Lauren Jenner is a PhD student at the University of Surrey using novel methodologies to understand social abilities and autism in Prader-Willi syndrome and Down syndrome.
I am currently in the third year of my PhD, funded by Cerebra. My research is on social abilities and autism characteristics in Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS), Down syndrome (DS) and non-syndromic autism (AUT). From October 2021 – January 2023, a total of 87 children (DS = 34, PWS = 32, AUT = 21) have participated from across the UK. Data collection has involved various online and in-person tasks. These include assessments of children’s verbal and non-verbal abilities, alongside measures of social abilities. Using eye-tracking technology, I have been able to record how children process and understand social information. I have also recorded play-based social interactions between children and their parents. Questionnaires and interviews were also completed by parents, to better understand children’s day-to-day behaviour.
Preliminary analyses indicate divergent profiles of social abilities (e.g., gaze-following, imitation, mentalising) across children with PWS, DS and AUT. By using parent-informant measures alongside behavioural data from parent-child social interactions, these profiles will be explored across contexts and in relation to autism characteristics.
In addition, my studies have enabled me to work on a literature review on the heterogeneity of autism characteristics in genetic syndromes. I have also conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis on the use of eye-tracking technology in people with intellectual disability, which I presented at the Neurodevelopmental Disorders Annual Seminar 2022 in Edinburgh. Last year, I also attended the 11th International Prader-Willi Syndrome Conference in Limerick. Following this experience, I was invited to become a member of the IPWSO Mental Health Network. In April 2023, I will be presenting findings on ‘Overimitation: Insights from Down syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, and autism’ at the 55th Annual Gatlinburg Conference in Kansas City. I am incredibly grateful for these opportunities to network, collaborate and share my research.
