Laura Gormley
Dr
Dr. Laura Gormley contributes to a number of programmes within the School of Inclusive and Special Education in DCU, focusing primarily on supporting postgraduate teachers working with autistic learners, as well as those working with learners with severe to profound general learning difficulties. Within this role, Laura has the opportunity to collaborate practically with educators to adapt evidence-informed practices to develop increasingly more accessible and inclusive learning environments for all learners.
Laura’s Irish Research Council (IRC)-funded PhD research programme examined the dissemination of evidence-based practice to professionals working in the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities. Since completing her PhD, Laura has worked as a postdoctoral researcher with the Behaviour Research Unit (BRU) at the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) and held the position of programme director on the BA (Hons) in Montessori Education with Saint Nicholas Montessori College, Dun Laoghaire.
Laura has been the principal investigator on a number of research projects that have explored ways to enhance the quality of learning experiences for autistic students, as well as adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She is currently a Researcher in Residence on the Teaching Council's panel (with a focus on Inclusion and Supporting Teachers' Learning). She is also working on a co-produced research project, alongside colleagues from the autistic community and Queen's University, Belfast.
Peer Reviewed Journal
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Gormley, L.; Feeney, A.; McNally, S. (2023) 'A scoping review of research trends and future directions for research on the experiences of autistic students and staff in post-secondary education'. European Journal Of Higher Education, . [Link] [DOI] | |
| 2020 | Gormley, L.; Penrose, H.; Bracken, M.; Barron, B. (2020) 'Training behavioural therapists in presession pairing skills to evaluate the impact on children’s life skill acquisition rates'. International Journal of Developmental Disabilities, 66 . [Link] [DOI] | |
| 2019 | Gormley, L., Healy, O., O'Sullivan, B., O'Regan, D., Grey, I. & Bracken, M. (2019) 'The Impact of Behavioural Skills Training on the Knowledge, Skills and Well‐being of Front Line Staff in the Intellectual Disability Sector: A Clustered Randomised Control Trial'. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 63 (11):1291-1304. [DOI] | |
| 2018 | Doherty, Amanda; Bracken, Maeve; Gormley, Laura (2018) 'Teaching Children with Autism to Initiate and Respond to Peer Mands Using Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS)'. Behavior Analysis In Practice, 11 (4):279-288. [DOI] |
Other Publication
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Gormley, L.; Belton, C.A.; Lunn, P.D.; Robertson, D.A. (2022) Interventions to increase physical activity: An analysis of candidate behavioural mechanisms. [Link] [DOI] | |
| 2020 | Gormley, L.; Healy, O.; Doherty, A.; O’Regan, D.; Grey, I. (2020) Staff Training in Intellectual and Developmental Disability Settings: a Scoping Review. [Link] [DOI] | |
| 2019 | Ramey, D.; Healy, O.; Lang, R.; Gormley, L.; Pullen, N. (2019) Mood as a Dependent Variable in Behavioral Interventions for Individuals with ASD: a Systematic Review. [Link] [DOI] |
Conference Contribution
Research Interests
Teaching Interests
Supporting pupils with complex learning needs
Education of autistic pupils
Education of pupils with severe and profound general learning disability
Evidence-informed practice and its dissemination
Behaviour analysis
Positive Behaviour Support