Debbie Gooch

Dr. Debbie Gooch is a Lecturer in Developmental Psychology at the University of Surrey, within the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences and the Department of Psychology. She holds a PhD from the University of York and has extensive postdoctoral experience, including managing the Surrey Communication and Language in Education Study (SCALES) at Royal Holloway/University College London. Her research focuses on neurodevelopmental disorders such as Developmental Language Disorder (DLD), Dyslexia, and ADHD, examining their cognitive underpinnings and impacts on educational and mental health outcomes. She collaborates with prominent research groups like DEVELOP and GoGDev at Surrey, as well as LiLaC and the Center for Reading and Language.

Dr. Gooch’s research employs experimental and longitudinal methodologies. Key projects include investigating executive function, language skills, and social-emotional mental health (SEMH), and analyzing the co-occurrence of neurodevelopmental disorders. She has secured grants from the University of Surrey’s Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences and contributed to ESRC-funded studies. Her pedagogical interests include educational innovation, evidenced by her 2019 Lewis Elton Award.

Teaching responsibilities include module convenor roles for Psychology & Education (PSY3082) and Neurodevelopmental Conditions (PSY3103). She supervises PhD students exploring language disorders, mental health, and spatial reasoning in education. Notable publications address language-screening in schools, ADHD symptom assessments, and the efficacy of interventions like Taekwondo for self-regulation.

• Education: PhD (University of York, 2009), MSc in Reading, Language & Cognition, BSc Psychology (University of York, 2004)
• Labs/Groups: DEVELOP, GoGDev (Surrey); LiLaC (UCL), Wellcome Language & Reading Project
• Grants: Faculty of Health & Medical Sciences Research Support Fund (2017–2018)