Personal statement

Dr Elsa Suckle is Senior Lecturer in Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD) / Dyslexia and Inclusion at Bath Spa University and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA). 

Elsa gained her PhD in Politics and International Studies from the University of Warwick in 2010. Her thesis combined political philosophy and qualitative research to explore multiculturalism and inclusion in the U.S. and Sweden. 

Since then, she has completed further postgraduate training in autism, ADHD, and dyslexia and gained several professional practice qualifications (AMBDA, APC). She has extensive experience working in the higher and further education context, both in a student support capacity and in designing and delivering nationally recognised courses and training on autism, ADHD, and dyslexia. 

Her recent publications include articles on diagnostic criteria for autistic women, evaluating research priorities in autism research, and challenging normalisation interventions (such as ABA) through an autism-centred perspective. More recently, she has worked on the first interdisciplinary dialogue between Critical Autism Studies (CAS) and Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA) scholars resulting in several journal publications, ongoing international collaborations, and the call for a reimagined discipline - Critical Behavioural Studies (CRIBS).  

Elsa is currently involved in a book on how we can move forward with creative social justice solutions that better serve autistic people despite the deeply entrenched differences in how autism is viewed and approached. The resulting book - Autism Futures: Beyond the Autism Worldview Dilemma - will be published by Routledge in 2027. Alongside this, she is currently involved in research exploring community perspectives on autistic wellbeing. 

Academic qualifications

  • 2025 PGCert Professional Practice in Higher Education with FHEA, Bath Spa University
  • 2021 PG Diploma Language, Literacy and Dyslexia, University of Birmingham
  • 2019 PGCert Autism and Asperger’s, Sheffield Hallam University
  • 2010 PhD Politics and International Studies, University of Warwick
  • 2005 MA Politics, University of Warwick
  • 2001 Philosophy and History, University of Kent at Canterbury

Professional memberships

  • Member of the British Dyslexia Association
  • Full member of Patoss
  • Member of PASSHE
  • Member of the Independent Autism Research Group

Areas of expertise

  • Dyslexia / ADHD / Autism
  • Critical Autism Studies
  • Neurodiversity  
  • Critical Behavioural Studies (CRIBS)
  • Interdisciplinary dialogues on autism 

Research supervision

Elsa is happy to discuss PhD supervision in any area linked to her areas of specialism but is particularly keen to supervise students in topics related to Critical Autism Studies, Critical ADHD studies, autism-centred approaches to support, and the emerging field of CRIBS.

Research and academic outputs

Go to ResearchSPAce

Listening with humility: lessons learned from a dialogue with scholars from Critical Autism Studies
article

Mathur, S.K, Tarbox, J, Chown, N and Suckle, E (2026) 'Listening with humility: lessons learned from a dialogue with scholars from Critical Autism Studies.' Behavior Analysis in Practice. ISSN 1998-1929

A tactful prompt: the time is right for 'Critical Behavioral Studies'
article

Jackson-Perry, D, Suckle, E, Chown, N and Tarbox, J (2025) 'A tactful prompt: the time is right for 'Critical Behavioral Studies'.' Perspectives on Behavior Science, 48 (3). pp. 539-545. ISSN 2520-8969

Speaking across the autism worldview divide: a dialogue between critical autism studies and behaviour analytic scholars
article

Suckle, E, Chown, N, Tarbox, J and Mathur, S.K (2025) 'Speaking across the autism worldview divide: a dialogue between critical autism studies and behaviour analytic scholars.' Disability & Society, 40 (12). pp. 3263-3285. ISSN 0968-7599

The autism worldview dilemma: to normalise or not to normalise, that is the question
article

Chown, N, Murphy, S.L and Suckle, E (2023) 'The autism worldview dilemma: to normalise or not to normalise, that is the question.' Good Autism Practice, 24 (2). pp. 5-12. ISSN 1466-2973

Autism community research priorities: the potential of future research to benefit autistics
article

Chown, N, Beardon, L, Murphy, S.L, Suckle, E and Baker-Rogers, J (2023) 'Autism community research priorities: the potential of future research to benefit autistics.' Canadian Journal of Educational and Social Studies, 3 (2). pp. 15-32. ISSN 2816-2587

DSM-5 and challenges to female autism identification
article

Suckle, E (2021) 'DSM-5 and challenges to female autism identification.' Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 51 (2). pp. 754-759. ISSN 0162-3257