Dr Gemma Williams

Research Officer, Public Health

g.l.williams@swansea.ac.uk

Available For Postgraduate Supervision

Research Links

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5162-0440

ResearchGate

Google Scholar

About

Gemma is an autistic Early Career Researcher, whose Linguistics PhD investigated the breakdowns in mutual understanding that can occur between autistic and non-autistic people, based on the idea of the ‘double empathy problem’. Her doctoral research has also included a focus on loneliness in autism and the use of creative and participatory methodologies.

Prior to joining Swansea University as a Research Officer on the Wellcome Trust-funded ‘Autism: from menstruation to menopause’ project led by Dr Aimee Grant, Gemma held an ESRC Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Brighton in Social Policy. In her current post Gemma also draws on her experience working as a Maternity Auxiliary Nurse and a trainee midwife in her early twenties.

Gemma is a member of the Westminster Commission on Autism and an Associate with the National Development Team for Inclusion where she’s contributed to a number of commissioned reports, projects and inquiries aimed at improving service provision for autistic and neurodivergent people within the UK, NHS England and Local Authorities.

Gemma is currently working on her monograph ‘Understanding Others in a Neurodiverse World’, due for publication by Pavilion Press in 2024.

Areas Of Expertise

autism and neurodivergence
cross-neurotype communication
cognitive linguistics (relevance theory)
health and social care policy
autoethnography
creative methodologies
co-production
sensory environments (and neurodivergent sensory processing)

Career Highlights

Teaching Interests

Gemma holds a postgraduate teaching qualification (Masters in English Language Teaching, from the University of Sussex), of which at least 50% was focused on pedagogy and practice.

Prior to entering academic Gemma spent eight years teaching English as a foreign language in a number of contexts: from asylum seekers, refugees and members of the settled community in Brighton, to Business English learners. She has also worked as a Teaching Assistant for a vocational NQV provider (Fashion and Music) with young people who had fallen outside of typical education services.

In 2021 she also lectured on modules shared by BA courses in English Language, English Language and English Literature, English Language and Media and English Language and Creative Writing at the University of Brighton.

Research Award Highlights Collaborations

Publications

Research Highlights

Williams, G., Ellis, R., Holloway, W., Caemawr, S., Williams, K., Craine, M., & Grant, A. (n.d.) ‘Building our own house’ as an insider-only Community Partnered Participatory Research Council: co-creating a safe space for Autistic knowledge production. Autism, Special Issue: Autistic rights movement and social model in autism research and practice
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa66078
Quadt, L., Williams, G., Mulcahy, J., Larsson, D., Silva, M., Arnold, A., Critchley, H., & Garfinkel, S. (2023). “I'm Trying to Reach Out, I'm Trying to Find My People”: A Mixed-Methods Investigation of the Link Between Sensory Differences, Loneliness, and Mental Health in Autistic and Nonautistic Adults. Autism in Adulthood
https://doi.org/doi.org/10.1089/aut.2022.0062, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa64903
https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/aut.2022.0062
Manning, C., Williams, G., & MacLennan, K. (2023). Editorial: Sensory-inclusive spaces for autistic people: We need to build the evidence base. Autism, 27(6), 1511-1515.
https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613231183541, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa63773
http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/13623613231183541
Grant, A., Williams, G., Williams, K., & Woods, R. (2023). Unmet need, epistemic injustice and early death: how social policy for Autistic adults in England and Wales fails to slay Beveridge’s Five Giants. In Ruggero Cefalo, Marcia Rose and Andy Jolly (Ed.), Social Policy Review 35: Analysis and Debate in Social Policy, 2023 (pp. 239-257). Policy Press
https://doi.org/10.47674/9781447369219, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa63757
https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/63401
Williams, G. (n.d.) Understanding Others in a Neurodiverse World (in prep - 2024)
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa63324
Williams, G., Corbyn, J., & Hart, A. (2023). Improving the Sensory Environments of Mental Health in-patient Facilities for Autistic Children and Young People. Child Care in Practice, 29(1), 35-53.
https://doi.org/10.1080/13575279.2022.2126437, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa63296
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13575279.2022.2126437
Williams, G. (2022). More Than Words: Supporting Effective Communication with Autistic People i nHealthcare Settings (ESRC-funded, NHS-hosted, co-produced guidance report)
https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.11024.28161, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa63297
Proff, I., Williams, G., Quadt, L., & Garfinkel, S. (2022). Sensory processing in autism across exteroceptive and interoceptive domains.. Psychology & Neuroscience, 15(2), 105-130.
https://doi.org/10.1037/pne0000262, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa63299
http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/pne0000262
Botha, M., Grant, A., Milton, D., Memmott, A., Williams, G., Pearson, A., & Woods, R. (2021). Sonic bombardment, noise hypersensitivity and ethics: A response to Fodstad and colleagues: ‘Assessment and treatment of noise hypersensitivity in a teenager with autism Spectrum Disorder’
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa63301
https://participatoryautismresearch.wordpress.com/2021/10/27/sonic-bombardment-noise-hypersensitivity-and-ethics-a-response-to-fodstad-and-colleagues/
Williams, G., Corbyn, J., Memmott, A., & Memmott, C. (2021). Considering and meeting the sensory needs of autistic people in housing
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa63302
https://www.ndti.org.uk/assets/files/Housing-paper-final-formatted.pdf
Williams, G., Memmott, A., Corbyn, J., & Newton, K. (2021). "It's Not Rocket Science": Considering and meeting the sensory needs of autistic children and young people in CAMHS inpatient services
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa63303
https://www.ndti.org.uk/assets/files/Its-not-rocket-science-V6.pdf
Williams, G. (2021). Theory of autistic mind: A renewed relevance theoretic perspective on so-called autistic pragmatic ‘impairment’. Journal of Pragmatics, 180, 121-130.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pragma.2021.04.032, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa63304
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pragma.2021.04.032
Williams, G., Wharton, T., & Jagoe, C. (2021). Mutual (Mis)understanding: Reframing Autistic Pragmatic “Impairments” Using Relevance Theory. Frontiers in Psychology, 12
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.616664, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa63305
http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.616664
Botha, M., Hanlon, J., & Williams, G. (2021). Does Language Matter? Identity-First Versus Person-First Language Use in Autism Research: A Response to Vivanti. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 53(2), 870-878.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-020-04858-w, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa63306
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10803-020-04858-w
Williams, G. (2020). We’re All Strangers Here. Anthropology and Humanism, 45(1), 123-129.
https://doi.org/10.1111/anhu.12270, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa63308
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/anhu.12270
Williams, G. (2020). Talking together at the edge of meaning
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa63311
https://research.brighton.ac.uk/en/studentTheses/talking-together-at-the-edge-of-meaning
Williams, G. (2020). From anonymous subject to engaged stakeholder: Enriching participant experience in autistic-language-use research. Research for All, 4(2)
https://doi.org/10.14324/rfa.04.2.13, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa63312
http://dx.doi.org/10.14324/rfa.04.2.13
Williams, G. (2020). I came here to learn about autistic communication, what I got was a lesson in loneliness and how that might be overcome. In Autistica Discover Conference
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa63313
Williams, G. (2020). Other minds: Perspectives on (and in) autistic communication. In Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS) Challenging stereotypes: novel perspectives on autism symposium, University of Sussex
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa63314
Williams, G. (2020). m a r a c a. Stim: An Autistic Anthology Unbound
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa63315
Williams, G. (2020). Perceptual deviants: understanding autistic subjectivities in a (not so) predictable world. The Neurodiversity Reader: exploring concepts, lived experience and implications for practice 9781912755394
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa63316
Williams, G. (2019). We're all strangers here. In Society for Humanistic Anthropology's Awards Ceremony, at The American Anthropological Association annual conference, Vancouver.
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa63317
Williams, G. (2019). Forum on English as a lingua franca (ELF).
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa63318
Williams, G. (2018). Theory of autistic mind: Unpicking assumptions in autistic language use research. In 8th International Conference on Intercultural Pragmatics & Communication. Cyprus.
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa63319
Williams, G. (2018). Conversing at the edge of meaning: Daring to understand the ’other’ in autism. In VIII International Symposium on intercultural, cognitive and social pragmatics. Seville.
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa63320
Williams, G. (2017). Business English teachers and ELF. Business Issues
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa63321
https://research.brighton.ac.uk/en/publications/business-english-teachers-and-elf
Williams, G. (2017). An investigation into teacher awareness of, and attitudes towards, English as a Lingua Franca within Business English instruction in the UK
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa63323
https://osf.io/fmezk/

All Research

Journal Articles

Quadt, L., Williams, G., Mulcahy, J., Larsson, D., Silva, M., Arnold, A., Critchley, H., & Garfinkel, S. (2023). “I'm Trying to Reach Out, I'm Trying to Find My People”: A Mixed-Methods Investigation of the Link Between Sensory Differences, Loneliness, and Mental Health in Autistic and Nonautistic Adults. Autism in Adulthood
https://doi.org/doi.org/10.1089/aut.2022.0062, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa64903
https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/aut.2022.0062
Manning, C., Williams, G., & MacLennan, K. (2023). Editorial: Sensory-inclusive spaces for autistic people: We need to build the evidence base. Autism, 27(6), 1511-1515.
https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613231183541, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa63773
http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/13623613231183541
Williams, G., Corbyn, J., & Hart, A. (2023). Improving the Sensory Environments of Mental Health in-patient Facilities for Autistic Children and Young People. Child Care in Practice, 29(1), 35-53.
https://doi.org/10.1080/13575279.2022.2126437, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa63296
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13575279.2022.2126437
Proff, I., Williams, G., Quadt, L., & Garfinkel, S. (2022). Sensory processing in autism across exteroceptive and interoceptive domains.. Psychology & Neuroscience, 15(2), 105-130.
https://doi.org/10.1037/pne0000262, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa63299
http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/pne0000262
Williams, G. (2021). Theory of autistic mind: A renewed relevance theoretic perspective on so-called autistic pragmatic ‘impairment’. Journal of Pragmatics, 180, 121-130.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pragma.2021.04.032, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa63304
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pragma.2021.04.032
Williams, G., Wharton, T., & Jagoe, C. (2021). Mutual (Mis)understanding: Reframing Autistic Pragmatic “Impairments” Using Relevance Theory. Frontiers in Psychology, 12
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.616664, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa63305
http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.616664
Botha, M., Hanlon, J., & Williams, G. (2021). Does Language Matter? Identity-First Versus Person-First Language Use in Autism Research: A Response to Vivanti. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 53(2), 870-878.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-020-04858-w, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa63306
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10803-020-04858-w
Williams, G. (2020). From anonymous subject to engaged stakeholder: Enriching participant experience in autistic-language-use research. Research for All, 4(2)
https://doi.org/10.14324/rfa.04.2.13, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa63312
http://dx.doi.org/10.14324/rfa.04.2.13
Williams, G. (2020). We’re All Strangers Here. Anthropology and Humanism, 45(1), 123-129.
https://doi.org/10.1111/anhu.12270, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa63308
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/anhu.12270
Williams, G. (2019). Forum on English as a lingua franca (ELF).
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa63318
Williams, G. (2017). Business English teachers and ELF. Business Issues
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa63321
https://research.brighton.ac.uk/en/publications/business-english-teachers-and-elf
Williams, G., Ellis, R., Holloway, W., Caemawr, S., Williams, K., Craine, M., & Grant, A. (n.d.) ‘Building our own house’ as an insider-only Community Partnered Participatory Research Council: co-creating a safe space for Autistic knowledge production. Autism, Special Issue: Autistic rights movement and social model in autism research and practice
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa66078

Book Chapters

Grant, A., Williams, G., Williams, K., & Woods, R. (2023). Unmet need, epistemic injustice and early death: how social policy for Autistic adults in England and Wales fails to slay Beveridge’s Five Giants. In Ruggero Cefalo, Marcia Rose and Andy Jolly (Ed.), Social Policy Review 35: Analysis and Debate in Social Policy, 2023 (pp. 239-257). Policy Press
https://doi.org/10.47674/9781447369219, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa63757
https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/63401
Williams, G. (2020). m a r a c a. Stim: An Autistic Anthology Unbound
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa63315
Williams, G. (2020). Perceptual deviants: understanding autistic subjectivities in a (not so) predictable world. The Neurodiversity Reader: exploring concepts, lived experience and implications for practice 9781912755394
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa63316

Conference Contributions

Williams, G. (2020). I came here to learn about autistic communication, what I got was a lesson in loneliness and how that might be overcome. In Autistica Discover Conference
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa63313
Williams, G. (2020). Other minds: Perspectives on (and in) autistic communication. In Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS) Challenging stereotypes: novel perspectives on autism symposium, University of Sussex
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa63314
Williams, G. (2019). We're all strangers here. In Society for Humanistic Anthropology's Awards Ceremony, at The American Anthropological Association annual conference, Vancouver.
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa63317
Williams, G. (2018). Theory of autistic mind: Unpicking assumptions in autistic language use research. In 8th International Conference on Intercultural Pragmatics & Communication. Cyprus.
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa63319
Williams, G. (2018). Conversing at the edge of meaning: Daring to understand the ’other’ in autism. In VIII International Symposium on intercultural, cognitive and social pragmatics. Seville.
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa63320

Other Research Outputs

Williams, G. (2022). More Than Words: Supporting Effective Communication with Autistic People i nHealthcare Settings (ESRC-funded, NHS-hosted, co-produced guidance report)
https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.11024.28161, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa63297
Botha, M., Grant, A., Milton, D., Memmott, A., Williams, G., Pearson, A., & Woods, R. (2021). Sonic bombardment, noise hypersensitivity and ethics: A response to Fodstad and colleagues: ‘Assessment and treatment of noise hypersensitivity in a teenager with autism Spectrum Disorder’
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa63301
https://participatoryautismresearch.wordpress.com/2021/10/27/sonic-bombardment-noise-hypersensitivity-and-ethics-a-response-to-fodstad-and-colleagues/
Williams, G., Corbyn, J., Memmott, A., & Memmott, C. (2021). Considering and meeting the sensory needs of autistic people in housing
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa63302
https://www.ndti.org.uk/assets/files/Housing-paper-final-formatted.pdf
Williams, G., Memmott, A., Corbyn, J., & Newton, K. (2021). "It's Not Rocket Science": Considering and meeting the sensory needs of autistic children and young people in CAMHS inpatient services
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa63303
https://www.ndti.org.uk/assets/files/Its-not-rocket-science-V6.pdf
Williams, G. (2020). Talking together at the edge of meaning
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa63311
https://research.brighton.ac.uk/en/studentTheses/talking-together-at-the-edge-of-meaning
Williams, G. (2017). An investigation into teacher awareness of, and attitudes towards, English as a Lingua Franca within Business English instruction in the UK
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa63323
https://osf.io/fmezk/
Williams, G. (n.d.) Understanding Others in a Neurodiverse World (in prep - 2024)
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa63324

Key Grants and Projects

Economic and Social Research Council: Improving communication between autistic and non-autistic individuals 2021 - 2023

, £85,665
Arts Council England, Developing Your Creative Practice Award (PI) 2023 - 2023

, £7632
Neurodiversity in Homeless Cohorts in East Sussex(Named Co-I along with NDTi / Lead Researcher), East Sussex County Council 2022 - 2023

, £16400

Public Engagements

Written public engagements

‘Autistic people experience loneliness far more acutely than neurotypical people – new research’, for The Conversation (November 2023)
South Coast Doctoral Training Partnership Business Boost Impact Brochure – ‘Reflecting Sensory Needs’ feature article (March 2022)
(Scottish) National Autism Implementation Team (NAIT) – Newsletter article: ‘Supporting effective communication with autistic people in healthcare settings – a practical guide’ (December 2022)
Blog post for National Centre for Academic and Cultural Exchange (NCACE) about the Talking Together animations project (November 2022)
Co-authored Participatory Autism Research Collective (PARC) blog article, ‘Sonic bombardment, noise hypersensitivity and ethics: A response to Fodstad and colleagues: “Assessment and treatment of noise hypersensitivity in a teenager with autism Spectrum Disorder”’ (October 2021)
Co-authored Thinking Person’s Guide to Autism blog post, ‘‘The Autistic Community’s Concerns Regarding Spectrum 10K and Eugenics Are Valid’ (August 2021)

Public Engagements

Video Public Engagements

‘Talking Together’ series: Five co-produced animated videos in collaboration with Figment Arts (2022):
'Cafe Faux Pas' by Eleana Re
'Loneliness' by Debbie Caulfield
'From the Station' by William Hanekom
'Bear' by Ryan Medlock (
Film/Video/Animation - Talking Together - explainer video
‘More Than Words’ – animated training video for Scottish primary care providers in collaboration with Figment Arts and National Autism Implementation Team (Scotland) (2023 – in progress)

Public Engagements

Radio Interviews and Podcast Appearances

NDTi Podcast Series: Talking Inclusion (Ep.16 - Autism and Ageing) (2022)
Autism Through Cinema Podcast – ‘Phenomena' episode (2022)
Autism Through Cinema Podcast – ‘Vision’ episode (2022)
Radio interview on Greatest Hits Radio about the Talking Together animated videos project and autistic loneliness (aired 13/10/22)

Public Engagements

Press Coverage of Research Findings

BBC News article about autism and loneliness research (Nov 2023)
ITV Wales feature (Nov 2023) – autism and loneliness research
That's TV South Wales feature (Nov 2023) – autism and loneliness
‘La solitude chez les personnes autistes : un fléau méconnu’, article in Science et Avenir (Nov 2023)
'More Than Words' report featured in Spectrum News in its Community Newsletter Oct 2022)
Article in FE News about the 'Talking Together' animation project (Oct 2022)
Web article about the 'Talking Together' animations project on Greatest Hits Radio website (Oct 2022)

Public Engagements

Policy and Guidance Reports

Neurodivergence and homelessness in East Sussex, NDTi (2023), commissioned by East Sussex County Council. [co-author: in preparation]
More than words: Supporting effective communication with autistic people in health care settings (2022) Economic and Social Research Council. (Williams, G. L., Adams, J., Bull, P., Cave, H., Chown, N., Doherty, M., Forrest, K., Foster, R., Fricker, R., Godfree, B., Keaveney-Sheath, K., Knight, J., Marrable, T., Murray, R., Shaw, S. C. K., Ventour-Griffiths, T., Wood, J.)
Submission of evidence: Government consultation on the SEND review: Right support, right place, right time – Westminster Commission on Autism (co-author)
Submission of evidence: Children and Families Act 2014, for the House of Lords Select Committee, 25/04/2022 – Centre of Resilience for Social Justice, University of Brighton, Boingboing CiC, Blackpool HeadStart (co-author)
Sensory Friendly LED Lighting for Healthcare Environments – Buro Happold / NDTi (2021). Available at: (co-author)
It’s Not Rocket Science – NDTi (2021), commissioned by National Quality Improvement Taskforce for children and young people’s mental health inpatient services (co-author / co-editor):
Supporting autistic flourishing at home and beyond: Considering and meeting the sensory needs of autistic people in housing – NDTi (2021), commissioned by The Local Government Association (LGA) Housing Commission (co-author / co-editor):

Invited Presentations, Lectures and Conferences

Theory of (other) mind: (mis)understanding ‘others’ in a neurodiverse world.

September 2023

Therapist Neurodiversity Collective, USA (online)
From one Umwelt to another: ‘otherness’ and different embodied realities in cross-neurotype communication.

April 2023

University of Konstanz, Germany
Communicating well with autistic people (in crisis situations)

April 2023

University of Brighton Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP) Refresher Day
Theory of autistic mind: A renewed relevance theoretic perspective on so-called autistic pragmatic ‘impairment’

February 2023

Portsmouth University Autism Journal Club (online)
More than words: Supporting effective communication with autistic people in health care settings

October 2022

NHS South East Reasonable Adjustments for Autistic People in Mental Health Settings – Best Practice Conference
Double Empathy Problem and Neurodivergent Communication in Healthcare Settings

September 2022

Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust Children and Young People’s Service Neurodevelopmental Pathway Away Day
Cross-neurotype communication: the double empathy problem and relevance theory

October 2022

Autistic Mutual Aid Society Edinburgh (AMASE) “Linguistic Autistics” event (online)
Communicating well with autistic people (in crisis situations): 28th June 2022.

June 2022

University of Brighton Approved Mental Health Professionals (AMHP) Refresher Day
Improving communication between autistic and non-autistic people in healthcare settings

March 2022

NHS South East All Age Autism Steering Group (online)
Loneliness and Autism (with Dr. Lisa Quadt and Rachel Fricker)

March 2022

National Autistic Society Autism and Mental Health Conference 2022 (online)
How did you get here?

March 2022

South Coast Doctoral Training Partnership (online)
Accessibility and autistic people’s sensory needs: a whole town approach

February 2022

Autism Strategic Event, Blackpool Council Autism Partnership Board, Blackpool
Loneliness, ethical loneliness, and loneliness distress in autistic adults (with Prof. Sarah Garfinkel)

November 2021

Tizard Centre / PARC Autism Journal Club (online)
Creating a voice and evocative emancipation at the Interdisciplinary Autism Research Festival (Online)

May 2021

University College London, London
Relevance theory and the double empathy problem in cross-dispositional communication

May 2021

British Association for Applied Linguistics - Health and Science Communication SIG panel
Relevance, interest, affect and flow: mapping out concepts

February 2021

International Relevance Theory Monthly Online Research Forum
Other minds: Perspectives on (and in) autistic communication

July 2020

Brighton and Sussex Medical School ‘Challenging stereotypes: novel perspectives on autism’ symposium, University of Sussex
Reading of We’re all strangers here at the Society for Humanistic Anthropology's Awards Ceremony

November 2019

The American Anthropological Association annual conference, Vancouver

Dr Gemma Williams

Email address

Twitter Account

Research Links

About

Areas Of Expertise

Career Highlights

Research Highlights

All Research

Arts Council England, Developing Your Creative Practice Award (PI) 2023 - 2023

Neurodiversity in Homeless Cohorts in East Sussex(Named Co-I along with NDTi / Lead Researcher), East Sussex County Council 2022 - 2023

Written public engagements

Video Public Engagements

Radio Interviews and Podcast Appearances

Press Coverage of Research Findings

Policy and Guidance Reports

Theory of (other) mind: (mis)understanding ‘others’ in a neurodiverse world.

From one Umwelt to another: ‘otherness’ and different embodied realities in cross-neurotype communication.

Communicating well with autistic people (in crisis situations)

Theory of autistic mind: A renewed relevance theoretic perspective on so-called autistic pragmatic ‘impairment’

More than words: Supporting effective communication with autistic people in health care settings

Double Empathy Problem and Neurodivergent Communication in Healthcare Settings

Cross-neurotype communication: the double empathy problem and relevance theory

Communicating well with autistic people (in crisis situations): 28th June 2022.

Improving communication between autistic and non-autistic people in healthcare settings

Loneliness and Autism (with Dr. Lisa Quadt and Rachel Fricker)

How did you get here?

Accessibility and autistic people’s sensory needs: a whole town approach

Loneliness, ethical loneliness, and loneliness distress in autistic adults (with Prof. Sarah Garfinkel)

Creating a voice and evocative emancipation at the Interdisciplinary Autism Research Festival (Online)

Relevance theory and the double empathy problem in cross-dispositional communication

Relevance, interest, affect and flow: mapping out concepts

Other minds: Perspectives on (and in) autistic communication

Reading of We’re all strangers here at the Society for Humanistic Anthropology's Awards Ceremony