Professor Laura Crane

Professor Laura Crane

School of Education
Professor of Autism Studies
Director of the Autism Centre for Education and Research (ACER)

Contact details

Email
l.crane@bham.ac.uk
View my research portal
Address
School of Education
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

Laura holds a Chair in Autism Studies within the School of Education, where she is Director of the Autism Centre for Education and Research (ACER). The goal of Laura's work is to conduct research on topics that matter to autistic people and their allies, through working in collaboration with them. In this regard, Laura's research interests are wide-ranging, and she has published extensively in the fields of education, healthcare, and criminal justice.

Qualifications

  • PhD in Psychology, 2010
  • MSc in Research Methods in Psychology, 2006
  • BSc (Hons) in Psychology, 2005

Biography

Laura completed her BSc (2005), MSc (2006) and PhD (2009) in Psychology at Goldsmiths, University of London. Her PhD research focused on autobiographical memory in autistic adults. Following completion of her PhD, she undertook a range of research and teaching roles at various London-based universities, including UCL, City, Goldsmiths and LSBU. 

In 2017, Laura was appointed as Associate Professor at UCL’s Institute of Education, based within the Centre for Research in Autism and Education (CRAE). She was promoted to Professor of Autism Research and Education in 2023.

In 2024, Laura moved to the University of Birmingham’s School of Education, in the Department for Disability, Inclusion and Special Needs (DISN). Laura was appointed to the role of Chair in Autism Studies and Director of the Autism Centre for Education and Research (ACER).

Teaching

MA Inclusion

Postgraduate supervision

Laura welcomes enquiries from prospective doctoral students who are keen to pursue research that matters to autistic people and their allies, and that meaningfully involves them in knowledge co-creation. Laura’s main area of focus is autism education, and she is especially keen to hear from those with personal and/or professional connections to the field of autism education research.

Other activities

  • Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, 2023
  • UKCGE Recognised Research Supervisor, 2021
  • Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, 2020

Publications

Recent publications

Article

Irvine, B, Elise, F, Brinkert, J, Poole, D, Farran, EK, Milne, E, Scerif, G, Crane, L & Remington, A 2024, '‘A storm of post-it notes’: experiences of perceptual capacity in autism and ADHD', Neurodiversity. https://doi.org/10.1177/27546330241229004

Cooper, K, Burnley, A, Allain, L, Beresford, B, Crane, L, Morales, MV, Portway, L, Redmayne, B, Russell, A & Mandy, W 2024, 'Autism Transition to Adulthood Groups (ATAG): Protocol for a feasibility randomised controlled trial of a new peer-group intervention to promote successful transition to adulthood for autistic young people', BMJ open.

Ashworth, M, Heasman, B, Crane, L & Remington, A 2024, 'Evaluating the impact of an online autism training on changing employers’ autism knowledge and commitment to inclusion in the workplace', Neurodiversity, vol. 2, pp. 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1177/27546330241249266

Davies, J, Islam, L, Carter, S, Redmayne, B, Cooper, K, Mandy, W & Crane, L 2024, 'Examining the support experiences of autistic young people with multiple marginalized identities in the United Kingdom', Autism in Adulthood. https://doi.org/10.1089/aut.2024.0059

Peachey, M & Crane, L 2024, '"I Don’t Understand Their Sense of Belonging": Exploring How Non-Binary Autistic Adults Experience Gender', Autism in Adulthood. https://doi.org/10.1089/aut.2023.0071

Buffle, P, Cavadini, T, de Lourdes Ortega, M, Armijos, C, Soto, P, Gentaz, E & Crane, L 2024, 'Journeys towards accessing an autism diagnosis and associated support: a survey of families of autistic children in Ecuador', Autism. https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613241281029

Norris, JE, Nicholson, J, Prosser, R, Farrell, J, Remington, A, Crane, L, Hull, L & Maras, K 2024, 'Perceptions of autistic and non-autistic adults in employment interviews: The role of impression management', Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, vol. 112, 102333. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rasd.2024.102333

Tan, DW, Crane, L, Haar, T, Heyworth, M, Poulson, R & Pellicano, E 2024, 'Reporting community involvement in autism research: Findings from the journal Autism', Autism: the international journal of research and practice. https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613241275263

Davies, J, Redmayne, B, Allain, L, Portway, L, Mandy, W, Cooper, K & Crane, L 2024, 'The co-design and initial evaluation of a peer support program for autistic young adults', Autism in Adulthood. https://doi.org/10.1089/aut.2023.0153

Jack, C, Crane, L, Kenny, A, Blaisdell, C & Davis, R 2024, '“There's Only So Much the School Can Change About Itself ...Before You Need to Change Something About Yourself"​: a Qualitative Analysis of the Experiences of Neurodivergent Student Teachers.', Autism in Adulthood. https://doi.org/10.1089/aut.2024.0047

Chapter

Al-Jayoosi, H & Crane, L 2024, Understanding and meeting the sensory needs of neurodivergent learners: implementing and evaluating the use of flexible seating in an inclusive primary school. in R Davis, C O'Neill & S Fletcher-Watson (eds), It Takes All Kinds Of Minds: Fostering Neurodivergent Thriving at School . Routledge.

Comment/debate

Crane, L 2024, 'Developments and future directions in neurodevelopmental research: a commentary on ‘Camouflaging in neurodivergent and neurotypical girls at the transition to adolescence and its relationship to mental health: a participatory methods research study’', JCPP Advances.

Commissioned report

Ashworth, M, Heasman, B, Crane, L & Remington, A 2024, “An amazing life-changing experience!”: Tracking and Evaluating Employ Autism. University College London. https://doi.org/10.14324/000.rp.10198825

Review article

Davies, J, Cooper, K, Killick, E, Sam, E, Healy, M, Thompson, G, Mandy, W, Redmayne, B & Crane, L 2024, 'Autistic identity: A systematic review of quantitative research', Autism Research, vol. 17, no. 5, pp. 874-897. https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.3105

Timmerman, A, Totsika, V, Lye, V, Crane, L, Linden, A & Pellicano, E 2024, 'Quality of Life Measurement in Randomised Controlled Trials of Mental Health Interventions for Autistic Adults: A Systematic Review', Autism. https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613241287586

View all publications in research portal

Expertise

Autism; special education