Dr Lauren Powell

BSc (Hons), MSc, PhD, SFHEA

School of Education

Co-Director for the MSc Psychology and Education

EDU - photo of lauren powell
Profile picture of EDU - photo of lauren powell
l.a.powell@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 222 8179
The Wave

Full contact details

Dr Lauren Powell
School of Education
The Wave
2 Whitham Road
Sheffield
S10 2AH
Research interests

Lauren’s research foregrounds the voices of neurodivergent individuals, by using innovative, participatory methods that centre lived experience. Her work challenges deficit-based models of neurodivergence and psychoeducation, advocating instead for approaches that affirm neurodivergence as a natural and valuable part of human diversity.

A key focus of Lauren’s research is ensuring that children and young people are not only discussed through proxies, but are meaningfully informed about their neurodivergence in ways that are age-appropriate, accessible and recognise individual strengths and challenges. She is committed to co-producing resources that empower neurodivergent individuals to understand, accept, and thrive with their neurodivergence.

To this end, Lauren has led the development of two psychoeducational resources:

These projects involved collaboration with neurodivergent individuals, their families and educators, as well as professionals from Sheffield Hallam University, the University of Derby, and NIHR Children and Young People MedTech. The resulting resources are now used nationally by NHS services, schools, local authorities, and third-sector organisations.

Lauren also provides consultancy to the 'Safety Nets' project – a weekly physical activity and psychoeducation programme for children and young people with mental health needs across the UK. The project adopts a holistic, inclusive approach to wellbeing and peer support.

More recently, Lauren has drawn upon both her research and her own lived experience as an autistic and ADHD academic to deliver training and presentations for universities, schools, and local authorities. She supports these institutions to develop neuroinclusive practices that affirm neurodivergent identities and reduce barriers to participation. Her work is grounded in a commitment to inclusion, celebration of neurodiversity, and the disruption of ableist assumptions in education and research.

Lauren welcomes enquiries from prospective doctoral students interested in qualitative, participatory, and co-produced research on topics including:

  • The development of psychoeducational resources and interventions for neurodivergent children and young people (e.g., those who are ADHD and/or autistic), and the psychoeducational needs of parents, carers, and professionals.
  • Transitions in the lives of neurodivergent children and young people (e.g., from primary to secondary school, or into higher education).
  • The lived experiences of autistic and/or ADHD girls and women.
  • The motivations and experiences of adults seeking a diagnosis of ADHD and/or autism.
Publications

Journal articles

Other

Teaching interests

Lauren is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA) and the Director of the MSc Psychology and Education (Conversion) programme. She teaches across undergraduate and postgraduate programmes within the School of Education, with a focus on creating inclusive, engaging, and neuroaffirming learning environments.

Her teaching draws on her research expertise and lived experience to promote a nuanced, critical, and strengths-based understanding of child development, neurodiversity, and psychoeducation. Lauren leads modules in child psychology, qualitative research methods, and postgraduate dissertations. She also contributes to teaching on neurodiversity in childhood and adolescence, with particular emphasis on supporting Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and autistic children and young people.

Lauren is committed to embedding neuroinclusive and participatory practices in higher education teaching. She champions student voice, varied assessment methods, and the active inclusion of neurodivergent perspectives throughout the curriculum.

Professional activities and memberships

Links

iHuman  Education and Psychology Cluster