Rate My Professor Alison Lane

Professor Alison Lane serves as the Director of the Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre (OTARC) in the School of Psychology and Public Health at La Trobe University. A registered occupational therapist, she possesses over 25 years of experience in paediatric clinical practice and health service management. She earned her PhD in Occupational Therapy in 1999 and Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Honours) from the University of Queensland. Previously, Lane was Head of Discipline and Clinic Director of the Occupational Therapy Program at the University of Newcastle, Australia, and has held senior clinical and academic leadership roles in Australia and the United States. She joined OTARC as Deputy Director in February 2021 before assuming her current directorship.

Lane's academic interests center on sensory processing differences in autistic individuals, particularly children, self-regulation strategies, feeding challenges, and interventions enhancing social participation, play, and reducing restricted behaviors in autism spectrum disorder. Her seminal contributions include developing sensory subtype models in autism. Notable publications are "Sensory processing subtypes in autism: Association with adaptive behavior" (2010, Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders; 1,042 citations), "The relationship between sensory processing patterns and behavioural responsiveness in autistic disorder: A pilot study" (2008; 782 citations), "Classification of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder by Sensory Subtype: A Case for Sensory-Based Phenotypes" (2014; 471 citations), "Toward a best-practice protocol for assessment of sensory features in ASD" (2015; 444 citations), and "Effectiveness of interventions to improve social participation, play, leisure, and restricted and repetitive behaviors in people with autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review" (2015; 183 citations). In recognition of her work, she received the A. Jean Ayres Award from the American Occupational Therapy Association. Lane leads impactful projects, including sensory vest trials for anxiety management, the SelfSense classroom curriculum, and evidence assessments informing Australian autism policies and inclusive education practices.