Background

My main research focus is the development of assessment tools and understanding of Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) in children and adults.

I gained my first degree in Psychology and Physical Education at the University College of North Wales (UCNW) Bangor and PhD in Child Development at the Institute of Education, University of London. I then worked as a Research Fellow on various projects at the Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College London, University College London and at the University of Oxford before joining Oxford Brookes University in 2004. I am currently a Professor in Psychology and teach on our undergraduate and postgraduate Psychology programmes.

My general area of research is the development of motor control and coordination in children and young adults. Within this area I pursue two different strands of research. The first has very practical applications, involving the development of assessment tools. This includes the DASH-2 and Movement ABC-3 Test and Checklist. I’m also involved in the delivery of interventions to teach motor skills. In particular I help run a ‘Learn to Ride a Bike’ course in Oxford for children with motor difficulties.

The second strand of my research focuses on various aspects of Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) - including diagnosis and assessment in children and adults with this condition and exploration of the genetic contribution to motor difficulties. I also have a special interest in the teaching and learning of handwriting and typing skill, as an important component of the broader skill of writing. My work in this area includes surveys of policy and practice in primary and secondary schools and examinations of handwriting in individuals with developmental disorders such as DCD and dyslexia. Most recently I have been working with colleagues to develop an assessment tool to evaluate handwriting legibility (the Handwriting Legibility Scale, or HLS) and compositional quality in writing (the Writing Quality Scale, or WQS). I am also starting to work on the development of a typing assessment tool.