Dr. Olive Healy

Summary

The current research aims to effectively disseminate evidence-based practice (EBP) to professionals working in the field of intellectual disability. The impact of this dissemination will then be analysed and evaluated, in terms of staff and organisational outcomes. Therefore, the following questions must be addressed: What are the most productive methods for disseminating and supporting the adoption of EBPs in care settings? How can direct support staff be effectively assisted to generalise EBPs to novel circumstances? What variables relating to training methods contribute to effective outcomes? What variables relating to the treatment environment are associated with positive outcomes? What are the long-term outcomes associated with staff training in EBP? What are the benefits to service users, staff and the larger organisation, by effectively adopting an EBP approach to service delivery?

Funding Agency

Irish Research Council

Project Type

PhD

Person Months

36

Summary

An evaluation of a psychosexual intervention with adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Funding Agency

Pobal Dormant Account

Person Months

12

Summary

This project aims to improve life experiences for autistic children and those with an intellectual or developmental disability through assistive technology solutions. With Dr. Rhona Dempsey (co-founder), we have designed a mobile application employing psychosocial behavioural interventions that can be used to ease stress and reduce fearful responding that impacts quality of life. We are developing this app further to investigate threat value as a stimulus feature and the transfer of responding that can occur between stimuli sharing this feature. This will further inform the technology on personalised solutions for avoidance action for example.

Funding Agency

Enterprise Ireland

Summary

The current investigation involves a pivotal study including random assignment to an experimental condition (Active intervention involving personalised mu rhythm training based on the alpha peak and contingent reward-based learning for 3 months) or to a control condition (Sham involving no correlation between participant mu rhythm and reward delivery (non-contingent) for 3 months) to compare both treatments. A well-defined population will be included based on pre-determined inclusion and exclusion criteria involving age, clinical characterisation, motivation, medical history, concomitant medication and other safety evaluations. A multi-site study is employed across two countries with two research organisations managing each study site.

Funding Agency

EIC

Summary

This is an interdisciplinary research programme with four funded PhDs across four disciplines. The purpose is to work across disciplines to improve outcomes for children with cerebral palsy (CP). Interdisciplinary collaboration connects research within schools and faculties in Trinity College Dublin (School of Bioengineering, School of Psychology, School of Medicine the School of Computer Science and Statistics, Discipline of Occupational Therapy) and with external collaborators (Central Remedial Clinic).

Funding Agency

Trintiy College Dublin

Project Type

Group-Based PhD Award