Gemma Williams, Associate
Gemma is an autistic Early Career Researcher, currently working as an ESRC Postdoctoral Fellow at the Centre for Resilience and Social Justice at the University of Brighton.
Gemma has a PhD in Linguistics explored communication between autistic and non-autistic people: reframing breakdowns in understanding as a two-way problem rather than as an autistic ‘deficit’ in social communication.
Gemma has published a number of academic articles, a book chapter and have given several international conference presentations and invited talks on various aspects of autistic communication, autistic wellbeing, and loneliness. She is currently working on a monograph on cross-neurotype communication, particularly in the context of health and social care.
Prior to my academic work she taught English as a foreign language for several years, spent several years working within the NHS first in medical records as administrative support and then on the maternity wards as an auxiliary maternity nurse, maternity operating theatre assistant and trainee midwife.
Concurrently she has had a career in music, earning critical acclaim as an indie folk singer-songwriter and writing and recording soundtracks for three disability-focused documentaries (two of which have been broadcast on BBC TV).
Gemma works as an Associate for NDTi as part of the Autism Programme, particularly around sensory needs.
Contact Details
Email: gemma.williams@ndti.org.uk