Contact
Telephone
01 805 7700
Location
St Mary's,
Rannóg
Department of Inclusion, Religious Education and Wellbeing
Role
Lecturer in Education with Expertise in Inclusive Education and Special Educational Needs
Biography
Lisa is a Lecturer in the area of Inclusive and Special Education. She is a former primary school teacher and principal. Lisa completed her doctoral research which focused on how autistic children experience special class and mainstream provision at primary level in Ireland.
Qualifications
2018-2023: Doctorate in Education (Specialism in Inclusive and Special Education) - Dublin City University
2017-2018: Masters in Special and Inclusive Education - Dublin City University
2016-2017: Postgraduate Diploma in Special Educational Needs - Maynooth University
2009-2012: Bachelor in Education Honours Degree with History - Mary Immaculate College South Circular Rd, Limerick
Teaching
B.Ed 2: ED8215 - Inclusive and Special Education 1 - Lecturer
B.Ed 4: ED8413 - Elective Supporting Learners with SEN - Lecturer
B.Sc Ed. 3: ES8311 - Inclusive and Special Education 3 - Lecturer
PME - Dissertation
ORCiD
Publications and other outputs
Journal Articles
Ward, L., Gormley, L., & Coulter, M. (2026). ‘So I have autism … ’: exploring the experiences of autistic children who were availing of autism special class provision in mainstream Irish primary schools. European Journal of Special Needs Education, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/08856257.2026.2615121
Ward, L. & Gormley, L. (2025). Gathering autistic children’s views on their educational experiences: A systematic review of methods. Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities.
Thesis
Ward, L. (2023). Exploring the Experiences of Autistic Children who Avail of Autism Special Class and Mainstream Provision in Irish Primary Schools. Doctor of Education thesis, Dublin City University. DORAS: DCU Research Repository. https://doras.dcu.ie/28729/.
Ward, L. (2019). Exploring the experiences of pupils with Mild General Learning Disability in Mainstream Primary Schools. Masters thesis, Dublin City University.
Conference Contributions
Ward, L. (2025, September 9-12). The experiences of autistic children who avail of autism special class and mainstream provision in Irish Primary Schools. ECER 2025, Belgrade, Serbia.
Research/Professional Interests
Autism & Neurodiversity: Exploring the barriers present in societal systems, with particular emphasis on education at primary level.
Child voice: particularly facilitating and supporting children with SEN whose voices are frequently marginalised in research about their lives
Leadership for inclusion
Evidence-informed practice