Staff profile

I am a Professor in the Department of Psychology at Durham University, and Co-founder and Co-Director of the Centre for Neurodiversity and Development. My research is the broad area of neurodiversity. I am really interested in understanding strengths and challenges for neurodivergent people, especially in relation to attention, sensory arousal and anxiety. Most of my recent work has focused on understanding these in relation to education and school life, particularly for autistic children and young people. 

My early work mostly centred on social behaviour, including the socio-cognitive and attentional processes that support it, working with autistic people and people with Williams syndrome. This research led me to become interested in attention in applied contexts, specifically in school, where the ability to ‘pay attention’ is crucial for learning, but where there are so many competing demands. Subsequently, I have been working on understanding why paying attention at school can be really challenging for neurodivergent learners, linking attention with sensory and anxiety needs. This research forms the basis for the Triple-A– a framework for understanding how attention, sensory arousal and anxiety interact and influence engagement and learning in educational contexts. All of my Triple-A work has emphasised just how many barriers there are for neurodivergent learners at school. 

Over the last number of years, my primary focus has been on translating this research evidence to practice within education, to change practice and benefit neurodivergent children and young people (see our online Triple-A training: www.tripleadurham.co.uk ). The approach taken in this work is collaborative (e.g. with Durham County Council, Investing in Children) and participatory. I am committed to impact and engagement beyond the academy, and in 2024 I was awarded the British Psychological Society Development Section ‘Impact and Engagement Award’. 

• Neurodiversity
• Autism
• William Syndrome
• School life
• Education
• Arousal/Sensory Processing
• Attention
• Anxiety
• Eye-tracking
• Social Vulnerability

• 2018: Seattle Club Conference: Co-organiser:
• 2014: Conference Co-organiser: Neurodevelopmental Disorders Annual Seminar:
• External Examiner MSc Child Psychology, Kingston University:
• Invited Seminar, Kingston University:
• Invited Talk, Japanese Society for Williams Syndrome:
• Invited Seminar, Department of Experimental Psychology Oxford University:

Chapter in book

• Eye-tracking and neurodevelopmental disorders: evidence from cross-syndrome comparisons
  
  Hanley, M. (2014). Eye-tracking and neurodevelopmental disorders: evidence from cross-syndrome comparisons. In D. Riby & J. Van Herwegen (Eds.), Neurodevelopmental disorders: Research issues and solutions. Psychology Press.

Journal Article

• Perspectives and experiences of physical activity among autistic adults in middle adulthood
  
  McLeod, J., Roderick, M., Hanley, M., Riby, D. M., & Jachyra, P. (2025). Perspectives and experiences of physical activity among autistic adults in middle adulthood. Autism, 29(12), 3058-3071. https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613251360862
• Autistic adolescents and their experiences of physical education at school
  
  Waddington, E., Sadler, D., Jachyra, P., Armstrong, J., Riby, D. M., & Hanley, M. (2025). Autistic adolescents and their experiences of physical education at school. Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/17408989.2025.2553285
• Neurodivergent Pupils’ Experiences of School Distress and Attendance Difficulties
  
  Fielding, C., Streeter, A., Riby, D. M., & Hanley, M. (2025). Neurodivergent Pupils’ Experiences of School Distress and Attendance Difficulties. Neurodiversity, 3. https://doi.org/10.1177/27546330251327056
• Associations between autistic traits, depression, social anxiety and social rejection in autistic and non-autistic adults
  
  Gurbuz, E., Riby, D. M., South, M., & Hanley, M. (2024). Associations between autistic traits, depression, social anxiety and social rejection in autistic and non-autistic adults. Scientific Reports, 14(1), Article 9065. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-59532-3
• The Quality of Everyday Eye Contact in Williams Syndrome: Insights from Cross-syndrome Comparisons
  
  Ridley, E., Arnott, B., Riby, D., Burt, M., Hanley, M., & Leekam, S. (2022). The Quality of Everyday Eye Contact in Williams Syndrome: Insights from Cross-syndrome Comparisons. American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 127(4), 293-312. https://doi.org/10.1352/1944-7558-127.4.293
• The Impact of COVID-19 on Anxiety and Worries for Families of Individuals with Special Education Needs and Disabilities in the UK
  
  Sideropoulos, V., Dukes, D., Hanley, M., Palikara, O., Rhodes, S., Riby, D., Samson, A., & Van Herwegen, J. (2022). The Impact of COVID-19 on Anxiety and Worries for Families of Individuals with Special Education Needs and Disabilities in the UK. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 52(6), 2656-2669. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-021-05168-5
• ‘Intolerance of Uncertainty’ mediates the relationship between social profile and anxiety in both Williams Syndrome and autism
  
  South, M., Hanley, M., Normansell-Mossa, K., Russell, N., Cawthorne, T., & Riby, D. (2021). ‘Intolerance of Uncertainty’ mediates the relationship between social profile and anxiety in both Williams Syndrome and autism. Autism Research, 14(9), 1986-1995. https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.2554
• Teacher insights into the barriers and facilitators of learning in autism
  
  McDougal, E., Riby, D., & Hanley, E. (2020). Teacher insights into the barriers and facilitators of learning in autism. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 79, Article 101674. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rasd.2020.101674
• Does culture shape face perception in autism? Cross-cultural evidence of the own-race advantage from the UK and Japan
  
  Hanley, M., Riby, D., Derges, M., Douligeri, A., Philyaw, Z., Ikeda, T., Monden, Y., Shimoizumi, H., Yamagata, T., & Hirai, M. (2020). Does culture shape face perception in autism? Cross-cultural evidence of the own-race advantage from the UK and Japan. Developmental Science, 23(5), Article e12942. https://doi.org/10.1111/desc.12942
• Distraction, Distress and Diversity: Exploring the impact of sensory processing differences on learning and school life for pupils with autism spectrum disorders
  
  Jones, E., Hanley, M., & Riby, D. (2020). Distraction, Distress and Diversity: Exploring the impact of sensory processing differences on learning and school life for pupils with autism spectrum disorders. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 72, Article 101515. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rasd.2020.101515
• Implications of capacity in the classroom: Simplifying tasks for autistic children may not be the answer
  
  Remington, A., Hanley, M., O’Brien, S., Riby, D., & Swettenham, J. (2019). Implications of capacity in the classroom: Simplifying tasks for autistic children may not be the answer. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 85, 197-204. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2018.12.006
• University Students with Autism: The Social and Academic Experiences of University in the UK
  
  Gurbuz, E., Hanley, M., & Riby, D. (2019). University Students with Autism: The Social and Academic Experiences of University in the UK. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 49(2), 617-631. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-018-3741-4
• Anxiety in Williams Syndrome: The role of social behaviour, executive functions and change over time
  
  Ng-Cordell, E., Hanley, M., Alyssa, K., & Riby, D. M. (2018). Anxiety in Williams Syndrome: The role of social behaviour, executive functions and change over time. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 48(3), 796-808. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-017-3357-0
• Classroom displays - Attraction or Distraction? Evidence of impact on attention and learning from children with and without autism
  
  Hanley, M., Khairat, M., Taylor, K., Wilson, R., Cole-Fletcher, R., & Riby, D. M. (2017). Classroom displays - Attraction or Distraction? Evidence of impact on attention and learning from children with and without autism. Developmental Psychology, 53(7), 1265-1275. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0000271
• Social vulnerability in Williams syndrome: A tendency to approach strangers
  
  Riby, D. M., Ridley, E., Lough, E., & Hanley, M. (2017). Social vulnerability in Williams syndrome: A tendency to approach strangers. International Review of Research on Developmental Disabilities., 52, 175-199. https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.irrdd.2017.05.001
• Violations of Personal Space in Young People with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Williams Syndrome: Insights from the Social Responsiveness Scale
  
  Lough, E., Hanley, M., Rodgers, J., South, M., Kirk, H., Kennedy, D., & Riby, D. (2015). Violations of Personal Space in Young People with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Williams Syndrome: Insights from the Social Responsiveness Scale. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 45(12), 4101-4108. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-015-2536-0
• The use of eye-tracking to explore social difficulties in cognitively able students with autism spectrum disorder: A pilot investigation
  
  Hanley, M., Riby, D., Carty, C., Melaugh McAteer, A., Kennedy, A., & McPhillips, M. (2015). The use of eye-tracking to explore social difficulties in cognitively able students with autism spectrum disorder: A pilot investigation. Autism, 19(7), 868-873. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361315580767
• Motor deficits in children with autism spectrum disorder: a cross-syndrome study
  
  McPhillips, M., Finlay, J., Bejerot, S., & Hanley, M. (2014). Motor deficits in children with autism spectrum disorder: a cross-syndrome study. Autism Research, 7(6), 664-676. https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.1408
• Attention during social interaction in children with autism: Comparison to specific language impairment, typical development, and links to social cognition
  
  Hanley, M., Riby, D., McCormack, T., Carty, C., Coyle, L., Crozier, N., Robinson, J., & McPhillips, M. (2014). Attention during social interaction in children with autism: Comparison to specific language impairment, typical development, and links to social cognition. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 8(7), 908-924. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rasd.2014.03.020
• Stranger Danger Awareness in Williams Syndrome
  
  Riby, D., Kirk, H., Hanley, M., & Riby, L. (2014). Stranger Danger Awareness in Williams Syndrome. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 58(6), 572-582. https://doi.org/10.1111/jir.12055
• The Interplay Between Anxiety and Social Functioning in Williams Syndrome
  
  Riby, D., Hanley, M., Kirk, H., Clark, F., Little, K., Fleck, R., Janes, E., Kelso, L., O’Kane, F., Cole-Fletcher, R., Allday, M., Hocking, D., Cornish, K., & Rodgers, J. (2014). The Interplay Between Anxiety and Social Functioning in Williams Syndrome. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 44(5), 1220-1229. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-013-1984-7
• Looking and Thinking: How individuals with Williams syndrome make judgements about mental states
  
  Hanley, M., Riby, D., Caswell, S., Rooney, S., & Back, E. (2013). Looking and Thinking: How individuals with Williams syndrome make judgements about mental states. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 34(12), 4466-4476. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2013.09.026
• Spontaneous attention to faces in Asperger Syndrome using ecologically valid static stimuli
  
  Hanley, M., McPhillips, M., Mulhern, G., & Riby, D. (2013). Spontaneous attention to faces in Asperger Syndrome using ecologically valid static stimuli. Autism, 17(6), 754-761. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361312456746
• Spontaneous and cued gaze-following in autism and Williams syndrome
  
  Riby, D., Hancock, P., Jones, N., & Hanley, M. (2013). Spontaneous and cued gaze-following in autism and Williams syndrome. Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders, 5(1), Article 13. https://doi.org/10.1186/1866-1955-5-13
• Faces cause less distraction in Autism
  
  Riby, D., Brown, P., Jones, N., & Hanley, M. (2012). Faces cause less distraction in Autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 42(4), 634-639. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-011-1266-1
• Children’s reasoning about the temporal order of past and future events
  
  McCormack, T., & Hanley, M. (2011). Children’s reasoning about the temporal order of past and future events. Cognitive Development, 26(4), 299-314. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cogdev.2011.10.001

Working Paper

• The importance of needs-based approaches for autism, ADHD and auDHD: Transdiagnostic profiles of attention, sensory processing, and anxiety
  
  Rudra, A., Hanley, M., & Riby, D. M. (2025). The importance of needs-based approaches for autism, ADHD and auDHD: Transdiagnostic profiles of attention, sensory processing, and anxiety. OSF. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/y5uvc_v1
• Translating research to practice: Supporting autistic and neurodivergent learners with Triple-A at school (Attention, Sensory Arousal and Anxiety)
  
  Hanley, M., Hirst, J., Mc Dougal, E., Waddington, E., Sadler, D., Thurlbeck, S., Stanton, E. C., Mulholland, E., Sellars, H., & Riby, D. M. (2025). Translating research to practice: Supporting autistic and neurodivergent learners with Triple-A at school (Attention, Sensory Arousal and Anxiety). OSF. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/a756h_v1
• Exploring the barriers and facilitators of school success for autistic adolescents in mainstream schools using qualitative methods
  
  Hirst, J., Riby, D. M., South, C., Mulholland, E., Sellars, H., & Hanley, M. (2024). Exploring the barriers and facilitators of school success for autistic adolescents in mainstream schools using qualitative methods. OSF. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/ck6m8
• The effect of the classroom sensory environment on engagement for autistic pupils: classroom noise, classroom displays, and teacher display practices
  
  Jones, E., Hanley, M., Hirst, J., Mc Dougal, E., & Riby, D. M. (2024). The effect of the classroom sensory environment on engagement for autistic pupils: classroom noise, classroom displays, and teacher display practices. OSF. https://doi.org/10.31219/osf.io/2ktgf