What do you mean you're researching yourself? with Donna-Marie Holder

Donna-Marie Holder’s research is dual-purposed, whereby she shares her auto/biographical reflections of her lived experiences and stories as a Black mom to her amazing son with autism and her life as a SEND professional to explore how Black British children with autism are exposed to their ‘racial’, ethnic, and cultural identities in British special schools and home.

Donna-Marie’s qualitative study focuses on the experiences of over 35 parents, school personnel, and most importantly Black- British children/ young people with autism to explore the ways in which ‘race’ and culture is taught in special schools. Her study is informed by her son’s identity formation, as a young black man with autism.

Donna-Marie is determined to allow all vulnerable and marginalised groups are given the opportunity to have an active voice in her research, and so this study includes participants who are non-verbal.

Donna-Marie Holder is a 3rd year Doctoral Researcher in Education at Brunel. She is also a SEND professional, with more than 10 years experience in this field.