Professor Laura Crane

Professor Laura Crane

School of Education
Professor of Autism Studies
Director of the Autism Centre for Education and Research (ACER)

Contact details

Email
l.crane@bham.ac.uk
Address
School of Education
University 麻豆精选
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

Laura holds a Chair in Autism Studies within the School of Education, where she is Director of the Autism Centre for Education and Research (ACER). The goal of Laura's work is to conduct research on topics that matter to autistic people and their allies, through working in collaboration with them. In this regard, Laura's research interests are wide-ranging, and she has published extensively in the fields of education, healthcare, and criminal justice.

Qualifications

  • PhD in Psychology, 2010
  • MSc in Research Methods in Psychology, 2006
  • BSc (Hons) in Psychology, 2005

Biography

Laura completed her BSc (2005), MSc (2006) and PhD (2009) in Psychology at Goldsmiths, University of London. Her PhD research focused on autobiographical memory in autistic adults. Following completion of her PhD, she undertook a range of research and teaching roles at various London-based universities, including UCL, City, Goldsmiths and LSBU. 

In 2017, Laura was appointed as Associate Professor at UCL’s Institute of Education, based within the Centre for Research in Autism and Education (CRAE). She was promoted to Professor of Autism Research and Education in 2023.

In 2024, Laura moved to the University 麻豆精选’s School of Education, in the Department for Disability, Inclusion and Special Needs (DISN). Laura was appointed to the role of Chair in Autism Studies and Director of the Autism Centre for Education and Research (ACER).

Teaching

MA Inclusion

Postgraduate supervision

Laura welcomes enquiries from prospective doctoral students who are keen to pursue research that matters to autistic people and their allies, and that meaningfully involves them in knowledge co-creation. Laura’s main area of focus is autism education, and she is especially keen to hear from those with personal and/or professional connections to the field of autism education research.

Other activities

  • Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, 2023
  • UKCGE Recognised Research Supervisor, 2021
  • Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, 2020

Publications

Recent publications

Book

Pavlopoulou, G, Crane, L, Hurn, R & Milton, D (eds) 2024, . Anna Freud: Key Ideas and Best Practice, 1st edn, Routledge, London.

Article

Fletcher-Watson, S, Joseph, H, Crane, L, Pavlopoulou, G, Lukito, S, Funnell, E, Alcorn, AM & Crompton, C 2025, '', Current Developmental Disorders Reports, vol. 12, no. 1, 7.

Gallagher, L, Crane, L, Dineen, T, Ibrahim, N, Mulryan, N, Bolshakova, N, Harris, A, O'Rourke, L & Pellicano, E 2025, '', The Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine.

Robinson, E & Crane, L 2025, '', British Journal of Special Education.

Chan, MY, Han, E & Crane, L 2025, '', International Journal of Disability, Development and Education.

Dexter, S, Remington, A, McAuley, R, Gross, J, Culmer, K, Littlebury, N & Crane, L 2025, '', British Educational Research Journal.

Ashworth, M, Heasman, B, Crane, L & Remington, A 2025, '', Neurodiversity, vol. 3, 27546330241311472, pp. 1-30.

Irvine, B, Elise, F, Brinkert, J, Poole, D, Farran, EK, Milne, E, Scerif, G, Crane, L & Remington, A 2024, '', Neurodiversity.

Cooper, K, Burnley, A, Allain, L, Beresford, B, Crane, L, Morales, MV, Portway, L, Redmayne, B, Russell, A & Mandy, W 2024, '', BMJ open, vol. 14, no. 11, e089802.

Ashworth, M, Heasman, B, Crane, L & Remington, A 2024, '', Neurodiversity, vol. 2, pp. 1-14.

Davies, J, Islam, L, Carter, S, Redmayne, B, Cooper, K, Mandy, W & Crane, L 2024, '', Autism in Adulthood.

Peachey, M & Crane, L 2024, '', Autism in Adulthood.

Comment/debate

Crane, L 2024, '', JCPP Advances.

Commissioned report

Ashworth, M, Heasman, B, Crane, L & Remington, A 2024, . University College London.

Review article

Davies, J, Cooper, K, Killick, E, Sam, E, Healy, M, Thompson, G, Mandy, W, Redmayne, B & Crane, L 2024, '', Autism Research, vol. 17, no. 5, pp. 874-897.

Expertise

Autism; special education