Dr Chloe Farahar

Dr Chloe Farahar (she/they) is an Autistic academic whose research interests revolve around their Autistic specialisations and dedicated interests (not “special interests”).

Chloe’s specialisations include:

• supporting Autistic people’s wellbeing with a co-founded Autistic Discovery Journey – a post-diagnostic support programme;
• educating both Autistic and non-autistic learners about Autistic experience in their training courses and on their free educative platform, Aucademy, with fellow Autistic people
  

Chloe’s specialisations and research interests include:

• reducing acquired neurodivergence stigma (e.g., psychosis; depression) with a script about neurodiversity (Stigmaphrenia©; Farahar, 2012 - PhD);
• reimagining the spectrum as a three dimension Autistic space;
• creating neurodivergent-inclusive teaching environments;
• working collaboratively with young neurodivergent people via creative methods to explore adverse childhood experiences and their relationship to mental health conditions (acquired neurodivergence/s)

Chloe is currently a postdoctoral researcher on ATTUNE: understanding mechanisms and mental health impacts of adverse childhood experiences to co-design preventative arts and digital interventions. ATTUNE is an interdisciplinary collaboration that brings together diverse creative arts, digital and health experts to investigate how adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can affect adolescents’ mental health. The project is led by Professor Kam Bhui (Professor of Psychiatry, University of Oxford and Professor Eunice Ma (Provost, Falmouth University).

The Kent team are leading the neurodiversity research theme, investigating the impact of ACE’s for neurodivergent young people. The team will also contribute to research on the role of place, gender and sexuality in relation to ACEs, also working with local community groups to explore their experiences through participatory creative workshops.

The project is funded by the Medical Research Council of the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the Economic and Social Research Council.