ALISON DODWELL

OT Reg. (Ont.)

Alison Dodwell is a registered occupational therapist. Prior to completing her Master of Science degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Toronto, Alison completed a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology: Brain and Cognition at the University of Guelph, followed by a Master of Science degree in Cognitive Neuroscience at Queen’s University. During her time in academia, her experimental research and peer-reviewed publications primarily related to the cognitive underpinnings of symptoms associated with autism spectrum disorder, while her professional experiences included extensive work in neurodevelopmental services across the lifespan (i.e., group homes, day programs, summer camps, and respite services). 

Alison has a long-standing passion for working with neurodiverse individuals. She is committed to facilitating independence through neurodiversity-affirming and client-centered clinical practice, while supporting the goals and needs of entire family units. Alison has provided OT services to enable children and families to achieve occupational goals related to motor skills/oral motor skills/praxis development, play/social skills development, arousal/emotional regulation, attention/motivation, sensory processing/integration, and activities of daily living (e.g., handwriting, cutlery use, dressing, etc.). She continuously pursues training, research, and professional development opportunities.

Relevant Research Projects and Publications

  1. Kelley, E., Dodwell, A. (2023). Autism Spectrum Disorder: Cognition. In: Eisenstat, D.D., Goldowitz, D., Oberlander, T.F., Yager, J.Y. (eds) Neurodevelopmental Pediatrics. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-20792-1_15 

  2. Dodwell, A. (2021). The influence of gaze on complex visual search in individuals who exhibit varying degrees of autistic traits [Unpublished master’s thesis]. Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, Canada. https://qspace.library.queensu.ca/items/644155a1-39ee-4568-a308-caa5f019e560 

  3. Dodwell, A., Trick, T. (2020). The effects of secondary tasks that involve listening and speaking on driving in young adults with symptoms of autism spectrum disorder: a pilot study with driving simulation. Transportation Research Part F: Psychology and Behaviour, 69, 120-134. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trf.2019.12.011