Rate My Professor Kitty Foley

Dr. Foley's research program centers on the health and wellbeing of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, encompassing autism, Down syndrome, quality of life, participation, physical health, neurodiversity-affirming practices, daily living skills, and co-produced research with the autistic community. Her studies address topics such as pathways to autism diagnosis in adulthood, internalized stigma post-diagnosis, assistive technology for older autistic adults, and leisure participation. Key publications include "Diagnosis of autism in adulthood: A scoping review" (Huang et al., Autism, 2020), "Loneliness in adults on the autism spectrum: A systematic literature review" (Ee et al., Autism in Adulthood, 2019), "Anxiety and depression from adolescence to old age in Autism Spectrum Disorder" (Uljarević et al., Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 2019), "Daily living skills of autistic adolescents and young adults: A scoping review" (Auld et al., 2022), "Occupational therapists' use of autism terminology" (Foley, Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 2020), and recent works such as "Daily living skill support for autistic people through a neurodiversity-affirming practice lens" (2024) and "Complementary and Alternative Medicine for Autism – A Systematic Review" (2024). With 44 publications garnering over 2,300 citations, her research has informed the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation of People with Disability and been cited in the National Autism Strategy, contributing to real-world policy changes and UN Sustainable Development Goals.