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Ania Atkinson

Dr Ania Atkinson

Senior Lecturer

School of Social Sciences

Role

Dr Ania Atkinson is a research active Senior Lecturer in Education Studies and SEND at the Nottingham Institute of Education at Nottingham Trent University. Ania is also the Course Leader for the BA (Hons) Education Studies, and is the lead for the SEND Special Interest Group.

Career overview

Ania has over 20 years’ experience teaching, teacher training, and lecturing in education and inclusion; this includes working in secondary schools as an English specialist, Head of Inclusive Education and SENCo. She has also been involved in the development and training of new teachers and was responsible in leading and developing initial teacher training in SEND and EAL for a large school centred initial teacher training organisation. During her time at NTU she has had the opportunity to lecture on a wide range of programmes which include: The MA in Education, The FdA in Education, the BA Education Policy and Practice, The SENCo Award, The BA SENDI and the BA Education Studies. Ania is the module leader for a number of inclusion based modules such as: SEND, Education for All, and Inclusive Theories and Practices. Ania leads the SEND special interest group.

Research areas

I am a research active senior lecturer specialising in SEND, inclusion, and Autism Studies. I have a rapidly growing portfolio of work since completing my PhD in 2024 and have strategically planned research to ensure that it is ongoing and productive.

Current Projects:

Invitation to present at: The London International Conference of Inclusive Education, 2025.

My paper on 'Monotropism, flow states, and its applications to the classroom' has been accepted and will be presented at this international conference in July 2025.

Invitation to present at: The BERA conference, 2025

My paper on 'Autism - Monotropic interests and its applications for the classroom.' has been accepted and will be presented at this international conference in September 2025.

Not just Émile. Exploring the education of new teachers through a Rousseauian lens.

Editing stage.

Journal Article: Smith, Atkinson & Tyler-Merrick, The Primary School SENCO: An exploration into the challenges and positives of the role.

Currently at the write up stage.

Co-editor, Book: ‘New frontiers in higher education policy in a dynamic world’.

Emerald Publishing. See our call for abstracts here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/19yqF0uieDlstqlXAi-y01gdt60M0AqqZ/view

Research Project: Autism - Experiences of School.

I am currently in the process of collecting data for a new study into autism which seeks to explore the experiences of school for those with autism.  The work aims to better understand the experiences of autistic children, explore the challenges and difficulties, establish the positives, and look at ways of spreading awareness of this with a view to improving experiences of school for autistic children in the future. If you are autistic and would like to take part in my research, you can take the short survey here.

SEND Special Interest Group. A series of talks and academic discussion.

I lead the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Special Interest Group (SEND SIG). This is a community of more than 300 professionals, academics, and SEND associates. If you would like to join our community or lead a talk, please get in contact: ania.atkinson@ntu.ac.uk Everyone with an interest in SEND is most welcome.

Research Project: Creating stories representing the values, what matters and hopes of Oak Tree residents: a co-production approach to developing community connectedness.

This is a fully funded Co(l)laboratory Research Project. In the planning stage.

Student Enrichment Project: Work and Wellness Days.

I have secured funding for this project which will allow 70 students to participate in 6 work and wellness days at a leisure and spa centre. Students will benefit from conference facilities, additional tutorial support, full use of the fitness and spa, and healthy nutritious meals and refreshments.

External activity

Governor at Stone Soup Academy, Nottingham, overseeing the quality of education.

Fellow of The Higher Education Academy (FHEA)

Chair of the SEND Special Interest Group

Member of The National Association for Special Educational Needs (NASEN)

Member of Advance Higher Education (Advance HE)

Member of The Centre for Research in Language, Education and Developmental Inequalities

Member of the Work Futures Research Group

Member of The British Educational Research Association (BERA)

Member of The United Kingdom Advising and Tutoring Association (UKAT)

Publications

Atkinson, A. (in press) 'An interest-based exploration of Monotropism and its use in the classroom', in Keates, J. and Waldock, K. (eds.) Neurodivergent Education and Lifelong Learning. IGI Global Publishers.

Atkinson, A. & Rolph, C. (2025) 'Using AI to support personalised learning for autistic students', Working Papers Series 'Meeting New Challenges in Education', Working Paper 13, (Issue 3), pp.87-92 https://www.ntu.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0023/2631344/Issue-3,-March-2025.pdf

Atkinson, A. (2025) 'Equitable Education: What everyone working in education should know about closing the attainment gap for all pupils. By S. Choudry, St Albans: Critical Publishing, 2021. [Book Review]', Available at: https://nasenjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1467-8578.12579

Bradbury, A., Wright, D., Boardman, K., Thompson, P., Jarvis, P., Cowley, S., Veale, V., Wayne, D., Swailes, R., Scollan, A., Grimmer, T. & Renshaw, K. (2025) 'Play Matters. [Contributor to: Chapter 6; Play and Special Educational Needs]', Available at: https://www.early-years-reviews.com/play-matters

Atkinson, A. (2024) 'Autism: The benefits of Monotropism and Flow States and its applications for the classroom', BERA Blog, 23 October 2024, Available at: https://www.bera.ac.uk/blog/autism-the-benefits-of-monotropism-and-flow-states-and-its-applications-for-the-classroom

Atkinson, A. (2024) 'The Marvels of Monotropism', SEN, Issue: 132 (Sept/Oct), pp.11, Available at: https://senmagazine.co.uk

Atkinson, A. (2024) 'I Am an Autistic Girl: A Book to Help Young Girls Discover and Celebrate Being Autistic. By Bulhak-Paterson, D., Jessica Kingsley Publishers. Support for Learning [Book Review]', Available at: https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9604.12509

Atkinson, A. (2024) 'An exploration into the induction needs of new teachers through the lens of Rousseau and Émilian autodidacticism', PhD, Nottingham Trent University, Available at: https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/51506/

Atkinson, A. (2023) 'Where are the teachers' voices in the reform of early career teacher induction?', BERA Blog, 9 January 2023, Available at: https://www.bera.ac.uk/blog/where-are-the-teachers-voices-in-the-reform-of-early-career-teacher-induction

Atkinson, A. (2020) 'Lockdown Researcher', Nottingham Institute of Education Blog, 2 September 2020, Available at: https://nottinghaminstituteofeducation.wordpress.com/2020/09/02/lockdown-researcher/

Atkinson, A. (2019) 'Newly Qualified Teacher Needs', Presented at the Social Sciences Research Conference: Grappling with theory and practice.

Press expertise

Special Education and Inclusion

Autism, Monotropism and Flow States.

Course(s) I teach on