About COALESCE
ABOUT THE LAB
Research shaped by different perspectives
COALESCE (COllaborative Autism LEarning, SCholarship and Education) is a research and scholarship lab based in the school of Psychology at the University of Sussex, UK. We bring together autistic people, researchers, educators, students and community partners to reimagine how knowledge about autism is created, shared and applied.
COALESCE grew out of research on memory and learning in autism and has evolved to explore what learning means more broadly: how we make sense of information, connect ideas and co-create understanding in different environments. This thread runs through everything we do, linking the psychological study of learning with questions about education, inclusion and participation.
Understanding learning in Autism
Across lives and contexts
We explore learning and understanding in a range of contexts and life stages, from early life to adulthood, across educational, social and community settings.
Childhood & education
Exploring how autistic children learn and what supports an inclusive education.
Maternal experiences
Listening to and learning from autistic mothers’ experiences of pregnancy, parenting and support.
University life
Understanding autistic students’ experiences and building more inclusive higher education environments.
Forensic settings
Exploring learning, communication and support in forensic and secure settings.
Our aims
01
Understand learning
Connect memory, learning and language research with questions of inclusion.
02
Work together
Create research with autistic individuals, valuing their lived experiences throughout
03
Share knowledge
Share findings in accessible forms that connect research, education and community life.
The seahorse
The seahorse in our logo reflects both coalescence, the joining of perspectives, and the hippocampus, a symbol of memory and learning. Together, these ideas represent our commitment to bridging scientific and educational understandings of autism and valuing the many ways people learn and grow.
