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In 1999 Kerstin Dautenhahn proposed a new multidisciplinary research direction encompassing robotics, psychology, assistive technology, interaction design, human-robot interaction and autism therapy. In 2005 she began developing the humanoid robot Kaspar, whose evaluations suggested therapeutic suitability for children with autism. Ongoing research a) led to the development of appropriate human-robot interaction technology, interaction scenarios and methodological approaches b) stimulated national and international public discourse on robot-assisted therapy for children with autism; and c) informed practitioners' views on using robot technology in autism therapy. A former doctoral student also exploited her Hertfordshire training via an international robotics start-up marketing toys for children with autism.
Four staff align with impact in the interdisciplinary field of Childhood Studies; Broadhead, Brock, Moss and Potter. Their research examines different, related aspects of early to late childhood. The impact is evident in several domains. Research has contributed to policy and professional development in relation to the early years and autistic spectrum disorders. It has enhanced pedagogies in schools concerning play and children's social participation. It has improved communication with children through the development of play approaches and approaches for those children diagnosed on the autistic spectrum. It has contributed to childhood workforce skill enhancement in relation to the early years and men's professional and familial involvement with children. This research has also informed public awareness of children's perspectives and experiences through the use of media and other forms of public engagement.
The Autism Centre for Education and Research (ACER) champions the development and implementation of enhanced autism provision for children, young people and adults across England through influencing professional standards and practice. Key examples of the Centre's application of its research to enhance professional practice include:
Our research has had substantial impact on the mental health and welfare of children with suspected autistic disorders, on their education, on the well-being of their families, and on the activities of healthcare professionals and their services for children in both paediatric and psychiatric practice. We developed a new diagnostic test for autistic spectrum disorders, which allows for better, more reliable diagnosis of these conditions. The test has been included in healthcare guidelines and professional standards in the UK and many other countries around the world, including influencing the revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association (DSM-5).
Autism or autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) is a lifelong neurodevelopmental condition that affects around 700,000 people in the UK. Until recently knowledge of autism prevalence was mainly restricted to children, but in 2007 the Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey (APMS) included for the first time a measure of ASD. Professor Traolach (Terry) Brugha and his group developed an innovative methodology to measure the prevalence of autism in adults — previously not thought possible — and found it to be just over 1% of the population studied. The evidence collated by the Social and Epidemiological Psychiatry group has led to a range of actions across central and local government as well as the charitable sector, and since 2010, has transformed diagnostic and support services. It has also improved professional training, changed attitudes across society and reduced the isolation and exclusion that adults with autism often face.
Dr Rosa Hoekstra engages in research on the biological, cultural and cognitive aspects of autism, and in communicating the findings of these studies to a wider audience. Her involvement in developing a rapid quantitative instrument of autistic traits has aided diagnostic practice. Through The Open University's OpenLearn website and open educational resources associated with the Health Education And Training (HEAT) programme, Hoekstra contributes to raising autism awareness both in the UK and abroad.
Public understanding of the brain and key concepts in cognitive development was improved through the Royal Institution (RI) Christmas Lecture series, "Meet Your Brain", which was delivered in 2011 by Bruce Hood, Professor of Developmental Psychology in Society at the University of Bristol and was based on research conducted at the Bristol Cognitive Development Centre. The series was broadcast twice in the UK on the BBC, reaching 4 million viewers in total. The success of the series subsequently led to Hood giving invited lectures in Asia in 2012 and 2013, which were broadcast on national television, reaching over 7 million viewers over the two years.
In 2012, young people between the ages of 9 and 14 participated in a live version of the lecture series and were tested on their knowledge before and after the series; average test score went from 40% to 75%, showing an increased understanding and further testing showed a 73% retention rate of this knowledge 2 months after the lecture.
The content of Hood's lectures forms the basis of The Brain Bank - a website about basic cognitive neuroscience, which provides tools and resources for educators. The website is distributed through the RI, Society of Biology, and UK Association for Science Centres and has received over 22,000 visits since its launch in January 2013.
Professor Sue Roulstone's research has contributed significantly and widely to a growing political appreciation of the crucial role that language plays in children's development, socially, emotionally and educationally. The research has contributed evidence to underpin policy initiatives to monitor language as an indicator of successful child development, to support the importance of children's early language development and to ensure services for those with impairments are evidence-based. These initiatives have in turn impacted upon the development of services and the use of parent and child perspectives in service design and development.
Summer Scientist Week (www.summerscientist.org) is an innovative public engagement event held at the University of Nottingham that increases public understanding of the psychology of child development. Families with children aged from 4 to 11 years experience the research process first-hand by participating in ongoing studies. Research findings and their impact are disseminated through posters at the event and follow-up newsletters. Summer Scientist Week (SSW) has increased public understanding of psychology research within the community and has increased interest in psychology and child development topics in the media and has increased attendance at other science and research-based events.
EPPSE is a Government-funded, high profile, longitudinal study with a multi-disciplinary design and numerous outputs, almost unprecedented in the UK in terms of its scale and scope. It has become a seminal study of the influence of early education on children's later development. Findings have been used in the UK and internationally for:
The two Principal Investigators at the IOE have taken lead roles in all of the above.