Jennifer is a quantitative researcher with a background in developmental psychology and neuropsychology. Her current work at the WISERD Education Data Lab and Administrative Data Research WALES explores education outcomes for children with additional learning needs.
Jennifer completed her PhD at University College Dublin investigating the early development of children with a family history of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Upon moving to Cardiff University, she worked on various projects across the School of Healthcare Sciences and School of Psychology. Her research investigates play, social cognition, executive functioning, and language using a variety of techniques including behavioural assessments, caregiver-reports, electroencephalography (EEG), and functional near-infared spectroscopy (fNIRS).
Current WISERD Projects:
- Education Data Lab – Does timing matter? Exploring the timing and impact of receiving Additional Learning Needs support on educational outcomes
The broad aim of this project is to investigate education outcomes for children with additional learning needs (ALN). In particular, I am interested in whether the timing of receiving ALN support has an impact on children’s attendance, exclusions, and attainment. Previous research has shown that children with ALN are more likely to have poorer academic outcomes compared to their peers without ALN. In addition, many education policies advocate for early diagnosis and early intervention or support. However little is known about the association between the timing of ALN identification and education outcomes.
In this project, I will use administrative education data in Wales to identify whether the timing of ALN identification is associated with children’s attendance, exclusions, and attainment. Building on this work, I will link education data with health data to build a more detailed picture of how children’s health conditions – and the age of diagnosis of these conditions – may impact their education trajectories.
Research Interests:
Neurodiversity, executive functioning, play