About
Hanna Kovshoff is Professor of Neurodiversity in the School of Psychology.
Research
Research groups
Research interests
- https://acorns-soton.org.uk
- Developing and using novel and creative methodologies to access the views and voices of neurodivergent children and those with special educational needsUnderstanding educational experiences and the social and psychological factors that lead to successful and unsuccessful educational transitions for autistic children, children with disabilities, and those with special educational needsCo-production and participatory approaches to developing research questions and conducting research in practiceUnderstanding the wider family experience when one member of the family has additional needs – in particular I am interested in the sibling experience
Research projects
Active projects
Completed projects
Publications
Teaching
Supervision of students in BSc Psychology, MSc programmes, Doctorate in Educational/Clinical Psychology, and PhD programmes.
Biography
Through my initial training in School Psychology at McGill University in Canada, to my current work in understanding educational and developmental outcomes and experiences of neurodivergent children and families, the focus of my research has consistently been on identifying, understanding, and ameliorating barriers to educational attainment and positive educational experiences for children and young people with neurodevelopmental differences.
More recently, my research has aimed to include participatory and co-construction approaches to inform research questions and methodologies. With Prof Sarah Parsons in the Southampton Education School, I co-direct the Autism Community Research Network @ Southampton (ACoRNS - https://acorns-soton.org.uk), a unique research-practice partnership that brings together researchers, practitioners, and experts by experience to jointly develop projects of direct relevance to autism practice and policy. ACoRNS focuses primarily on the educational and lifecourse transitions and trajectories of autistic children and young people, and places autistic children’s views and voices at the centre of this work.
Prizes
- ACoRNS awarded VC Award for Triple Helix 2024 (2024)
- ACoRNS awarded VC Award for Triple Helix 2024 (2024)