Joanne McCulloch

Profile

I have over twenty years’ experience of managing a comprehensive care package for my son, who has complex needs that include Autism Spectrum Condition, a learning disability and epilepsy. I have also delivered individualised tuition to children and young people who have been diagnosed with ASC in home, school and community settings. I have experience of working with a wide range of professionals as part of a multi-disciplinary team, presenting data-based evidence and providing verbal and written advice to professionals from education, health and social care. My interest in psychology stems from these experiences and I studied BSc (Hons) Psychology with The Open University alongside my work and caring commitments.

My undergraduate research project was a phenomenological analysis of the experiences of professionals who support young people who have been diagnosed with ASC in social situations. I thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of my research, particularly the independent nature of the work. This was without doubt the most rewarding aspect of my undergraduate study and is what prompted me to undertake my PhD.

It is important to me to respect everyone’s right to choose their own personal identity. Many people identify as autistic and this is intrinsic to their wellbeing. However, there is also a large population of people who have been diagnosed with ASC and have complex needs that impact on communication about concepts such as personal identity. For the purposes of my own research I have chosen not to describe participants as autistic unless they communicate to me that this is how they prefer to be known. This is to avoid speaking on their behalf and making assumptions about their personal identities.

Research interests

I am interested in mental health and wellbeing in people who have been diagnosed with ASC and have complex needs that impact on direct communication. My doctoral research draws on ethnographic and phenomenological methodologies to explore the experiences of students at a specialist school. I am interested in how their experiences impact on their wellbeing and the resources that they draw on to help them negotiate any challenges they encounter.

My research uses methods that do not rely on direct communication and the inclusion of students who communicate mainly through their behaviour is a priority. I am interested in how we understand behaviour as voice and in how behaviour is recognised and interpreted by others.

In summary, my research interests are:

• Mental health and wellbeing in people who have been diagnosed with ASC and have complex needs that impact on direct communication.

• Behaviour analysis and how we recognise and interpret behaviour as voice.

• Innovative approaches that help to ensure that people who have complex needs are fully represented in research.

• Individual lived experience.

I am interested in psychology and education, interdisciplinary research and collaborative working. I would love to hear from others who have similar interests to my own and are working on similar projects.

Qualifications and Professional memberships

• BSc (Hons) Psychology

• Graduate member of the British Psychological Society

Research Groups and Institutes

• ICY: Inclusion, Childhood and Youth Research Centre

• Centre for Disability Studies

Qualifications

• BSc (Hons) Psychology