Dr. Heather M. Brown

Associate Professor

University of Alberta Profile

Dr. Heather M. Brown was trained initially as an elementary school teacher, but she is now an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Alberta. She earned her M.Ed. in Educational Psychology and a Ph.D. in Speech and Language Sciences from the University of Western Ontario.


She is an Autistic researcher passionate about supporting the academic achievement and overall well-being of Autistic children, youth and adults. Her research approach is community-based and participatory, empowering Autistic individuals to embrace their neurodiversity confidently, and aims to understand the factors that most support their well-being at home, work and school.


She currently serves as the director of the Autism, Neurodiversity and Academic Achievement (AIDAN) Lab as well as the chair of both the Neurodiversity and Autism Research in Education Committee (NAREC) for the American Educational Research Association (AERA) and Autistic and Neurodivergent Scholars Working for Equity in Research (ANSWER) for the Autism Intervention Research Network on Physical Health (AIR-P) Network at UCLA.

The personal story of Heather Brown, a woman on the autism spectrum

CURRENT FUNDED RESEARCH

Campus Belonging: Exploring Accessible Education in Canadian Post-Secondary Environments

2023-2029

SSHRC Insight Research Program - $317,932

Principle-investigator with Briano Di Rezze, David Nicholas, Sandy Hodgetts, Patty Douglas, Carly McMorris, Megan Ames, Michelle Searle, Tara Connolly, Jess Lopez, Claudius Soodeen, Patrick Dwyer


Drawing on a participatory action approach based in a critical disability orientation, this project will identify facilitators and barriers to autistic PS students’ sense of belonging on campus i.e., “the extent to which students feel personally accepted, respected, included, and supported by others in the school environment” (Goodenow & Grady, 1993, p. 60).

Measuring Autistic Writing Development: Combining Perspectives from Neurodiversity Advocates, Autism Researchers, and Writing Theories

2023-2026

SSHRC Partnership Development Grant - $199,906

Principle-investigator with Matthew Zajic, Kristie Asaro-Saddler, Narmene Hamsho, Patty Douglas


This project will be the first large-scale mixed-method study to comprehensively examine autistic written language development among autistic youths with a focus on understanding the intersections between writing products, writing processes, and writing and autistic identity.

Mobilizing environments to improve psychological and physiological experiences of thriving in Autistic people

2023-2025

SSHRC New Frontiers in Research Fund Special Call 2022 - $484,172

Co-investigator with Dr. Jonathan Weiss (PI), Desai, S. , Flicker, S., Gray, K., Kushki, A., Lai, M-C., Langdon, P., Lunsky, Y., Monette, G., Ritvo, P., Tilleczek, K., Tint, A., Khanlou, N., & McMorris, C


The current project’s goal is to inform how natural, built and social environments can maximize thriving in autistic young people post pandemic and to identify how thriving can be improved on both physiological and psychological levels. We will do so by having participants engage in therapeutic photography, taking pictures of environments that are linked with their experiences of thriving and of negative mental health states.

Double Burnout? Exploring experiences of Autistic and educator burnout among Autistic educators

2023-2024

AIR-P Scholars Program - $13,835 USD

Team member with Dr. Alex Newson (PI), Jodi Duke, Wendy Machalicek, Jackie Ryan, Rhonda Nese, Geovana Rodriguez, Elizabetn Harkins, Victoria VanUitert, Kieran Rose.


This project investigates the dual experiences of  autistic and educator burnout among autistic educators in the United States. Guided by neurodiversity and social justice paradigms, and collaboration with an international team of autistic researchers, the study uses qualitative methods, including participatory action research, to highlight intersections of autistic and educator burnout and formulate recommendations to improve mental health and well-being for autistic educators.

Amplifying autistic "voices": Learning from and with autistic adults to enhance self-determination

2021-2024

SSHRC Partnership Development Grant - $156,441

Co-Investigator with Dr. Sandy Hodgetts (PI), Bethan C. Kingsley, David B. Nicholas, Ewa Bochinski, and Centre for Autism Services Alberta (Partner)


The overarching goal is to generate knowledge to aid in the development of best practices and policies to support self-determination for autistic people. Specific objectives are to (1) understand what self-determination, including autonomy and choice, mean to autistic people, including those with intellectual disabilities (ID) and/or those who may use non-traditional communication methods; and (2) learn from autistic people, including those with ID, and/or communication difficulties how they would like to be supported to be self-determined, and (3) determine a strategy to build capacity at service and systems levels and participatory research to support self-determination of the autistic community in aspects of daily life and research.

AWARDS AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS

Autism Research Training (ART) Scholarship

Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)

   A merit-based scholarship focused on academic excellence, commitment to autism research in     a variety of disciplines, and ability to translate research into practice

Pursuit Award in Childhood Disability Research 

Bloorview's Research Institute

   An award that recognizes PhD students and alumni across the globe for their outstanding         contributions and achievements in childhood disability research

SELECT PUBLICATIONS

Master List of Publications
Learning from the experts: Evaluating a participatory autism and universal design training for university educators

Waisman, T., Williams, Z. J., Cage, E., Santhanam, S. P., Magiati, I., Dwyer, P., Stockwell, K. M., Kofner, B., Brown, H., Davidson, D., Herrell, J., Shore, S. M., Caudel, D., Gurbuz, E., & Gillespie-Lynch, K. (2023). Learning from the experts: Evaluating a participatory autism and universal design training for university educators. Autism, 27(2), 356–370. https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613221097207

The Autism Intervention Research Network on Physical Health Autistic Researcher Review Board

Brown, H. M., Dwyer, P. S., Gassner, D. L., Onaiwu, M. G., Kapp, S. K., Ne'eman, A., ... & Williams, Z. J. (2022). The Autism Intervention Research Network on Physical Health Autistic Researcher Review Board. Pediatrics, 149(Supplement 4).

Measuring Autistic Writing Skills: Combining Perspectives from Neurodiversity Advocates, Autism Researchers, and Writing Theories

Zajic, M. C., & Brown, H. M. (2022). Measuring autistic writing skills: Combining perspectives from neurodiversity advocates, autism researchers, and writing theories. Human Development, 66(2), 128-148.

An Expert Roundtable Discussion on Experiences of Autistic Autism Researchers

Dwyer, P., Acevedo, S. M., Brown, H. M., Grapel, J., Jones, S. C., Nachman, B. R., ... & Williams, Z. J. (2021). An expert roundtable discussion on experiences of autistic autism researchers. Autism in Adulthood, 3(3), 209-220.

Changing the story: How diagnosticians can support a neurodiversity perspective from the start

Brown, H. M., Stahmer, A. C., Dwyer, P., & Rivera, S. (2021). Changing the story: How diagnosticians can support a neurodiversity perspective from the start. Autism, 25(5), 1171–1174. https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613211001012

Meta-analysis of receptive and expressive language skills in Autism Spectrum Disorder

Kwok, E. Y., Brown, H. M., Smyth, R. E., & Cardy, J. O. (2015). Meta-analysis of receptive and expressive language skills in autism spectrum disorder. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 9, 202-222.


Exploring the persuasive writing skills of students with high-functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder

Brown, H. M., Johnson, A. M., Smyth, R. E., & Cardy, J. O. (2014). Exploring the persuasive writing skills of students with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 8(11), 1482-1499.


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