules. You may also have the option to take modules from other programmes so that you may customise your programme and explore other subject areas that interest you.

Further details

Research Methods

The aim of this module is to teach students about research methodology and the knowledge needed to access and interpret the research literature. For those who take the statistical analysis element, the aim is also to teach appropriate statistical techniques for the analysis of quantitative data. The emphasis will be on methods of data collection and analysis which will be useful in practice settings, so that advanced multivariate techniques will not be taught.

Find out more

Behaviour Analysis and Intervention

Students will receive training on behaviour analysis and broader systems of support that have emerged from the field of behavioural science to support individuals diagnosed with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities. The module will critically evaluate the historical application of behavioural approaches, focusing on ethical and empowering support frameworks that can improve people's quality of life. Training will cover basic behavioural principles that link to how we learn, assessment strategies to better understand behaviour within its context, strategies to support individuals that might be exhibiting behaviours described as challenging, and ways to promote communication and the development of skills.

Service Issues in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities by Distance Learning

The aim of this module is to give students an understanding of organisational issues involved in learning disability services, including institutionalisation and deinstitutionalisation, theories of normalisation and criticisms of these theories, methods of analysing quality of life and care and ways of producing change in services. This module is taught as a web-based guided study module with seminars at several points in the first term. For AIIDD students, this module is closely linked to the service placement and discussion and application of web-based units will occur during placement supervision.

Extended Essay

All students will write one essay on a topic which requires them to draw on material from the service issues, social psychology and behavioural analysis and intervention modules. This will be done over the course of the year for full time students and in the second year for part time students and will be submitted during the third term of the final year.

Social Psychology of Autism

The aim of this module is to teach the basic facts about the nature and origins of autism, including definitions, epidemiology, biological, social and environmental causes. In addition, characteristics and needs of people with autism will be considered (including cognitive and social characteristics). All of this information will be set within the wider context of intellectual and developmental disabilities and students, although focusing primarily on autism, will be required to learn and know about these issues more widely. Over 50% of people with autism have a co-morbid condition and therefore this is an essential approach.

Social Psychology of Autism: Advanced

The aim of this module is to teach advanced facts about the nature and origins of autism, including definitions, epidemiology, biological, social and environmental causes and autism specific interventions. This module will build on the knowledge of characteristics and needs of people with autism (including co-morbidities), set within the wider context of intellectual and developmental disabilities. Whist TZRD8660 (Social Psychology of Autism by Distance Learning) introduced students to intervention and approaches to supporting people with autism, this module will expand this knowledge to include the critical understanding of the research evidence around intervention in autism. Theories used to explain autism will be discussed in depth, with students supported to critically interrogate the evidence base. The knowledge and understanding developed will be used to compare and contrast approaches to intervention and draw intelligent conclusions about policy and practice. Issues from across the lifespan will be addressed, including early intervention.

Case Study Assessment and Intervention 1

This module is intended for health or social care professionals who are working with people who are on the autism spectrum (either in a paid or voluntary basis), or those who are family carers. Students will be able to apply their theoretical learning from TZRD8660 (Social Psychology of Autism) and TZRD8730 (Social psychology of autism: Advanced) to case studies.

Students will work their way through the case study material provided. As they do so, they draw on the knowledge they have gained from the academic modules related to the characteristics and nature of autism, the causes and theories of autism, intervention and approaches to support, challenging behaviour and complex needs, and service design, service quality and organisation change. They will use this knowledge to analyse case study data, produce formulations, plan interventions, interpret outcome data and describe methods of implementation, monitoring and evaluation.

Case Study Assessment and Intervention 2

This module is intended for health or social care professionals who are working with people with autism (either in a paid or voluntary basis), or those who are family carers. Students will be able to apply their theoretical learning from TZRD8660 (Social Psychology of Autism) and TZRD8730 (Social psychology of autism: Advanced) to case studies.

Research Project in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

During the first term of the course students will develop ideas for their research project and will be given the opportunity to choose a research project proposed and supervised by members of the course team or other Tizard staff ( course handbook for the list of topics for the current year). Students who choose to design their own project will be allocated a project supervisor. Students following the MSc in Analysis and Intervention in Intellectual and Developmental Disability are required to do an empirical project. All other students can choose between either an empirical or a non-empirical (e.g. policy or research review) project.

Students develop a proposal (assessed) for their research project with advice from their supervisor and apply for ethical approval either to the Tizard Ethics Committee (Ethical Review Checklist available on web-based resources) or to another ethics committee such as those in the NHS.

Write,Right

Duration: One year full-time, two years part-time

Coursework is taught through a mixture of web-based resources, directed reading, videos, lectures, seminars and practical sessions, supported by a number of workshops, where you work with skilled professionals and have the opportunity to share ideas and experiences with fellow students.

Note: Workshop one and exam attendance is compulsory for all postgraduate distance learning students on this course.

Teaching and assessment

Each of the five taught modules is assessed by a computer-based exam and an extended essay. In addition, the Research Methods module involves short assignments and a worked problem.

Programme aims

This programme aims to:

provide you with a detailed knowledge of autism and other developmental disabilities
provide you with experience of conducting research or intervention in the field of autism.

Learning outcomes

Knowledge and understanding.

You will gain knowledge and understanding of:

the characteristics, diagnosis and epidemiology of autism
cognitive, communicative and social characteristics of people with intellectual disabilities
biological, social and environmental causes of autism
behaviour analysis
intervention and approaches to supporting people with autism
challenging behaviour and other associated complex needs
ideology, policy and service development
definition and measurement of service quality
the relationships between service organisation and quality research methodology.

Intellectual skills

You develop intellectual skills in:

appraising and interpreting evidence from the academic literature and personal/work experience
presenting critical, balanced arguments.

Subject-specific skills

You gain subject-specific skills in:

(applies to MA and PDip only) conducting research on a topic relevant to autism and / or conducting an intervention study and case study assignment relevant to autism.

Transferable skills

You will gain the following transferable skills:

communication: the ability to organise information clearly and respond to written sources
numeracy: if you are doing the statistical element of the research methods module, you will make sense of statistical materials and integrate quantitative and qualitative information. You will also become familiar with ways of summarising and presenting data
information technology: the ability to produce written documents, undertake online research
working with others: the ability to work co-operatively on group tasks both within the virtual learning environment and during the residential workshops
improve your own learning: the ability to explore your strengths and weaknesses, time management skills and review your working environment
problem-solving: the ability to identify and define complex problems, explore alternative solutions and discriminate between them.

Study support

All teaching takes place at the Tizard Centre. Postgraduate research students have a shared office space with a computer and telephone.

Acclaimed active department

The Tizard Centre runs an annual seminar series where staff or guest lecturers present the results of research or highlight recent developments in the field of social care. The Jim Mansell Memorial Lecture invites public figures or distinguished academics to discuss topics that could interest a wider audience. The Centre also publishes the Tizard Learning Disability Review (in conjunction with Emerald Publishing) to provide a source of up-to-date information for professionals and carers.

The Tizard Centre provides consultancy to organisations in the statutory and independent sectors, both nationally and internationally, in diversified areas such as service assessment, person-centred approaches, active support and adult protection. The Centre also teaches a range of short courses, often in conjunction with other organisations.

Dynamic publishing culture

Staff publish regularly and widely in journals, conference proceedings and books. Among others, they have recently contributed to: Journal of Mental Health ; Journal of Applied Research and Intellectual Disabilities ; American Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities ; and Journal of Intellectual Disability Research .

Global Skills Award

All students registered for a taught Master's programme are eligible to apply for a place on our Global Skills Award Programme . The programme is designed to broaden your understanding of global issues and current affairs as well as to develop personal skills which will enhance your employability.

Current research areas include: social inequalities and community care; intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Staff research interests

Full details of staff research interests can be found on the School's website .

Our postgraduate courses improve employability prospects for both those with established careers and new entrants to the field. Many of our students already work with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in professional, management or supporting capacities.

Our programmes support their continuing professional development and enhance their opportunities for career advancement. Other students, who are at the beginning of their careers, move on to a range of professional roles in health and social care including working as psychologists in learning disability or behavioural specialists in community learning disability teams; service management of development roles; clinical psychology training or a PhD.

Career destinations include working as a clinical specialist, special needs advisor, autism teacher and ABA tutor for various health and special needs organisations such as the Step by Step School, Special Help 4 Special Needs and WA Health.

The 2024/25 annual tuition fees for this course are:

Autism Studies (Distance Learning) - PCert at Canterbury
Autism Studies (Distance Learning) - PDip at Canterbury
Autism Studies (Distance Learning) - MA at Canterbury

For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide .

For students continuing on this programme fees will increase year on year by no more than RPI + 3% in each academic year of study except where regulated.* If you are uncertain about your fee status please contact [email protected] .

Your fee status

The University will assess your fee status as part of the application process. If you are uncertain about your fee status you may wish to seek advice from UKCISA before applying.

General information

For students continuing on this programme, fees will increase year on year by no more than RPI + 3% in each academic year of study except where regulated.*

Additional costs

General additional costs.

Find out more about general additional costs that you may pay when studying at Kent.

Search our scholarships finder for possible funding opportunities. You may find it helpful to look at both:

University and external funds
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Who takes part in autism research and whose voices are being heard?

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Supervisor: Dr Umar Toseeb

A) rationale for the project.

Autism spectrum conditions are characterized by social and communication difficulties, repetitive behaviours, and high sensitivity to sensory stimulus (APA, 2013). In the UK, the prevalence of ASC is estimated at ~1 (Baird et al., 2006). The condition has a number of mental health correlates, which reduce the quality of life of those affected (Matson & Nebel-Schwalm, 2007).

There has been a great push towards involving the autistic community in research. For research to be conducted with autistic people rather than on autistic people. Funders expect the autistic community to have been involved in the planning of research. Some academic journals now require explicit statements about how the autistic community were involved in the reported research. This can include autistic people helping to identify areas of need, co-designing research questions, helping to interpret findings, or autistic people leading research projects. But the autistic community is so diverse - are everyone’s voices being heard?

A common criticism of psychological research is that the participants are not representative of society at large. A large proportion of existing published autism research has been conducted by White middle class academics on/with White middle class autistic individuals. Those who are struggling the most might not have time to spare to consult on the co-production of research that is unlikely to affect them directly. Some communities might be skeptical of the researchers and therefore not engage. It may well be that a vocal minority of autistic individuals are dominating the discourse. Those who shout the loudest have their needs met. But if we are serious about ensuring that the voices of the entire spectrum of autistic community are heard, we need to know who is currently being heard and who is not.

B) References that should be read

Pickard, H., Pellicano, E., den Houting, J., & Crane, L. (2021). Participatory autism research: Early career and established researchers’ views and experiences. Autism. https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613211019594

C) Research aims and questions

The proposed project aims to address this gap in knowledge. Applicants might want to consider some of the following research questions:

What is the ability and demographic profile of autistic participants who take part in quantitative and/or qualitative autism research?
What are the ethnoracial and profiles of authors of autism research? E.g., ethnoracial, lived experience of autism
What requirements do funders/academic journals have for reporting the involvement of the autistic community?
What, if any, recommendations can be made to improve the representativeness of the autistic community within research?

The project is likely to involve a combination of primary data collection and secondary analysis of existing data. A systematic review (or a few) are likely to address some of the research questions. Semi-structured interviews might also be needed with editors of academic journals, funders, research organisations (e.g., Autistica). There is lots of scope for the successful candidate to personalise the research questions and approach as long as the broad title of the project is maintained.

Department of Education University of York , Heslington , York , YO10 5DD , UK Tel: work +44 (0)1904 323460 | [email protected]

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Autism@Manchester

Manchester is a leading UK centre for autism intervention research at all developmental ages.

Professor Jonathan Green leads the MRC pre-school autism communication trial (PACT), currently the largest intervention trial internationally in this area. We are undertaking basic research into early parent/child communication in infants at high risk of autism and pre-schoolers with autism.

In middle childhood, Professor Green has led basic research into co-morbidity in autistic spectrum disorders and collaborates in studies of communication intervention in middle childhood. We are working to develop new interventions in infancy and middle childhood and studying case management approaches to the treatment of developmental disorders.

Professor Green works in an MRC methodology group to develop new trial designs to test complex interventions in developmental disorder. He also collaborates on the International Molecular Genetic Study of Autism Consortium.

Research issues

Can we develop the design of clinical trials in child mental health so (especially using process measures) so as to maximise their relevance and external validity?
Can we develop effective treatment interventions for autistic spectrum disorders?
Can we use techniques from ongoing treatment trials (along with parallel developmental studies) to understand social impairments underlying other disorders in child mental health?

Our studies

iBASIS iBasis is an innovative study to assess the impact and feasibility of an infancy intervention in siblings of children already diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.
PACT The Pre-school Autism Communication Trial (PACT) was a large-scale multi-site randomised controlled trial that ran between 2006 and 2010. It tested a parent-mediated communication-based intervention for young children with autism. The trial was a major scientific success and constitutes one of the largest autism intervention studies completed internationally.
PACT 7-11 Follow Up PACT 7-11 is a follow-up study of all the families who were involved in the PACT trial. This is an invaluable opportunity to study longitudinal development in autism and to understand more about what factors in the pre-school years affect how children develop into middle childhood.
PACT-G PACT-G is a current study to assess whether the PACT-G therapy can help children to generalise any improvements in social communication across a range of settings.
The Parent-mediated intervention for Autism Spectrum Disorders in South Asia (PASS) study is an exciting collaborative project between research teams in Goa (India), Rawalpindi (Pakistan), Manchester and Liverpool. It is an ongoing two year project funded by the Autism Speaks Global Autism Public Health initiative and involves culturally adapting and assessing the feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness of the PACT intervention in South Asian local settings.
SANTA SimvAstatin in Neurofibromatosis Type 1-Autism (SANTA) is a research study looking at the use of the drug Simvastatin in children with NF1 and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD).
New Life - website coming soon.
EDEN - website coming soon.

MyManchester
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Autism@Manchester

Our research into autism goes on to inform teaching on a number of taught courses and research programmes at the University.

Academics and researchers in the Autism@Manchester network are involved in autism related teaching on the following courses.

Undergraduate

BSc Psychology
BSc Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology

Taught master’s

MEd Psychology of Education

Postgraduate resesarch

DEdChPsy Educational and Child Psychology
ClinPsyD Clinical Psychology

If you’re interested in a PhD project in the area of neuroscience and autism, please use this project finder .

Advice and support for autism spectrum condition students

The Disability Advisory and Support Service has specific, targeted support for autistic students such as weekly social groups, monthly newsletter and an autistic support officer.

Visit the Service's web pages for more information:

Disability Advisory and Support Service
Autism Spectrum Condition (asc) students blog

Our research

Apply for funding

Our clear and transparent process for funding research allows us to fund the best science and people.

Our role as a funder

We fund research in our priority areas which:

Improves outcomes that are important for the community
Breaks new ground by focussing on new and under-focussed areas
Supports the next generation of leaders in autism research
Drives research by providing infrastructure to make it easier in the UK

Grants opening soon

Applications for grants are not currently open.

To keep up to date with our research and funding, join the Autistica Network .

Our funding schemes

Improving outcomes, Changing lives

An annual competitive call for research ideas based on a community priority theme. This year, our call was on the topic of populations traditionally underrepresented in autism research.

Future leaders awards

This scheme aims to build a bigger and better future generation of scientists, by bridging the bottleneck in the career trajectory of scientists from leaving their PhD to becoming independent scientists.

Kick-starting research priority areas

Through our research network, the Autistica Network , we aim to bring together great minds at our collaborative workshops. We will then make strategic investments in game-changing research and give research teams the funds they need to get an innovative new idea started.

Eligibility criteria

We currently only fund research in the UK.

Peer review

We have a gold-standard peer review process for funding high-quality research, which is demonstrated through our membership in the Association for Medical Research Charities.

Our proposals are reviewed by autistic people, family members, scientists, and clinicians. Our scientific review panel makes recommendations for funding to our Board of Trustees.

Grant management

Our grants are managed in accordance with Autistica's standard Terms and Conditions, which can be read by following this link .

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Current research projects

We choose projects that align with our organisational priorities and work with universities and other partners. We also commission evaluations that allow us to better understand the impact of our services. Here are some of our current research and evaluation projects.

Right from the Start - support for parents of young autistic children

We commissioned a piece of research from the University of Warwick and University College London (UCL) to examine the needs of parents who have young autistic children, and their access to services including barriers and facilitators.

The methodology included an online survey and follow up interviews with parents of young autistic children and was carried out from December 2018 to July 2019. We used the findings of this research to support the development of our Right from the Start toolkit providing information and signposting to parents of young autistic children.

PhD studentship in Positive Behaviour Support in special education settings for children and young people with autism

From October 2019 to September 2021 a PhD student at the University of Warwick will be undertaking research into Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) in special education settings for children and young people with intellectual disabilities and/or autism. This research will explore the implementation of PBS in special educational settings to inform policy development and uptake of the PBS model.

PhD studentship in early intervention and early years support for young children with an intellectual disability/autism - facilitating access

The purpose of this study is to improve access to early intervention and support for young children with intellectual (learning) disabilities and/or autism in the UK. This research is in partnership with charities Cerebra and Mencap. It started in October 2017 and is due to finish in September 2020.

Internal evaluations

We are currently evaluating the impact of our activities including our strengths and development needs to continuously improve our services to autistic children and young people. We currently have evaluations running in the following areas:

Autism Exchange work experience programme for autistic young people aged 16-25.
Ambitious College education provision to learners aged 16-25 across two sites.
Employ Autism network's developing a model of best practice in six geographic areas across England where young people, families, education providers and employers are brought together to support autistic young people on their first steps into the workplace.
Ambitious Approach to education provision across our education services.

Post-16 education provision, destinations and outcomes for autistic young people

The challenges that autistic young people face as they transition to adulthood are well documented. Only one in four autistic young people continue their education beyond school. We are supporting a team of four young researchers to co-produce a piece of research into post-16 education and training for autistic young people working with the Centre for Research in Autism and Education (CRAE).

Funded by the Department for Education through the Autism Education Trust (AET), this research considers what change there have been for autistic young people in post–16 education, since the introduction of new entitlements to education provision to age 25 under the Children and Families Act 2014. The final report will be presented to the Department for Education in March 2020.

Special and Inclusive Education (Autism) MA

London, Bloomsbury

This MA will develop students' knowledge of special and inclusive education, focusing on autism. Led by the Centre for Research in Autism and Education (CRAE), students will be introduced to cutting-edge theory and research, and consider how it links to policy and practice. This MA will appeal to students looking to develop their professional practice and/or progress to doctoral study.

UK tuition fees (2024/25)

Overseas tuition fees (2024/25), programme starts, applications accepted.

Applications open

Entry requirements

A minimum of a lower second-class Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline from a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard. Applicants will also normally have some related professional experience.

The English language level for this programme is: Level 3

UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level.

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

This programme is suitable for international students on a Student visa – study must be full-time, face-to-face, starting October.

Equivalent qualifications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website .

International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below. Please note that the equivalency will correspond to the broad UK degree classification stated on this page (e.g. upper second-class). Where a specific overall percentage is required in the UK qualification, the international equivalency will be higher than that stated below. Please contact Graduate Admissions should you require further advice.

About this degree

Students will gain a comprehensive and critical understanding of theory and research relevant to special and inclusive education, as well as its applicability to policy and practice; all with a specific focus on autism as led by the CRAE team. Through a variety of taught sessions, independent activities and group/individual assessments, students on the programme will graduate with a broad range of knowledge, interpersonal contacts, and skills related to the field of inclusive education.

Who this course is for

This programme would appeal to those working within education (e.g., teachers, teaching assistants) who have an interest in working with children, young people or adults with special educational needs and disabilities, especially those who are autistic. We particularly welcome those with personal experience connected to the content of the MA (e.g., whether through being autistic themselves, or as the parent/carer/sibling of someone who is autistic).

What this course will give you

This programme provides students with the opportunity to engage with the latest theory and research on special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), whilst concurrently specialising in autism. Led by academics from the world-leading Centre for Research in Autism and Education (CRAE), together with a team of internationally-recognised tutors (researchers, academics, and professionals) from the Department of Psychology and Human Development (PHD), students will benefit from a cutting-edge programme of taught sessions, independent activities and group/individual assessments; all of which will deepen their knowledge, challenge their thinking and enhance their employability. London offers a rich and diverse population so students can focus on neurodiversity within a wide range of individuals and communities.

Students on this MA benefit from a rigorous academic programme. Critical engagement with current research and evidence-informed practice on special and inclusive education (focused on autism) provides a thorough grounding for those new to the field. It also challenges the thinking and deepens the knowledge of those with prior (academic, personal or professional) experience in special and inclusive education and/or autism. Input from a broad range of experts (including autistic people, their parents and their educators) ensures strong relevance to practice and the crucial inclusion of insider expertise.

The programme is designed for national and international students with rich and varied professional and/or personal experiences; offering a valuable opportunity for networking and collaborative learning. At the end of the programme, students are encouraged to join professional learning networks; to continue their personal and professional development and to provide further opportunities for peer-to-peer learning. The programme, along with the diverse range of events and initiatives provided by CRAE, PHD, IOE, UCL’s Faculty of Education and Society and UCL, offers a transformative experience for students interested in special and inclusive education (with particular reference to autism).

The foundation of your career

Students on this programme can broaden their career horizons within the educational settings in which they work (if applicable) and/or develop skills that can be used in a wide range of careers (within or outside the field of special education). Students will also develop skills in the areas of: personal and time management; oral and written communication; collaborative working; computing and IT; critical and adaptive thinking; problem solving; research and inquiry.

Having the opportunity to work with autistic students and staff on a project to improve their university experience has without doubt been the most interesting thing I’ve been involved with. I met and worked with some really interesting and inspiring people, which wouldn’t have been possible without the ChangeMakers funding we received for the project. Sam Dexter Special and Inclusive Education (Autism) MA Seven Questions with... Sam Dexter

Employability

Graduates could seek future employment in a broad range of areas, for example: senior leaders in mainstream schools, special schools, or other educational settings; and/or directly supporting children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including those who are autistic. Graduates may follow pathways within specialist services for children and young people with SEND or SEND charities, including those specialising in autism. Graduates may choose to pursue a research pathway and/or work in Higher Education, or in government and/or policymaking positions, or as consultants.

The programme team provide enrichment opportunities that relate to the taught content (e.g., optional seminars that focus on academic writing, new research directions in the field, and students' sharing their own practice; career talks from alumni; and local school visits to observe inclusive practices). Students also have access to talks and events in the wider department, which often involve external speakers. Through these enrichment opportunities, students are able to network with their peers on the programme, tutors, alumni (both home and international), experienced researchers and practitioners.

Teaching and learning

The MA is taught through a combination of face-to-face lectures/seminars, plus online materials and lectures, group discussions, small group and/or one-to-one tutorials.

Compulsory and optional modules are assessed through a range of different assessment types, including written and oral assignments. For some modules students may choose from a selection of assignment titles or may be able to negotiate their own title. In addition, they will be required to write either a report or a dissertation in their final year of the programme.

Contact hours are module dependent, but each 30-credit module will equate to 300 hours of study time. Each module will include contact with faculty via a range of forums (e.g., individual tuition, whole/small group lectures/seminars, online materials on the learning platform Moodle).

Over the course of a year full-time students undertake either three compulsory modules (Concepts and Contexts of Special and Inclusive Education, Research Design and Methodology, and Autism Research and Practice), one optional module in the areas of autism (or, with permission, special and inclusive education more broadly) and a dissertation or three compulsory modules, two optional modules and a report. Please note that the compulsory module 'Concepts and Contexts of Special and Inclusive Education' will change its name to 'Concepts and Contexts of Inclusive Education' from 2024/25 onwards.

Part-time students undertake two compulsory modules (Concepts and Contexts of Special and Inclusive Education, Autism Research and Practice) and one optional module in the area of autism in the first year (90 credits) and in the second year a second compulsory module (Research Design and Methodology) and a dissertation or a second compulsory module, an optional module and a report (90 credits). Please note that the compulsory module 'Concepts and Contexts of Special and Inclusive Education' will change its name to 'Concepts and Contexts of Inclusive Education' from 2024/25 onwards.

Flexible modular students must complete the programme between 2 to 5 years. Students must take the compulsory module Concepts and Contexts of Special and Inclusive Education in their first year of study, followed by the Autism Research and Practice module. Optional modules in the area of autism (or, with permission, special and inclusive education more broadly) can be taken at any point during the remainder of the programme. The Research Design and Methodology module, and either a Dissertation or Report, must be taken in the final year of study. Please note that the compulsory module 'Concepts and Contexts of Special and Inclusive Education' will change its name to 'Concepts and Contexts of Inclusive Education' from 2024/25 onwards.

Compulsory modules

Optional modules.

Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability are subject to change. Modules that are in use for the current academic year are linked for further information. Where no link is present, further information is not yet available.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. Upon successful completion of 180 credits, you will be awarded a MA in Special and Inclusive Education (Autism). Upon successful completion of 180 credits, you will be awarded an MA in Special and Inclusive Education (Autism).

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble accessable.co.uk . Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support and Wellbeing team .

Fees and funding

Fees for this course.

Fee description	Full-time	Part-time
Tuition fees (2024/25)	£12,700	£6,350
Tuition fees (2024/25)	£31,100	£15,550

The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Fees for subsequent years may increase or otherwise vary. Where the programme is offered on a flexible/modular basis, fees are charged pro-rata to the appropriate full-time Master's fee taken in an academic session. Further information on fee status, fee increases and the fee schedule can be viewed on the UCL Students website: ucl.ac.uk/students/fees .

Additional costs

Students should take into account any travel, accommodation and expenses involved in their report or dissertation.

Students are also expected to fund their travel if they wish to attend school visits that are offered as part of the programme.

For more information on additional costs for prospective students please go to our estimated cost of essential expenditure at Accommodation and living costs .

Funding your studies

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website .

IOE-Clarke Scholarships

Deadline: 3 May 2024 Value: Tuition fees, return flights and stipend (1 year) Criteria Based on both academic merit and financial need Eligibility: EU, Overseas

IOE-ISH Centenary Masters Scholarships

Deadline: 3 May 2024 Value: Tuition fees and accommodation (1 year) Criteria Based on both academic merit and financial need Eligibility: EU, Overseas

There is an application processing fee for this programme of £90 for online applications and £115 for paper applications. Further information can be found at Application fees .

When we assess your application we would like to learn:

why you want to study Special and Inclusive Education at graduate level
why you want to study Special and Inclusive Education at UCL
what particularly attracts you to the chosen programme
how your academic and professional background meets the demands of this challenging programme
where you would like to go professionally with your degree

Together with essential academic requirements, the personal statement is your opportunity to illustrate whether your reasons for applying to this programme match what the programme will deliver.

We would additionally like to learn:

Why you are interested in following the specialist Autism route and what attracted you to this programme.

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate programmes (or one application for the Law LLM) in any application cycle.

Choose your programme

Please read the Application Guidance before proceeding with your application.

Year of entry: 2024-2025

Got questions get in touch.

Psychology and Human Development

[email protected]

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Programmes and Courses

Our autism teaching courses support education practitioners to develop excellent practice grounded in theory and research , informed by experiential knowledge, and motivated by personal values, commitment to improving the lives of autistic people and ethical conduct.

All of our courses are part-time and delivered online, so that you can study from home alongside your other commitments. We have a proud history of using technology to deliver interactive learning in the most accessible ways to our students, across the UK and worldwide.

Taught courses

ACER has two specific taught courses associated with it, taught by experts in the field of autism .

MA Inclusion (Autism Adults)
MA Inclusion (Autism Children)

There is also a 4 week MOOC associated with ACER, Attention and Autism , which helps you understand how attention works in autistic people.

The School of Education also offer a number of other courses across a range of SEN and Inclusion that may be relevant to your needs.

At our recent ACER study event, we were very excited to host a panel, in which Pamela Hirsch, Sara King, Gill Loomes, Lauren Rochelle Fernandez and Barbara Sandland discussed their experiences of autism. Their discussion on 'masking' and the impact it had on them - exhaustion, feeling smaller, losing self-determination and even 'counter-masking' to justify their diagnosis due to imposter syndrome - these accounts were powerful, enlightening and sometimes shocking. We are grateful that they have given their permission for us to share this important discussion more widely as it affects so many autistic people, and many non-autistic people are unaware.

Research degrees

As well as our taught courses, you may study for a PhD focusses on autism.

ACER has a vibrant body of doctoral students. Many of our students engage in research and teaching in ACER. In the last three years, 14 students have completed their doctoral studies with staff in ACER. Past and current PhD students associated with ACER have gone on to work full-time in Higher Education after completing their PhDs.

Being Heard: Autism Policy in the UK

26 July 2021

Reported by Anna Kliampa, CSaP Policy Intern and Kate McNeil, CSaP Communications Coordinator

As part of a policy training seminar series for doctoral researchers, Faculty of Education PhD candidate Melanie Greaux and CSaP Policy Fellow Anna Bailey-Bearfield spoke with early career researchers about the challenges facing people with autism, relevant developments in policy and research, and key policy recommendations for supporting those with autism in the UK.

The Autism Act, first enacted just over a decade ago, was the outcome of a long period of campaigning from autistic adults and their families over issues of inclusion, access to services, and public awareness. This act remains the only disability-specific legislation in England, and it has a unique role in placing pressure on local government and health organizations to tackle health inequalities for those with autism.

Disabilities advocate Anna Bailey-Bearfield has worked in policymaking within government and the third sector in policy areas including disability, health, and social care. She has worked with the National Autistic Society and the APPGA , and is presently the Autism Policy Lead with the Department of Health and Social Care. Here, she has worked on implementing the Autism Act and the accompanying Autism Strategy, motivated by the goal of reducing the gap in life expectancy for adults with autism and enabling adults with autism in playing a role in society.

The new Autism Strategy , was described by Ms. Baily-Bearfield as an important step towards securing a healthy adulthood for people with autism by focusing on early intervention measures for children with autism – including appropriate education and healthcare services – with the goal of maximizing the chances for an independent adulthood. The development of this strategy has occurred at a cross-government level and involved the development of a fit-for purpose methodology, which involved people with autism, parents of children with autism, and professionals. A national call for evidence was used as a form for public engagement, and this was complemented by focus groups with relevant actors including NHS England and local government associations.

Successes, Challenges and Next Steps:

Ms. Bailey-Bearfield noted that awareness of autism has increased over the past decade, however, while public knowledge of autism has increased, the general public often does not understand how autism may affect people’s lives, or how to best support people with autism. Moreover, while autism has become a priority in the NHS healthcare plan for combatting health inequalities and autism training has become mandatory for all healthcare workers, there are still major challenges that need to be addressed if we are to meet the needs of autistic communities. For example, an increasing number of people in England have been diagnosed with autism, with 1.8% of school children estimated to have this developmental disability. These growing numbers are placing pressure on the services designed to support autistic people, including mental health services, educational supports, employment supports, timely access to diagnosis, and supports at the point of transition from childhood to adulthood. Other areas where additional support is needed include tackling gender inequalities in autistic communities, and the involvement of individuals with autism in the criminal justice system. The pandemic has also impacted the challenges facing those with autism and their families, and research emerging from sources including the London School of Economics is now informing our understanding of how to cope with autism under pandemic conditions.

Communication, Disability, and Autism:

Adding to the conversation, doctoral researcher Melanie Greaux highlighted findings from her research, which focuses on the inequality surrounding communication disability at the intersection of neurodiversity and autism with linguistic and cultural diversity. Her recent work focuses on language barrier and has resulted her recommending that steps be taken to raise awareness for inclusive communication strategies at societal level and at school level. Here, she argues that autism should be viewed primarily as an opportunity for society to communicate more flexibly and adapt to different communication styles.

Recognizing that there is a vast spectrum within the autism community, Melanie stressed that the services provided to families should be tailored to their needs, with a variety of service options on offer which should be developed in collaboration and consultation with the autism community. When meeting the needs of those with autism from bilingual communities, Melanie also stressed the need to ‘deconstruct the myth’ that bilingualism is detrimental for language development. Instead, she highlighted a need to support projects that support linguistic and cultural development for autistic children.

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Any autistic PhD students struggling out there?

I'm new to the forums and also somewhat newly diagnosed (2019) despite a lifetime of serious struggles. The diagnosis was a bit of a rollercoaster, although it wasn't much of a surprise. I was angry that no one had noticed and helped when I was a child as I had pretty obvious signs (communication difficulties, social isolation, extreme sensory sensitivity, rigid routines) but I think being able to talk/mask and doing well academically (high scores in tests but dreadful executive functioning and severely low attendance) meant they just put my difficulties down to bad behaviour.

I was also hopeful that now I might get some support and understanding. But what I have found is that the diagnosis didn't really matter - people still treat me like I'm behaving badly, still judge me for everything, don't listen or make it difficult to get reasonable adjustments put in place and every single piece of advice out there is aimed at the parents or carers of autistic children. There is no or very limited information for me to help myself. I also keep hearing on repeat that at least I can talk, at least I don't have IQ deficits, that I don't have it as bad as others. All of this has just led me to a really bad place where I feel like no one understands how difficult daily life is for me and there is no help and I will never fit in anywhere. I often wonder what is the point in trying to exist in this world when everyday is a battle?

I'm trying to finish my PhD in cancer research because biological science is my special interest but I am really struggling. I am in my final year and I am behind where I would like to be, my supervisors treat me like an infant that can't do anything right and I am burning out all the time and having meltdowns. I can't take a break - the way my funding works is that I would just lose more time and an extension is not possible. The only thing that is keeping me going right now is that in 6-8 months I could have a job where it all gets easier. But now I worry that I won't be able to cope with that either. My intention is to apply for a position in genomics where I spend most of my time analysing genetic data on a computer (which I really enjoy) but what if it is too much and I keep having meltdowns?

I just wondered if anyone else was in a similar position or had similar struggles, and how they managed to cope. Or even if you aren't coping it would be nice to know it's not just me!

Thanks for reading,

I dropped out. I looked at the people in positions above me and they were all miserable and stressed out through being forced into doing things other than research that I knew I wouldn't be able to cope with, and thought, what's the point in fighting my way through the PhD?

I hope you get that genomics position. My best friend is an academic in that field and is forced to spend about 80% of his time teaching and in meetings rather than in research, which I was under the impression was the standard.

Hi, I think you've gotten a lot of advice already, so I'll keep mine short.

I earned a PhD 6 years ago. That was before I knew I was autistic. Looking back, I realized that I learned to find the good people. I would gravitate towards people that were non-judgmental, understanding, open-minded, and protective. It's how I picked my dissertation advisor/chief. My dissertation was on a topic that hadn't been researched before, so there wasn't a tenured professor with experience on the topic. What I did was find someone that had considerable political power in the department, had known me for a while, and asked them to be my advisor. They accepted, and it was a great choice because people did try to attack me. In fact, one associate professor tried to get me kicked out of the program. They're ridiculous. The political power of my advisor really did protect me from a lot of unnecessary neurotypical/hierarchy garbage, and I wouldn't have a doctoral degree if it wasn't for her. She was amazing, and I was grateful in my acknowledgements page in my dissertation. I highly recommend this approach.

I hope this advice helps!

Bean said: One thing I really struggle with is when I say something and I see the person is having a negative reaction to it but I am very unsure why. Reading expressions is very difficult so it's hard to do a "smooth recovery".

A convenient scripted response when you see the other person react badly is to say

" oh sorry, I'm autistic and I don't always say the most appropriate things.

Please don't read too much into this - and can we start that bit of the discussion again"

Most people will know autism has some communication issues and they will often be relieved that is is only this, not the fact you are the ragins sociopath they may have just suspected.

That can lead to some small talk around autism (it will be something you know a lot about but keep it brief and only about the social cues issues unless asked) which should save the situation.

Finally scripting put to some positive use...

Try to analise the interaction later on and learn from it.

Yeah honestly I think it's vital to get that time to yourself even if it is just a short while sandwiched in whenever you can get it. I certainly would not have coped without it. Also same on the spiky productivity profile, trying to master the bit by bit and slow and steady approach when I felt drained but couldn't really stop for too long was a real task in of itself.

I'm pretty good at independent working, but I do reach a point when I don't know the best way forward because my experience is limited. This is when I feel it would be good to either have a post-doc or lab tech present. Because sometimes you just have to show someone what you've done, very often you've done something small or silly and it just takes a human to actually look to see that.

I'm firmly of the belief that PIs should either have senior post-docs or senior technicians/experimental officers available, or have the time available to do 'bench supervision' themselves, before they are allowed to take on PhD students. Too many PhD students are left to flounder without having someone with 'hands on' experience in the lab to show them the ropes and trouble-shoot.

Thank you, this is a really good idea. I have an external examiner in mind though I hadn't thought much about internal. Maybe I should put more thought into that before it's too late. Even if I don't want to run the risk of putting blame on my supervisors I could highlight that my diagnosis came in the middle of my PhD, the effects of covid lockdown on lab work and that I had to change my entire project midway due to a change in supervisor in year 2.

This is actually a really good idea, thank you. I read a lot about human biology, psychology and neurology and then forget to look at socialising entirely. Maybe I can go about it the logical way if not the intuitive way. One thing I really struggle with is when I say something and I see the person is having a negative reaction to it but I am very unsure why. Reading expressions is very difficult so it's hard to do a "smooth recovery". Usually I will figure it out way down the line and be like doh! Of course! But at the time it is a total mystery. A lot of the social interactions in academia for some reason take place over food. I don't know if you have ever noticed this? Even at conferences. I can't sit at a table and eat with other people unless it is finger food, even then it is a bit dicey. I will literally and unwillingly bolt from the room like someone set my seat on fire. Makes it a little complicated. The one place I haven't gone to for a bit of assistance is the union - that may be another option to try, thanks. I am determined to finish this. I absolutely refuse to give up, my fear is that I will not get it completed simply because I don't have enough work to put in a thesis due to meltdowns/time off.

I think you are probably right. I feel so bad taking time off and the people around me are really good at making me feel bad about it too. But maybe its the only thing I can control right now. Sometimes I just feel it is so counterintuitive to take time off to get more work done but in the long run it does sort of average out. My productivity profile is so spikey. Sounds like you have a lot of experience with this :) I think the times it gets hardest is when I am doing drug treatments on my cell lines and I have to be in doing it every other day for 3-6 weeks at a time - weekends, holidays, whatever, it needs done or the experiment is ruined. That's when it gets a little difficult. But maybe as you say, some half days or days in between need to be taken.

I guess what I'm trying to get at OP is that if you can't take whole days off can you at least steal some hours to yourself on a semi regular basis to keep yourself going but at a pace that is at least less draining/more healthier?

Not a PhD but a BA. This is why functioning labels are tripe it doesn't mean anything to be accepted into university if you aren't able to complete it. With that said, with higher inteligence comes the advantage of being a problem solver, I have started to write my own adjustments request (only I know what I truly struggle with and why) and will be asking my GP to write a letter to the gist of "what they said" that I will submit not long after the start of year 2 if I feel I need it because the 1st year was a bumpy road of extremely variable excecutive functioning. I also had to learn and relearn effective self care because it felt like the work was non stop, if I didn't just call in sick every other week and have a do-nothing-day to decomress and empty the stress bucket I'd have been constantly spilling over into meltdowns and burnout, and then ground to a halt entirely. And a lot of the time I couldn't get a whole day at a time off so I'd split days, and have like 3 hours on a wednesday and 3 hours on a saturday to just do my own thing. It sounds weird to say it because even though I loved doing the work the workload itself gave me a 10 day long migraine towards the end that I kept "kicking the can down the road" by taking masses of paracetemol, and aspirin (didn't really stop the migraine just squashed it into a pressure headache I could just about keep working with) to keep going towards the end. Then when I eventualy stopped had everything done I was happy and yet still had a blow-up type meltdown. It took me about 3 weeks to really level out after that.

Bean said: I love the research, the science, the writing, etc., but the social requirements are beyond my ability to deal with

You clearly are highly intellegent and can master incredibly comblex subjects on a routine basis (hence your PhD track) so to become capable in a social arena the trick is to use this same intellect to study social interaction.

Learn small talk (there are plenty of books about it) and basically fake / mask your way through the social settings.

When you approach it this way, you are educating yourself on the majority of scenarios and can pull potential responses from your prepared list to at least get by.

Maybe get a lapel badge that says (I'm autistic) which can be a conversation starter in its own right.

It will be costly in terms of your mental energy so try to keep these only occasional and try to create space the next day for a decompressing period.

Feel free to ask on here for advice on how to go about this if you want to do this at some point - probably best to deal with more immediate issues first though.

I was also thinking about the legal side - in your shoes I would join the union (Ucas or Acas - not sure which operates where you are) and speak to them about it. They tend to be very useful in these sorts of slightly grey area discriination issues and will do the heavy lifting in scaring the management in order to avoid a lawsuit later down the line.

Try to take some of that frustration and anger and let it fuel you - it can build a determination that will push through great challenges.

I would amass as much documentation about the difficulties you have experienced and arrange it chronologically. Things such as 'leaning on you' so that it looks like you are not being given privileges because you are disabled, is an extreme form of discrimination. When it comes to selecting examiners for the viva exert as much pressure as you can to get your choice and not some cronies of your supervisors. I know from experience that if you contact your internal and external examiners about the lack of effective supervision you have experienced, and make them aware of it, they will, if they are reasonable people, make allowances. I knew someone whose supervisor completely changed his whole area of research during his PhD and consequently lost any interest in his current student's work and ceased to offer useful supervision. The internal examiner was made aware of this and ensured that the external also made allowances.

Thanks Iain, maybe I need to find some quieter spaces and time for meditation. This is something I have trouble sticking to rigorously because my day-to-day plans change depending on whether I am doing bench work or computer work. I understand what you are saying about becoming a more independent researcher at this point. I do feel like I am exhausting every possible avenue with my work before asking for supervisor support. Most of the time I am saying X didn't work, I think it may be this, this or this and so I propose fixes for it or I ask if I can try a different type of experiment that may not take so long/be so difficult and outline what that would look like. Usually I am told that they don't know the answer so to just figure it out myself. But I am never allowed to swap to a different experiment even if the one I am doing is not working after a huge number of failed attempts. Trial and error is great but when I am in my final year and things are behind I really do need some direction from someone that knows what they are doing. I try contacting other researchers in other facilities as well but the equipment I have access to is often not what they are using and not ideal for what I am trying to do. I will keep better documentation of difficulties as you say however after fighting for the past two years over these things I worry it is just uselessly expending energy I could be putting into my research. I am also getting everyone pretty annoyed at me and since a lot of science workers in academia, industry or the health service are heavily involved with each other I feel I may be shooting myself in the foot.

Iain said: To help with your scheduling - you know you are overloading it so change it to something realistic.You will probably need to sacrefice a lot of your other activities to make the time, but this is all part of the crucible that is the doctorate - it is very focussed, intense and tempers your abilities to the point of being quite painful at times.

This is probably key here. You are right, I think I need to sacrifice other things and spread my lab activities out. Perhaps I am being too rigid in trying to complete a set of work all in one go and would be better spreading it across a longer time frame and mixing it with some of the computer-based analysis so I am constantly seeing results even when the lab work is not going well.

Then something else to consider, the NHS can be fussy about the qualifications they will accept for different scientific roles. Just having a relevant PhD won't always cut it. You'd best check if you need any special accreditation / qualifications a head of time.

Hi Peter, it has been really nice to read about your experiences, good and bad! A lot of the time I read very good advice that would only really help if we lived in an ideal world where everyone was treated as they should be. Sadly this is not the reality we live in. I am actually really good at the reading and writing part - I have already published some findings, reviews and editorials. I have also taken part in the review process and I understand how difficult it can be to navigate. I do very much enjoy this part and seem to be quicker at it than my peers. I am also really good at lay writing and public engagement work where I translate what I do into something intelligible to non-experts. Where I fall down is the social aspect - if I'm on top of my game I can socialise and network and mask and everything is fine though I eventually seriously deplete my ability to function if I do it too much. The problem at the moment is I am so behind and under so much pressure my functioning is very impaired. I have become a stuttering mess when I try to communicate. People have a tendency to dislike me - one of my earliest memories as a child is when another girl that I didn't know came up to me and said 'I don't like you, I don't know why, I just don't' and she walked off again. This has sort of been my experience in life - I am always 'off' to other people and they can't figure out why. This part of academia is why I have decided it is not for me - I love the research, the science, the writing, etc., but the social requirements are beyond my ability to deal with. I wonder how they would handle these things if I was unable to talk at all? Can non-verbal people navigate academia? How does that work? As it stands I want to work in the health service in a much more structured career and do computer based genomics work and research - I have found that I absolutely love data science and coding so this seems like a niche I can fit into (hopefully). I just need to make it 6 months and be able to get the data I need to write a thesis and to do that I need to stop having meltdowns from building frustration at a lack of resources/support in my Centre.

I strongly encourage you to document all of this. This could form the basis of a lawsuit later on. #notlegaladvice

I did try to change my supervisors in second year and was unfortunately told it was not possible. I was barely involved in the process and left at home for two weeks with no idea what was going on or if I would be removed from the program. In the end they upped my supervisory meetings to once a week despite my reasonable adjustments recommending less face to face time where possible. This is what eventually drove me to complete a breakdown where I began crying, shaking, became unable to talk during a meeting, I then left abruptly and considered pretty seriously taking my own life. I ended up calling for help and had to take 3 weeks off to recover. I stopped trying to fight to get my adjustments after that. They usually just stick me in a meeting where everything is blamed on my ASD and not on the situation that led me to the meltdown. I think you are right though, that even if the staff are making me feel guilty for taking time off, I need to make sure I am doing it. Maybe I haven't been doing that. As you say, it pays back when I come back and able to work at double the speed of others. I am sorry that your situation hasn't been much better xx

It sounds to me like you’ve been unlucky and gotten some very un helpful supervisors. The whole interpersonal conflict aspect of autism hasn’t been an issue for me because I typically got sympathetic and reasonable colleagues and bosses in academia. Working outside of academia it has been an issue and unfortunately the only thing that’s been a solution so far has been to shift managers. That can be quite difficult in a PhD context when your supervisors are possibly the only experts in the University in the field you are researching.

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PhD Scholarships in Autism Research
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Portrayals of autism in the British press: A corpus-based study
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Talking About Autism With Laura Arnstein Carpenter, PhD

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autism PhD Projects, Programmes & Scholarships in the UK
The University of Bath is inviting applications for this PhD position due to commence in September 2024 under the supervision of Prof Ailsa Russell in the area of Autism. Read more. Supervisors: Dr AJ Russell, Prof M Brosnan. 4 July 2024 PhD Research Project Funded PhD Project (European/UK Students Only) More Details.
PhD/MPhil in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (2024 entry)
Explore intellectual disabilities and autism in depth on Warwick's MPhil/PhD in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. The Centre for Research in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (CIDD) is an internationally recognised research centre specialising in intellectual and developmental disabilities and autism, across the lifespan.
PhD Fellowships
Mental health is the top research priority for autistic people and their families who want better therapies and support for common and distressing problems like anxiety and depression. Our PhD fellowship programme in mental health and autism was based at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King's College London.
Centre for Research in Autism and Education
Funders. We are hugely grateful to the wonderful research participants, funders and collaborators who make the work that we do possible. Currently, we are generously supported by the Pears Foundation.. We are also indebted to our initial 2009 funders, alongside the Pears Foundation, the Clothworkers Foundation and the Kirby Lang Foundation we are thankful of the support of Ambitious about ...
autism PhD Projects, Programmes & Scholarships for UK Students
University of Bath Department of Psychology. The University of Bath is inviting applications for this PhD position due to commence in September 2024 under the supervision of Prof Ailsa Russell in the area of Autism. Read more. Supervisors: Dr AJ Russell, Prof M Brosnan. 4 July 2024 PhD Research Project Funded PhD Project (European/UK Students Only)
PhD opportunities
If you'd like to discuss our PhD opportunities informally, please email Sarah Parsons or Hanna Kovshoff: ... A seismic study of the continent-ocean transition southwest of the UK; A study of rolling contact fatigue in electric vehicles (EVs) ... Autism Community Research Network @ Southampton (ACoRNS) Bioarchaeology and Osteoarchaeology at ...
Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities - PhD at Canterbury. For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide. For students continuing on this programme fees will increase year on year by no more than RPI + 3% in each academic year of study except where regulated.*.
MPhil/PhD in Education and Psychology (2023 Entry)
Explore intellectual disabilities and autism in depth on Warwick's MPhil/PhD in Education and Psychology. The Centre for Educational Development, Appraisal and Research is an internationally recognised research centre specialising in intellectual and developmental disabilities and autism, across the lifespan.
The health of children with learning disability or autism and ...
Up to one in three children in England have a long-term condition or disability. Children with long-term conditions, particularly neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism or learning disabilities, are more likely to require specialised medical services and frequent contact with healthcare.
Analytics Theory and Applications for Teaching Children with Autism
Funding availability: Self-funded PhD students only. PhD full-time and part-time courses are eligible for the UK Government Doctoral Loan (UK and EU students only). Bench fees. Some PhD projects may include additional fees - known as bench fees - for equipment and other consumables, and these will be added to your standard tuition fee.
Mental Health of People with Learning Disabilities
The Tizard Centre offers excellent opportunities for full or part-time research in intellectual disability, community care and autism leading to higher degrees. The Centre has a strong track record of attracting research studentship funding.
PhD Studentships
Studentships are available from the following: Carnegie/Caledonia PhD Scholarships - 3 Year PhD. Closing Date: 28 February 2020. Economic & Social Research Council - 3 Year PhD or 3 + 1. Closing Date: 10 January 2020. Arts and Humanities Research Council - 3.5 Year PhD. Closing Date: 6 January 2020. Student Excellence Awards - 3 Year PhD.
Autism Studies (Distance Learning)
Study alongside some of the UK's leading academics working in autism, learning disability and community care. We offer a range of funding opportunities to fund your studies. ... clinical psychology training or a PhD. Career destinations include working as a clinical specialist, special needs advisor, autism teacher and ABA tutor for various ...
Who takes part in autism research and whose voices are being heard?
Autism spectrum conditions are characterized by social and communication difficulties, repetitive behaviours, and high sensitivity to sensory stimulus (APA, 2013). In the UK, the prevalence of ASC is estimated at ~1 (Baird et al., 2006). The condition has a number of mental health correlates, which reduce the quality of life of those affected ...
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Manchester is a leading UK centre for autism intervention research at all developmental ages. Professor Jonathan Green leads the MRC pre-school autism communication trial (PACT), currently the largest intervention trial internationally in this area. We are undertaking basic research into early parent/child ...
Study autism
If you're interested in a PhD project in the area of neuroscience and autism, please use this project finder. Advice and support for autism spectrum condition students. The Disability Advisory and Support Service has specific, targeted support for autistic students such as weekly social groups, monthly newsletter and an autistic support officer.
Austism Spectrum Disorder (multi-component programme)
The learning and behaviour profile of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) distinguishes them as a group who can benefit from tailored interventions designed to improve their social communication. Children with ASD often struggle with many aspects of daily interaction that can hinder their access to learning and their participation in ...
Apply for funding
This year, our call was on the topic of populations traditionally underrepresented in autism research. Future leaders awards. This scheme aims to build a bigger and better future generation of scientists, by bridging the bottleneck in the career trajectory of scientists from leaving their PhD to becoming independent scientists.
Current research projects
From October 2019 to September 2021 a PhD student at the University of Warwick will be undertaking research into Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) in special education settings for children and young people with intellectual disabilities and/or autism. This research will explore the implementation of PBS in special educational settings to inform ...
Special and Inclusive Education (Autism) MA
Led by academics from the world-leading Centre for Research in Autism and Education (CRAE), together with a team of internationally-recognised tutors (researchers, academics, and professionals) from the Department of Psychology and Human Development (PHD), students will benefit from a cutting-edge programme of taught sessions, independent ...
Autism Education
Our autism teaching courses support education practitioners to develop excellent practice grounded in theory and research, informed by experiential knowledge, and motivated by personal values, commitment to improving the lives of autistic people and ethical conduct. All of our courses are part-time and delivered online, so that you can study ...
Being Heard: Autism Policy in the UK
Being Heard: Autism Policy in the UK. 26 July 2021. Reported by Anna Kliampa, CSaP Policy Intern and Kate McNeil, CSaP Communications Coordinator. As part of a policy training seminar series for doctoral researchers, Faculty of Education PhD candidate Melanie Greaux and CSaP Policy Fellow Anna Bailey-Bearfield spoke with early career ...
Any autistic PhD students struggling out there?
I'm trying to finish my PhD in cancer research because biological science is my special interest but I am really struggling. I am in my final year and I am behind where I would like to be, my supervisors treat me like an infant that can't do anything right and I am burning out all the time and having meltdowns. ... Autism support - leading UK ...
Virginia Tech
Embark on an exciting journey with Boeing, recognized by WayUp as one of the Top 100 Internship Programs in the US for 2023. We are seeking motivated, enthusiastic, and innovative students to join our 2025 intern program. Boeing has shaped the course of human history through aerospace innovations. Today, because of our amazing people and ...

We have 5 autism PhD Projects, Programmes & Scholarships for UK Students

autism PhD Projects, Programmes & Scholarships for UK Students

Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

Investigating the effects of sensory stimuli and repetitive sensory-motor behaviours upon anxiety in autistic and non-autistic people

Investigating the molecular mechanisms underlying dysregulated synaptic plasticity in neurodevelopmental disorders

Join Our Team: Fully Funded 4-Year PhD Position in Cognitive and Social Neuroscience

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