Understanding the diversity of human development
We're interested in the role that social interactions play in all aspects of human development and its variability. Our research — informed by our community and academic collaborations — aims to support families, children and professionals in education, employment and care environments.
Research | Collaborations | Staff | Resources
Interaction
Our research focuses on social and physical interactions in naturalistic settings.
Development
We are interested in developmental changes, across the life span and across cultures.
Diversity
We focus on inclusivity, neurodiversity, and linguistic and cultural variability.
Participate in our research
We are always seeking community partners and volunteers to take part in our research.
If you would like to be involved, please email [email protected]
You can also follow us on Twitter @UoP_CIDD
Research
Taking an interactionist approach to development and diversity
The study of the process of development and its variability lies at the heart of our research. We use a range of methodological approaches and techniques that emphasise the role of social interaction and everyday experiences in development, rather than focusing on individuals alone.
We study the process of development from early infancy through adolescence to older age groups. We are also interested in neurodivergent participants, people with intellectual disabilities and other conditions; their relationships with other people and also with the physical world.
We involve community members or community-based organisations in our research; whether this is to co-develop research questions, seeking their advice on the design and protocols for our studies, or drafting actions resulting from our research. One outcome of these collaborations has been the creation of the Autism Centre for Research on Employment.
Our research centre is committed to address social problems, enhance the local and wider community, and improve educational and diversity policy and practice. We achieve this by:
- Using a community-based research approach to ensure the views of the community are reflected at all stages in the research process
- Creating opportunities to disseminate, and discuss, research findings within community settings
- Developing sensitive and meaningful research paradigms and methods that capture heterogeneity in development across the life-span
- Co-developing resources to meet the needs of educational and diverse communities
- Facilitating collaborative partnerships between scientists and community organisations
- Shifting psychological practices that reproduce stigma and limit our understanding of the capabilities of neurodiverse populations
- Implementing best practices in the workplace and education
Publication highlights
2026
Chimpanzees steal less from their friends and expect them to do the same
Ritov, O., Völter, C. J., Samuni, L., Benozio, A., Keltner, D., Engelmann, J. M., Lewis, L. S., Herrmann, E.
1 Nov 2026, In: Evolution and Human Behavior. 47, 6, 8p., 106948
Research output: Article
“The significance of context”: Fit, friction, and function in the work lives of early career academics with ADHD
Hamilton, L. G., Ramji, A. V., Elsherif, M., Kapp, S. K., Sulik, J.
29 Oct 2026, In: PLoS One. 21, 10, 22p., e0361208
Research output: Article
Metacognitive monitoring in Kenyan, Chinese, and U.S. children
Buehler, F. J., Lewis, L. S., Zhang, Z., Schleihauf, H., Zong, Y., Herrmann, E., Zeidler, H., Engelmann, J. M.
19 Oct 2026, In: Journal of Experimental Child Psychology. 275, 16p., 106691
Research output: Article
Children from six cultures reliably help their peers—but in different ways
Zeidler, H., Schäfer, M., Herrmann, E., Kanngießer, P., Maurits, L., Haun, D. B. M., Tomasello, M.
6 Oct 2026, In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 123, 40, 7p., e2515233123
Research output: Article
Self‐ and caregiver‐reported choice‐making in autistic adults: development and validation of the AASPIRE–Choices and Decisions Scale
Kim, S. Y., Gillespie‐Lynch, K., Kapp, S. K., Yang, L., Wallington, A. “., Raymaker, D. M., Moura, I., McDonald, K., Maslak, J., Kripke‐Ludwig, R., Joyce, A., Horner‐Johnson, W., Frowner, E., Baker‐Ericzén, M.,
6 Oct 2026, In: Autism Research, 15p., e70374
Research output: Article
Active Research Projects
Unpacking the profiling discussion of the Neurodiversity Profiling Tool: A convergent analysis of interaction, care giver experience and profile outcomes
Fasulo, A., Lopez, B., Nomikou, I.
19/08/2023 to 31/12/2026
Staff
Postgraduate students
James Baggott
Sensory and attentional processing in primary school autistic children: implications for classroom design.
Supervisors: Professor Beatriz López, Dr Jessica Massoniè, Dr Niko Kargas (United Arab Emirates University). Funded by the ESRC South Coast Doctoral Training Partnership (SCDTP), October 2024 – September 2027.
Kirsten Farrell (EdD)
The Barriers to Neurodivergent Students Accessing Support: An Institutional Case Study in UK Higher Education.
Supervisors: Dr Emine Gurbuz, Dr Gemma Williams, Dr Simon Edwards, September 2026 - September 2030. Self Funded.
Konstantina Klimantaki
Supporting autistic students through university using a collaborative participatory research approach.
Supervisors: Dr Emine Gurbuz and Prof. Beatriz López. October 2025 – September 2031.
Ashra Piterman
The Masking Self Determination Model (MSDM): Exploring Autonomy in Autistic Masking and Implications for Clinical Practice.
Supervisors: Emine Gürbüz, Steven Kapp, Felicity Sedgewick. Funded by the ESRC South Coast Doctoral Training Partnership (SCTDP), October 2026 - January 2030.
Collaborations
We collaborate with several autism community-research groups. These collaborations are further supported by a thriving research culture, resulting from academic collaborative networks. Our research collaborations have enabled us to secure funding to advance developmental and diversity theory and improve educational practice and outcomes for children and neurodiverse populations.
Our community collaborations
- Academic Autism Spectrum Partnership in Research and Education (AASPIRE)
- Autism Centre for Research on Employment
- Wessex Academic Health Science Network's Healthy Ageing Programme
- Academic Research Collaboration Wessex: Ageing and Dementia theme, National Institute for Health Research
- National Care Association
- Government bodies including the Department of Health and NHS England
- Charities such as Autism Hampshire, Winchester Science Centre and Growing Places
- Councils and schools across Southampton, Portsmouth and Hampshire county
- Business and industry such as IBM
- Research networks including practitioners, schools and families such as the Autism Research Network, Mathematics in Education and Industry and Age UK Portsmouth.
Our academic collaborative networks
- Building Bridges Project REACH, City University of New York
- Daylong Audio Recordings of Children's Linguistic Environments
- ManyBabies Project Africa (Princeton University, Stanford University, and several African Universities)
- ManyBabies At Home network.
Resources
Members of our team have developed a series of resources which draw directly from our research. From online toolkits, lay summaries of autism research, or guidelines on how to include autistic people in the research process. You can access all our resources from our CARING website.