Connor Keating

I am an experimental psychologist within the Oxford Centre for Emerging Minds Research, where I lead a team pursuing three main streams of research:

 (1) Improving screening for autism and enabling personalised, strengths-based support 

In prior work, we systematically compared the facial and bodily movements of autistic and non-autistic adults, identifying patterns that reliably distinguish between the two groups. Building on this research, my team is using a multi-stakeholder co-production approach to develop smartphone-based methods for examining arm and facial movements in children on NHS waiting lists, with the long-term goal of improving early screening.

Alongside this work, we are exploring strengths-based approaches to supporting neurodivergent children and young people and their families. We are co-developing and validating a novel assessment tool to characterise individual strengths profiles, as well as co-producing workshops and training for autistic young people, parents and carers, educators, and clinicians. Our aim is to help families and professionals identify and capitalise on each young person’s strengths, enabling more personalised support before, during, and after the diagnostic process.

(2) Addressing issues of diversity, equity & inclusion in autism research

I am Co-Founder and Co-Director of the U21 Autism Research Network - a network of autistic and non-autistic researchers across 19 countries aiming to tackle issues regarding diversity and inclusion in autism research. In our current work, we aim to determine the research priorities of a diverse range of autism community members across the globe. By doing so, we hope to ensure that future research is tailored to, and has a meaningful benefit for, the autism communities it aims to serve. 

(3) Developing mechanistic models of emotion-processing

To date, we have constructed mechanistic models linking the conceptualisation, experience, visualization, expression, and recognition of emotion in both autistic and non-autistic people. Going forward, I aim to interrogate these links through studies involving causal manipulation and/or longitudinal designs. This work will enable us to understand the mechanisms underpinning emotion recognition for both autistic and non-autistic individuals. 

Find my Google Scholar page here.