What are you going to work with at IFIKK?
I will be working with the Norwegian Research Council project ‘Creativity and Convention in Pragmatic Development’, led by Ingrid Falkum, which assesses pragmatic language development among children with and without Autism Spectrum Conditions (ASC). Autistic individuals often find non-literal uses of language to be a challenging facet of human communication. My research aims to better understand what factors account for these challenges and whether prolonged difficulty with non-literal language may be analogous to stages of typical pragmatic development or have a differing etiology. In particular, I will be exploring comprehension of metonymy across a diverse profile of children and adolescents with ASC. This in turn may help inform language supports and interventions for this population.
Can you tell us a bit about your research interests?
My broad research interests pertain to language and communication development among individuals with autism spectrum conditions. My recent work has explored comprehension and expression of referential expressions across a broad profile of children and adolescents with ASC. I hope to explore potential links from this previous work in my current position.
Prior to studying cognitive science, I have worked as a primary school teaching assistant and tutor for children with learning disabilities. I enjoy working with children and their teachers and families to help support their individual growth.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
In my spare time, I enjoy cooking and learning about cuisines from different regions of the world. I am also looking forward to exploring Norwegian nature and hope to join the UiO employee choir once in person activities resume.