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Staff profile

Overview

Jessica Hirst

Disability Adviser/PDRA in Neurodivergen

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Disability Adviser/PDRA in Neurodivergen in the Department of Computer Science

Biography

Background

I completed my BSc (Hons) Psychology at the University of Liverpool in 2019. Following this I completed my MA Research Methods (Developmental Psychology) in 2020 at Durham University. My MA dissertation explored the impact of different sensory aspects of the classroom for both autistic and non-autistic children. 

After this I worked as a Research Assistant in the Centre for Neurodiversity and Development at Durham University, across two projects. The first of these projects, the Triple-A project, was an impact project which aimed to translate research into an online resource for educators, to increase awareness and understanding about the impact of attention, arousal (sensory processing) and anxiety in the classroom. The second project that I worked on explored anxiety and family well-being in Williams Syndrome, internationally, collecting data from families in 24 countries around the world.

More recently, during my PhD, I worked as a research assistant on the ‘Better Research Together’ Project. This was a collaborative project between researchers and neurodivergent community members to advance participatory research within the Centre for Neurodiversity & Development. 

Research Area

I am conducting doctoral research within the Centre for Neurodiversity and Development. The aim of my research is to work towards a better understanding of school success for autistic pupils in mainstream school. The research aims to work with key stakeholders across the autistic and autism communities, such as autistic people, parents of autistic children, teachers and educational psychologists. My research across the PhD has included looking at what is meant by 'school success', and what the factors are that impact this for autistic students, taking a mixed-methods approach. The project has also utilised co-design and co-production across the different studies. 

The projected is funded by a NineDTP studentship award. In my research I have worked closely with the Communication and Interaction Team at Durham County Council (DCC), and they are a collaborative partner on my PhD. 

Research interests

  • Engagement in school
  • Autism
  • Education
  • Neurodiversity
  • Sensory differences
  • Academic achievement
  • Williams Syndrome