School of Education

Dr Rebecca Wood

  • Senior Lecturer (School of Education)

Biography

Rebecca is a former teacher and autism education practitioner who joined the at the School of Education as part of the research and teaching group Culture, Literacies, Inclusion and Pedagogy in May 2022. She is Principal Investigator of the Autistic School Staff Project, funded by the John and Lorna Wing Foundation.

Having studied for her first degrees at the Universities of Edinburgh and Oxford, Rebecca completed her PhD at the University of Birmingham with the support of a full-time scholarship from the School of Education. During this time, she was also appointed as a Research Fellow in order to project manage the Transform Autism Education project, a tri-national teacher training programme funded by the European Commission. This was followed by an ESRC postdoctoral Fellowship at the Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre of King’s College London and then a senior lectureship in Special Education at the University of East London.

Rebecca is often invited to speak at national and international conferences and has a number of publications in peer-reviewed journals, edited books and online media. She has had two books published: ‘Inclusive Education for Autistic Children: Helping Children to Learn and Flourish in the Classroom’ and an edited volume, ‘Learning From Autistic Teachers: How to be a Neurodiversity-Inclusive School’. Rebecca regularly provides consultancy and training for charities and government organisations and is a reviewer for a number of well-ranked academic journals. She is a visiting researcher at King’s College London where she is also a member of the Respect Research Lab.

Research interests

Rebecca’s predominantly qualitative research focuses on autism, education and inclusion. Her principal interests are in valuing and supporting multi-modal forms of communication in the context of autism and of promoting strengths-based approaches in schools. Her work also shows that educational inclusion can only be achieved by supporting acceptance and diversity across the whole school community, for adults as well as children. Her research has been based in the UK, but has also expanded to include Greece, Italy, Poland and the US. To date, Rebecca’s research has concerned:

  • The experiences of autistic children in primary schools
  • The perspectives of autistic children, autistic adults, parents and school staff on educational inclusion (a multi-modal approach)
  • The communication of autistic children in schools: how this can be supported and validated, or ignored and denied
  • The role of strong interests (monotropism) in facilitating educational inclusion
  • The experiences, needs and strengths of autistic school staff in the UK and beyond
  • The multifarious meanings of educational inclusion
  • Critical disability and neurodiversity perspectives
  • The value of autistic/disability perspectives and participatory approaches in research

Publications

List by: Type | Date

Jump to: 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017
Number of items: 43.

2026

Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212 (2026) Learning from autistic teachers could change schools for the better. Conversation, 01 Apr. (doi: 10.64628/AB.kg7v5u9v9)

Lang, Jason, Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212, Inchley, Joanna ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8322-8817, Haughton, Dawn, Turner, Fiona ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4972-3926, Gajwani, Ruchika ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1199-320X, Minnis, Helen ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2377-8945 and Press, Melea ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5540-290X (2026) More than inclusion: reimagining secondary education through neurodiversity-affirming practice. London Review of Education, 24(1), 6. (doi: 10.14324/LRE.24.1.06)

2025

Guo, Ruoxi, Shen, Yueyang, Hinson-Williams, Jessica, LaPoint, Shannon, McKinnon, Rachael, Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212 and Bottema-Beutel, Kristen (2025) Navigating teacher agency, empathy, and disability discourses in schools: a reflexive thematic analysis of autistic teachers’ perceptions of work experiences in the United States. Autism in Adulthood, (doi: 10.1177/25739581251395441) (Early Online Publication)

Lang, Jason, Press, Melea ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5540-290X, Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212, Inchley, Jo ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8322-8817, Haughton, Dawn, MacIntyre, Alison and Russell, Hazel (2025) Neurodiversity in Scottish Schools: A framework for the implementation of a neurodiversity affirming change project in Scottish secondary schools. Project Report. University of Glasgow.

Lang, Jason, Press, Melea ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5540-290X, Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212, Inchley, Jo ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8322-8817, Haughton, Dawn, MacIntyre, Alison and Russell, Hazel (2025) Neurodiversity in Scottish Schools: Executive Summary. Project Report. University of Glasgow.

Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212, Gagat-Matula, Anna, Domagała-Zyśk, Ewa and Mazur vel Butynski, Michael (2025) “We are here and we deserve it”: being an autistic teacher in Poland. International Journal of Inclusive Education, (doi: 10.1080/13603116.2025.2518393) (Early Online Publication)

Imperiale, M. G. et al. (2025) LINEs4Palestine. Project Report. University of Glasgow.

Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212, Crane, Laura, Happe, Francesca, Gagat-Matula, Anna and Milton, Damian (2025) Initial Summary Report: What are the Attitudes of Parents in the UK, Poland and the US Towards Autistic Teachers? Project Report. Knowledge Commons. (doi: 10.17613/8vscq-3yh07).

2024

White, Matthew, Harrison, Matthew, Cohn, Eli, Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212 and StEvens, Cat (2024) Becoming and Flourishing as a Neurodivergent Teacher: Final Report. Project Report. Australian Catholic University. (doi: 10.17613/zmv9v-hz689).

White, Matthew, Harrison, Matthew, Cohn, Eli, Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212 and StEvens, Cat (2024) An Evidence Informed Guide to Becoming and Flourishing as a Neurodivergent Teacher: A Guide for Educators and School Leaders. Documentation. Australian Catholic University. (doi: 10.17613/71xzv-apf49).

Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212 (2024) Thinking Differently about Autism, Education and Inclusion. Autism Practitioner Network Seminar, London, UK, 17 October 2024.

Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212 (2024) AutAngel: Autism and Our Education System. Invited Talk, 9 September 2024.

Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212, Crane, Laura, Happé, Francesca and Moyse, Ruth (2024) Learning from autistic teachers: lessons about change in an era of Covid-19. Educational Review, 76(5), pp. 1209-1231. (doi: 10.1080/00131911.2022.2103521)

Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212 (2024) Learning the Lessons from Autistic Teachers. American Educational Research Association (Neurodiversity and Autism Research in Education Committee) Invited Talk, 17 June 2024.

Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212 (2024) Happier on the outside? Discourses of exclusion, disempowerment and belonging from former autistic school staff. Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs, 24(1), pp. 39-52. (doi: 10.1111/1471-3802.12612)

2023

Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212 (2023) Keynote Address: What Can we Learn from Autistic Teachers? Second International Teacher Diversity Research Symposium, Galway, Republic of Ireland, 20 Oct 2023.

Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212, Gagat-Matuła, Anna, Bottema-Beutel, Kristen and Arshad, Rabaha (2023) Learning Lessons from Autistic Teachers in Poland and the UK. European Conference on Educational Research 2023, Glasgow, UK, 21-25 Aug 2023.

Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212 and Happé, Francesca (2023) Barriers to tests and exams for autistic pupils: improving access and longer-term outcomes. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 27(5), pp. 603-619. (doi: 10.1080/13603116.2020.1866685)

Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212 (2023) Learning from Autistic Teachers how Autistic Children and Young People can Flourish in School. Reframing Autism 2023 Conference: Innovations in Autism Education: Neuroinclusive, neuroaffirming schooling, Online, 24-25 Feb 2023.

Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212 and Happé, Francesca (2023) What are the views and experiences of autistic teachers? Findings from an online survey in the UK. Disability and Society, 38(1), pp. 47-72. (doi: 10.1080/09687599.2021.1916888)

Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212 (2023) From disempowerment to well-being and flow: Enabling autistic communication in schools. In: Milton, Damian and Ryan, Sara (eds.) The Routledge International Handbook of Critical Autism Studies. Series: Routledge International Handbooks. Routledge: Abingdon, pp. 277-287. ISBN 9781003056577 (doi: 10.4324/9781003056577-27)

2022

Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212 and Gagat-Matuła, Anna (2022) Autistic School Staff Project: Understanding and Supporting the Needs, Strengths and Experiences of Autistic School Staff in a Range of Education Roles in Schools. 13th Autism-Europe International Congress, Cracow, Poland, 07-09 Oct 2022.

Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212 (2022) Learning From Autistic Teachers. Learning From Autistic Teachers: Online Workshop, 10 September 2022.

Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212 (2022) Learning From Autistic Teachers: How to be a Neurodiversity-Inclusive School. National SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) Conference, London, UK, 15 June 2022.

Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212, Crane, Laura, Happé, Francesca, Morrison, Alan and Moyse, Ruth (Eds.) (2022) Learning From Autistic Teachers: How to Be a Neurodiversity-Inclusive School. Jessica Kingsley Publishers: London and Philadelphia. ISBN 9781839971266

Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212 (2022) Inclusion in School: Learning Lessons from Autistic Pupils and Teachers. CRAE (Centre for Research in Education Research) Webinar, London, UK, 7 April 2022.

Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212 (2022) Learning from autistic teachers. Share Magazine, 2022(Spring),

Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212 (2022) As We See It: an imperfect step forward for representing autism on screen. Conversation, 26 Jan.

2021

Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212 (2021) Foreword. In: Clarke, Helen (ed.) Supporting Spectacular Girls: A Practical Guide to Developing Autistic Girls' Wellbeing and Self-Esteem. Jessica Kingsley Publishers: London. ISBN 9781787755499

Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212 (2021) Changing the Narrative for Autistic Learners by Valuing and Supporting Autistic Educators. Live Webinar: Can you teach me as I am?, 9 September 2021.

Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212 (2021) A vital yet troubling story: Rebecca Wood watches 'The Reason I Jump', directed by Jerry Rothwell. Psychologist, 2021(27 Jul),

Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212 (2021) The Silencing and Marginalisation of Non-Speaking Autistic People. Interdisciplinary Autism Research Festival, 21 May 2021.

Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212 (2021) Autistic School Staff Project. Webinar: Autistic School Staff, 27 April 2021.

Guldberg, Karen, Achtypi, Alexia, D’Alonzo, Luigi, Laskaridou, Katerina, Milton, Damian, Molteni, Paola and Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212 (2021) Using the value creation framework to capture knowledge co-creation and pathways to impact in a transnational community of practice in autism education. International Journal of Research and Method in Education, 44(1), pp. 96-111. (doi: 10.1080/1743727X.2019.1706466)

Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212 (2021) Autism, intense interests and support in school: from wasted efforts to shared understandings. Educational Review, 73(1), pp. 34-54. (doi: 10.1080/00131911.2019.1566213)

2020

Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212 (2020) From difference to diversity in school. In: Murray, Dinah, Milton, Damian, Ridout, Susy, Martin, Nicola and Mills, Richard (eds.) The Neurodiversity Reader. Pavilion: Shoreham-by-Sea. ISBN 9781912755394

Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212 (2020) The wrong kind of noise: understanding and valuing the communication of autistic children in schools. Educational Review, 72(1), pp. 111-130. (doi: 10.1080/00131911.2018.1483895)

Eguiguren Istuany, Olivia and Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212 (2020) Perspectives on educational inclusion from a small sample of autistic pupils in Santiago, Chile. Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research, 22(1), pp. 210-220. (doi: 10.16993/sjdr.724)

2019

Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212 (2019) Inclusive Education for Autistic Children: Helping Children and Young People to Learn and Flourish in the Classroom. Jessica Kingsley Publishers: London and Philadelphia. ISBN 9781784506346

Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212 (2019) Foucault, Freda Fry and the Power of Silent Characters on the Radio. In: Courage, Cara and Headlam, Nicola (eds.) Gender, Sex and Gossip in Ambridge: Women in the Archers. Emerald: Bingley, pp. 77-85. ISBN 9781787699489 (doi: 10.1108/978-1-78769-945-820191010)

Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212, Bottema-Beutel, Kristen, Crane, Laura, Gagat-Matuła, Anna, Happé, Francesca and Milton, Damian (2019) Autistic School Staff Project. [Website]

2018

Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212 and Milton, Damian (2018) Reflections on the value of autistic participation in a tri-national teacher-training project through discourses of acceptance, othering and power. British Journal of Special Education, 45(2), pp. 157-177. (doi: 10.1111/1467-8578.12216)

2017

Runswick-Cole, Katherine and Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212 (2017) Bag of The Devil: The Disablement of Rob Titchener. In: Courage, Cara and Headlam, Nicola (eds.) Custard, Culverts and Cake: Academics on Life in The Archers. Emerald: Bingley, pp. 329-343. ISBN 9781787432864

This list was generated on Thu May 21 21:26:55 2026 BST.
Jump to: Articles | Books | Book Sections | Edited Books | Research Reports or Papers | Conference or Workshop Item | Website
Number of items: 43.

Articles

Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212 (2026) Learning from autistic teachers could change schools for the better. Conversation, 01 Apr. (doi: 10.64628/AB.kg7v5u9v9)

Lang, Jason, Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212, Inchley, Joanna ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8322-8817, Haughton, Dawn, Turner, Fiona ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4972-3926, Gajwani, Ruchika ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1199-320X, Minnis, Helen ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2377-8945 and Press, Melea ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5540-290X (2026) More than inclusion: reimagining secondary education through neurodiversity-affirming practice. London Review of Education, 24(1), 6. (doi: 10.14324/LRE.24.1.06)

Guo, Ruoxi, Shen, Yueyang, Hinson-Williams, Jessica, LaPoint, Shannon, McKinnon, Rachael, Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212 and Bottema-Beutel, Kristen (2025) Navigating teacher agency, empathy, and disability discourses in schools: a reflexive thematic analysis of autistic teachers’ perceptions of work experiences in the United States. Autism in Adulthood, (doi: 10.1177/25739581251395441) (Early Online Publication)

Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212, Gagat-Matula, Anna, Domagała-Zyśk, Ewa and Mazur vel Butynski, Michael (2025) “We are here and we deserve it”: being an autistic teacher in Poland. International Journal of Inclusive Education, (doi: 10.1080/13603116.2025.2518393) (Early Online Publication)

Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212, Crane, Laura, Happé, Francesca and Moyse, Ruth (2024) Learning from autistic teachers: lessons about change in an era of Covid-19. Educational Review, 76(5), pp. 1209-1231. (doi: 10.1080/00131911.2022.2103521)

Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212 (2024) Happier on the outside? Discourses of exclusion, disempowerment and belonging from former autistic school staff. Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs, 24(1), pp. 39-52. (doi: 10.1111/1471-3802.12612)

Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212 and Happé, Francesca (2023) Barriers to tests and exams for autistic pupils: improving access and longer-term outcomes. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 27(5), pp. 603-619. (doi: 10.1080/13603116.2020.1866685)

Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212 and Happé, Francesca (2023) What are the views and experiences of autistic teachers? Findings from an online survey in the UK. Disability and Society, 38(1), pp. 47-72. (doi: 10.1080/09687599.2021.1916888)

Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212 (2022) Learning from autistic teachers. Share Magazine, 2022(Spring),

Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212 (2022) As We See It: an imperfect step forward for representing autism on screen. Conversation, 26 Jan.

Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212 (2021) A vital yet troubling story: Rebecca Wood watches 'The Reason I Jump', directed by Jerry Rothwell. Psychologist, 2021(27 Jul),

Guldberg, Karen, Achtypi, Alexia, D’Alonzo, Luigi, Laskaridou, Katerina, Milton, Damian, Molteni, Paola and Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212 (2021) Using the value creation framework to capture knowledge co-creation and pathways to impact in a transnational community of practice in autism education. International Journal of Research and Method in Education, 44(1), pp. 96-111. (doi: 10.1080/1743727X.2019.1706466)

Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212 (2021) Autism, intense interests and support in school: from wasted efforts to shared understandings. Educational Review, 73(1), pp. 34-54. (doi: 10.1080/00131911.2019.1566213)

Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212 (2020) The wrong kind of noise: understanding and valuing the communication of autistic children in schools. Educational Review, 72(1), pp. 111-130. (doi: 10.1080/00131911.2018.1483895)

Eguiguren Istuany, Olivia and Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212 (2020) Perspectives on educational inclusion from a small sample of autistic pupils in Santiago, Chile. Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research, 22(1), pp. 210-220. (doi: 10.16993/sjdr.724)

Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212 and Milton, Damian (2018) Reflections on the value of autistic participation in a tri-national teacher-training project through discourses of acceptance, othering and power. British Journal of Special Education, 45(2), pp. 157-177. (doi: 10.1111/1467-8578.12216)

Books

Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212 (2019) Inclusive Education for Autistic Children: Helping Children and Young People to Learn and Flourish in the Classroom. Jessica Kingsley Publishers: London and Philadelphia. ISBN 9781784506346

Book Sections

Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212 (2023) From disempowerment to well-being and flow: Enabling autistic communication in schools. In: Milton, Damian and Ryan, Sara (eds.) The Routledge International Handbook of Critical Autism Studies. Series: Routledge International Handbooks. Routledge: Abingdon, pp. 277-287. ISBN 9781003056577 (doi: 10.4324/9781003056577-27)

Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212 (2021) Foreword. In: Clarke, Helen (ed.) Supporting Spectacular Girls: A Practical Guide to Developing Autistic Girls' Wellbeing and Self-Esteem. Jessica Kingsley Publishers: London. ISBN 9781787755499

Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212 (2020) From difference to diversity in school. In: Murray, Dinah, Milton, Damian, Ridout, Susy, Martin, Nicola and Mills, Richard (eds.) The Neurodiversity Reader. Pavilion: Shoreham-by-Sea. ISBN 9781912755394

Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212 (2019) Foucault, Freda Fry and the Power of Silent Characters on the Radio. In: Courage, Cara and Headlam, Nicola (eds.) Gender, Sex and Gossip in Ambridge: Women in the Archers. Emerald: Bingley, pp. 77-85. ISBN 9781787699489 (doi: 10.1108/978-1-78769-945-820191010)

Runswick-Cole, Katherine and Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212 (2017) Bag of The Devil: The Disablement of Rob Titchener. In: Courage, Cara and Headlam, Nicola (eds.) Custard, Culverts and Cake: Academics on Life in The Archers. Emerald: Bingley, pp. 329-343. ISBN 9781787432864

Edited Books

Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212, Crane, Laura, Happé, Francesca, Morrison, Alan and Moyse, Ruth (Eds.) (2022) Learning From Autistic Teachers: How to Be a Neurodiversity-Inclusive School. Jessica Kingsley Publishers: London and Philadelphia. ISBN 9781839971266

Research Reports or Papers

Lang, Jason, Press, Melea ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5540-290X, Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212, Inchley, Jo ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8322-8817, Haughton, Dawn, MacIntyre, Alison and Russell, Hazel (2025) Neurodiversity in Scottish Schools: A framework for the implementation of a neurodiversity affirming change project in Scottish secondary schools. Project Report. University of Glasgow.

Lang, Jason, Press, Melea ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5540-290X, Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212, Inchley, Jo ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8322-8817, Haughton, Dawn, MacIntyre, Alison and Russell, Hazel (2025) Neurodiversity in Scottish Schools: Executive Summary. Project Report. University of Glasgow.

Imperiale, M. G. et al. (2025) LINEs4Palestine. Project Report. University of Glasgow.

Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212, Crane, Laura, Happe, Francesca, Gagat-Matula, Anna and Milton, Damian (2025) Initial Summary Report: What are the Attitudes of Parents in the UK, Poland and the US Towards Autistic Teachers? Project Report. Knowledge Commons. (doi: 10.17613/8vscq-3yh07).

White, Matthew, Harrison, Matthew, Cohn, Eli, Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212 and StEvens, Cat (2024) Becoming and Flourishing as a Neurodivergent Teacher: Final Report. Project Report. Australian Catholic University. (doi: 10.17613/zmv9v-hz689).

White, Matthew, Harrison, Matthew, Cohn, Eli, Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212 and StEvens, Cat (2024) An Evidence Informed Guide to Becoming and Flourishing as a Neurodivergent Teacher: A Guide for Educators and School Leaders. Documentation. Australian Catholic University. (doi: 10.17613/71xzv-apf49).

Conference or Workshop Item

Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212 (2024) Thinking Differently about Autism, Education and Inclusion. Autism Practitioner Network Seminar, London, UK, 17 October 2024.

Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212 (2024) AutAngel: Autism and Our Education System. Invited Talk, 9 September 2024.

Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212 (2024) Learning the Lessons from Autistic Teachers. American Educational Research Association (Neurodiversity and Autism Research in Education Committee) Invited Talk, 17 June 2024.

Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212 (2023) Keynote Address: What Can we Learn from Autistic Teachers? Second International Teacher Diversity Research Symposium, Galway, Republic of Ireland, 20 Oct 2023.

Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212, Gagat-Matuła, Anna, Bottema-Beutel, Kristen and Arshad, Rabaha (2023) Learning Lessons from Autistic Teachers in Poland and the UK. European Conference on Educational Research 2023, Glasgow, UK, 21-25 Aug 2023.

Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212 (2023) Learning from Autistic Teachers how Autistic Children and Young People can Flourish in School. Reframing Autism 2023 Conference: Innovations in Autism Education: Neuroinclusive, neuroaffirming schooling, Online, 24-25 Feb 2023.

Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212 and Gagat-Matuła, Anna (2022) Autistic School Staff Project: Understanding and Supporting the Needs, Strengths and Experiences of Autistic School Staff in a Range of Education Roles in Schools. 13th Autism-Europe International Congress, Cracow, Poland, 07-09 Oct 2022.

Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212 (2022) Learning From Autistic Teachers. Learning From Autistic Teachers: Online Workshop, 10 September 2022.

Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212 (2022) Learning From Autistic Teachers: How to be a Neurodiversity-Inclusive School. National SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) Conference, London, UK, 15 June 2022.

Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212 (2022) Inclusion in School: Learning Lessons from Autistic Pupils and Teachers. CRAE (Centre for Research in Education Research) Webinar, London, UK, 7 April 2022.

Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212 (2021) Changing the Narrative for Autistic Learners by Valuing and Supporting Autistic Educators. Live Webinar: Can you teach me as I am?, 9 September 2021.

Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212 (2021) The Silencing and Marginalisation of Non-Speaking Autistic People. Interdisciplinary Autism Research Festival, 21 May 2021.

Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212 (2021) Autistic School Staff Project. Webinar: Autistic School Staff, 27 April 2021.

Website

Wood, Rebecca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8160-6212, Bottema-Beutel, Kristen, Crane, Laura, Gagat-Matuła, Anna, Happé, Francesca and Milton, Damian (2019) Autistic School Staff Project. [Website]

This list was generated on Thu May 21 21:26:55 2026 BST.

Grants

2020 – 2022: Principal Investigator, Autistic School Staff Project, funded by the John and Lorna Wing Foundation (£57,139 and £40,739). In collaboration with Professor Francesca Happé (King’s College London), Dr Laura Crane (University College London), Alan Morrison (Autism Rights Group Highland), Dr Ruth Moyse (University of East London). Additional Phase 3 collaborators: Dr Damian Milton (University of Kent), Dr Anna Gagat-Matula (Pedagogical University of Krakow), Dr Kristen Bottema-Beutel (Boston College, Massachusetts).

2019 – 2020: Postdoctoral Fellowship, ‘The Inclusion of Autistic Children in the Curriculum and Assessment in Mainstream Primary Schools.’  King’s College London, funded by the ESRC.

2015 – 2017: Research Fellowship, Transform Autism Education project.  Project manager, University of Birmingham, funded by the European Commission. Principal Investigator, Professor Karen Guldberg. In collaboration with the Aikaterini Laskaridis Foundation (Greece); the Ministero dell’Istruzione - Ufficio Scolastico Regionale per la Lombardia (Italy); the Ufficio Scolastico Territoriale di Monza e Brianza (Italy) and the Autism Education Trust (UK).

Supervision

Rebecca welcomes students interested in the following areas:

  • Autism and education
  • Autism and multimodal communication
  • Autism and intense interests (monotropism)
  • Educational inclusion (critical national and international perspectives)
  • Experiences and perspectives of children with disabilities
  • Teachers with disabilities
  • Neurodiversity
  • DALI, DILARA
    An Investigation into Facilitators and Barriers to Friendship-Making of Autistic Young People in Secondary School Settings in Scotland
  • Fakile, Dorcas
    Black and autistic? God forbid! Exploring and deconstructing cultural myths about autism within the Black community.
  • JIANG, Tianle
    Enhancing Parental Engagement in Inclusive Education in China: A Parental Perspective
  • Rustamova, Sevinj
    Exploring the current status of inclusive education through teacher’s role: Comparative case study between the Republic of Azerbaijan and Scotland.

Teaching

Rebecca currently lectures on the M.Ed in Inclusive Education programme and leads the Inclusive Education, Inclusive Pedagogies course.

Additional information

Peer reviewing includes European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry; Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research; Educational Review; Journal of Early Childhood Research; Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, Autism, Jessica Kingsley Publishers; Routledge books.

Rebecca’s online publications can be found, inter alia, in The Conversation, the Times Education Supplement, The Psychologist and the BERA blog.


Rebecca Wood profile pic