Doctoral researcher
Contact details
m.kourti.1@pgr.bham.ac.uk
Current status
PhD student (Full-Time)
Research topic
Autism and Gender: How autistic individuals form a gender identity
Research summary
I am investigating how autistic individuals form a gender identity by recruiting autistic women, transgender men and non-binary individuals identified as female at birth and I plan to engage with them both in one-to-one interviews and in group interviews as well.
I am aiming towards a highly participatory project which will represent the point of view of autistic individuals. I am using Grounded Theory as a methodological approach and I am applying a Critical Realist framework in my overall project.
Research interests
- Autism, Gender
- Sexuality
- Disability studies
- Participatory methodology
- Critical Realism
- Grounded Theory
Research supervisors
Dr Andrea MacLeod
Dr Nicki Ward
Source of funding
College of Social Sciences scholarship
Publications and Conference Presentations
May 2018: “Intimate lives? Autism, gender sex/uality and identity” – School of Education, University of Birmingham – Conference organiser
June 2017: AuVision Peer to peer educational enhancement project presentation – University of Birmingham, School of Education
June 2017: Presentation of the findings of the project I was part of (AuVision) in the NADP conference June 2017: Exploring the experiences Autistic of females: an emancipatory approach – Presentation at the Critical Autism Network conference
May 2017: Identity, diagnosis and the autistic person: Presentation at the Communication Autism Team development seminars
November 2016: Presentation of my dissertation findings at the Specialist Women with Autism Professionals network at Autism West Midlands March 2017: Autism and Gender presentation at the University of Birmingham ACER study weekend
June 2016: Presentation of the findings of the project I was part of (AuVision) in the Research In Progress seminars at the School of Education
March 2016: Females with autism – Workshop in the University of Birmingham ACER study weekend
March 2015: Women with autism – Presentation of my dissertation findings in the University of Birmingham ACER study weekend
Additional information
Please visit autgensex.wordpress.com for more details on the "Intimate lives? Autism, Gender, Sex/uality and Identity" conference that will take place at the School of Education in May 2018.