I then moved to the School of Education in UCC to contribute to the New Avenues to Teaching (NAT) programme, a PATH 1 initiative aimed at increasing the number of students from under-represented groups participating in initial teacher education programmes in Ireland. Priority groups include (but are not limited to) students with disabilities, Traveller students and students from socioeconomically disadvantaged areas. I continue to deliver invited talks on various topics relating to autism, ADHD and the experiences of neurodivergent people within higher education and employment. In addition, I am a guest lecturer on the Doctorate of Clinical Psychology in UCC and am enrolled as a student on the MSc in Psychology with the University of Glasgow.
My current role is Research Officer on the New Avenues to Teaching programme within the School of Education in UCC, and my research is focused on the experiences of students from underrepresented groups in higher education (specifically Initial Teacher Education). This research is both motivated and informed by my own background working with students from underrepresented groups in higher education, including adult learners and students with disabilities.
I am keen to utilize co-production and participatory research approaches to both shape the research process itself and as a means to influence relevant policy and practice. A current interest is exploring how reflexivity can (and should) be valued when analysing qualitative data in the context of researchers who bring both ‘lived experience’ and professional knowledge to their investigation of a particular research topic.
My teaching interests include (but are not limited to):
AP7003 Clinical Psychology Applied to Intellectual Disability and Autism 1 (Guest Lecturer)
Higher Diploma in Facilitating Inclusion
Autism: The Social Context (Guest Lecturer)
Previous Teaching
Diploma in Autism Studies (2013 - 2022)
Biography
I have worked in UCC since 2011 - beginning in the Disability Support Service working as a peer mentor for autistic students, then moving to Adult Continuing Education to develop, coordinate and lecture on the Autism Studies programmes. In 2018 I took up the role of Project Coordinator for the UCC Autism Friendly University Initiative (AFUI) – a three year project that aimed to make the physical, social and academic environments of the University more ‘autism-friendly’ (which received both national and international recognition).I then moved to the School of Education in UCC to contribute to the New Avenues to Teaching (NAT) programme, a PATH 1 initiative aimed at increasing the number of students from under-represented groups participating in initial teacher education programmes in Ireland. Priority groups include (but are not limited to) students with disabilities, Traveller students and students from socioeconomically disadvantaged areas. I continue to deliver invited talks on various topics relating to autism, ADHD and the experiences of neurodivergent people within higher education and employment. In addition, I am a guest lecturer on the Doctorate of Clinical Psychology in UCC and am enrolled as a student on the MSc in Psychology with the University of Glasgow.
My current role is Research Officer on the New Avenues to Teaching programme within the School of Education in UCC, and my research is focused on the experiences of students from underrepresented groups in higher education (specifically Initial Teacher Education). This research is both motivated and informed by my own background working with students from underrepresented groups in higher education, including adult learners and students with disabilities.
Research Interests
My research interests centre around two main themes (which often overlap with each other):- accessibility in education (especially higher education)
- autism, ADHD and the experiences of autistic people (and neurodivergent people more broadly)
I am keen to utilize co-production and participatory research approaches to both shape the research process itself and as a means to influence relevant policy and practice. A current interest is exploring how reflexivity can (and should) be valued when analysing qualitative data in the context of researchers who bring both ‘lived experience’ and professional knowledge to their investigation of a particular research topic.
Professional Activities
Conference Contributions
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2019) | AHEAD (Association for Higher Education Access & Disability) - The Journey to Oz: Travelling Together Towards Inclusive Education, Kirsten Hurley & Máire Leane (2019) Autism Friendly Universities. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], AHEAD (Association for Higher Education Access & Disability) - The Journey to Oz: Travelling Together Towards Inclusive Education, Croke Park Conference Centre, Dublin , 20-MAR-19 - 21-MAR-19. [Details] | |
| (2019) | Autistica Research Conference, Kirsten Hurley (2019) Co-Chair of the Language and Communication Stream (with Professor Courtney Norbury). [Invited Oral Presentation], Autistica Research Conference, University of Reading, UK . [Details] | |
| (2019) | Learning Connections Conference, Kirsten Hurley (2019) ‘UCC as an ‘autism-friendly space’. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], Learning Connections Conference, University College Cork . [Details] |
Journal Activities
| Journal | Role | To / From | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Autism In Adulthood : Challenges And Management | Peer Reviewer | 01-JAN-22 - |
Professional Associations
| Association | Function | From / To | |
|---|---|---|---|
| British Psychological Society | Student Member | / |
Committees
| Committee | Function | From / To | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ESAI Teacher Diversity (Honorary) Special Interest Group (SIG) | Member | 2023 / | |
| School of Education Research Committee | Member | 2022 / | |
| New Avenues to Teaching Advisory Panel | Chair | 2022 / | |
| School of Education EDI Committee | Co-Chair | 2021 / 2023 | |
| New Avenues to Teaching Steering Committee | Member | 2021 / | |
| Autism Studies Programme Committee (ACE) | Member | 2013 / 2022 |
Other Activities
| Description | |
|---|---|
Digital Badge in Autism Awareness for University Staff (2021 - ) As part of my contribution to the UCC Autism Friendly University Initiative, I conceptualised the design and implementation of the Digital Badge in Autism Awareness for University Staff. The badge was developed in conjunction with autistic students. Designed to introduce the concept of autism to university staff, the badge content and associated workshops explore what it means to be autistic and enable participants to discover how small changes in practice and approaches can significantly improve the experiences of autistic students in higher education. |
Teaching Activities
Teaching Interests
Teaching InterestsMy teaching interests include (but are not limited to):
- the presentation of autism in girls and women
- the experiences of neurodivergent students (in particular autistic students) within higher education
- adaptations to physical, social and academic environments that could be considered 'autism-friendly'
- considerations and perspectives on formal diagnostic assessment processes for ASD (or the clinical identification of autism)
- the conceptualisation of autism from both historical and contemporary perspectives
Current Teaching
Doctorate in Clinical PsychologyAP7003 Clinical Psychology Applied to Intellectual Disability and Autism 1 (Guest Lecturer)
Higher Diploma in Facilitating Inclusion
Autism: The Social Context (Guest Lecturer)
Previous Teaching
- AD1039 Autism in a Historical and Contemporary Context (Module Lead)
- AD1040 Strengths and Challenges of Autism (Module Co-Lead)
- AD2016 Theories and Models of Autism
- AD2017 Perceptions and Portrayals: Autism and the Media (Module Lead)
- AD2018 Autism, Citizenship and the Law
- AD2019 Autism and Daily Living