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Maria joined CRAE as a Research Assistant in May 2019, and is working on the Research Passport project funded by Autistica. This projects aims to create a passport to improve the experience of autistic people taking part in research, and collate a toolkit of good practice for researchers.
Maria completed her MSc in Social and Applied Psychology at the University of Kent in 2016. Since graduating, Maria has worked as a Research Assistant on two developmental psychology research projects related exploring Education Health and Care plans and a transition to secondary school in autistic children and children with Williams syndrome and Down syndrome. Maria has also volunteered with mental health charities, including Mind and SLV Global.
On the web: Twitter | LinkedIn | Google Scholar | ResearchGate
Recent publications:
- Ashworth, M., Palikara, O., & Van Herwegen J. (2019). Comparing parental stress of children with neurodevelopmental disorders: The case of Williams syndrome, Down syndrome and autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, doi: 10.1111/jar.12594.
- Van Herwegen, J., Ashworth, M., & Palikara, O. (2018) Parental views on special educational needs provision: Cross-syndrome comparisons in Williams syndrome, Down syndrome, and Autism Spectrum Disorders. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 80, 102-111.
- Palikara, O., Ashworth, M., & Van Herwegen, J. (2018) Addressing the educational needs of children with Williams syndrome: A rather neglected area of research? Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 48 (9), 3256-3259.