Research Interests
Keely Harper-Hill (nee Smailes) graduated as a speech
pathologist from Curtin University of Technology in 1992 with a
BSc(Speech and Hearing) Hons. She was awarded the student research
prize by Speech Pathology Australia (WA branch) for her honours
project presentation.
Keely developed her interest in the field of autism spectrum
disorders whilst working in a multidisciplinary, social
communication disorders assessment team in London during the mid
1990s. This interest continued within education settings and Keely
worked with education colleagues to develop a curriculum for
students with autism. A flavour for this curriculum can be found in
Planning To Learn, a book for practitioners co-authored by
Keely and published in 2007.
Returning from the UK to Australia in 2006, Keely began private
practice as a speech pathologist but was frustrated by her many,
unanswered, clinical questions. Keely is particularly interested in
information processing by people with autistic spectrum disorders
and how efficiency of processing may be influenced by levels of
anxiety and states of arousal.
In 2003 Keely began a long journey to complete a masters in
education through distance education and was awarded a Masters of
Education (Autism) with distinction, from Birmingham University in
2008. Keely commenced her PhD in 2009.
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