Alison Drewett

Alison Drewett is a Research Associate in Visual Communication in Medicine for the DECODE project at the University of Leicester, collaborating with Thomas Jun and Panos Baloutsoukas. She previously held a Senior Lecturer position in Speech and Language Therapy at De Montfort University (DMU) for three years. Her current research focuses on communication strategies for autistic in-patients in mental health settings, emphasizing a competence-focused theoretical framework to improve care involvement. She is also an NIHR-funded PhD candidate at the University of Leicester, investigating staff communication practices in mental health hospitals.

With expertise as a fully accredited autism diagnostician for adults, her work spans intellectual disabilities, autism, and mental health. She leads focus groups with people with learning disabilities and conducts literature reviews on health information accessibility strategies. Her interdisciplinary approach bridges clinical practice and visual communication to enhance healthcare outcomes for neurodiverse populations.

Funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), her doctoral research prioritizes systemic changes in healthcare communication rather than individual impairment-focused interventions. Alison’s professional background integrates clinical experience with academic research, driving practical applications of communication science in mental health settings.