Job description

I teach and conduct research on dyslexia, Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) and reading comprehension, with an emphasis on evidence-based interventions for the prevention and management of reading, writing and language difficulties. Teaching is grounded in current international research and practice, and students develop a knowledge base for the critical appraisal of evidence and for implementing research-based methods in educational practice across age groups.

My research interests focus on Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) and dyslexia, to understand the linguistic-cognitive mechanisms that characterise and influence these conditions. The work includes investigations into reading-related cognitive difficulties and the interplay between language and reading skills, with attention to variation, risk factors, and response to interventions.

I am currently leading a randomised controlled trial (RCT) to develop and evaluate evidence-based interventions for children and young people with difficulties in decoding and reading comprehension. The trial seeks to contribute a knowledge base that can inform practice and support more appropriate provision within educational and health services. Through research and teaching, I aim to contribute to the fields of educational psychology and special education, and to support the development of expertise among special educators, speech and language therapists, psychologists and teachers working with language difficulties and dyslexia.

I have developed tools for screening and diagnosing dyslexia (Dysmate) that enable the identification and assessment of reading and writing difficulties, as well as underlying linguistic-cognitive skills, from age 5 through adulthood. The technology underlying Dysmate is owned by UiT The Arctic University of Norway, and Literate AS holds an exclusive licensing agreement with UiT for the commercialisation of the tests and the accompanying manual. Further information about the tests is available here.