Silvana Mengoni

The majority of my research is with children and adults with learning disabilities and/or long-term health conditions. I am particularly interested in research that has clear applications to policy and practice in health and education. 

I joined the University of Hertfordshire in July 2014 as a Research Fellow on the WIELD project, which is a feasibility randomised controlled trial evaluating the use of a picture booklet to improve the management of epilepsy and quality of life in people with learning disabilities. 

Prior to joining UH, I was a Research Associate at the Open University working on projects with Early Support, which involved producing resources for parents of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities and professionals who work with them, and evaluating services for families.

I completed my BSc(Hons) in Psychology and MSc in Reading, Language and Cognition at the University of York. I also completed my PhD at York, which was titled 'The reciprocal relationship between oral language and reading skills in children with Down syndrome'. This was awarded in 2012 and I then took up a Project Co-ordinator post in the Centre for Reading and Language, where I worked on a number of different projects focusing on reading and language development in typical and atypical populations, including a validation study of the national phonics screening check.

• Learning disabilities, e.g. Down syndrome
• Self-management of long-term conditions
• Service provision for people with disabilities and their families 
• Developmental psychology, particularly the development of reading, language and cognition and interventions to support these skills

I am committed to public and patient involvement, maximising impact and working with the community. My roles and projects have included:

• Membership of the Research Committee for Down Syndrome Education International.
• Involvement in 'Disability Matters' e-learning, e.g. co-authoring 'Working Together Matters' session 
• Volunteering as the Chair of Governors at a primary school
• Volunteering with Mencap
• Blogging for Learning Disabilities Elf 
• Reviewing for various journals on topics related to my research interests

I have taught on subjects related to my research interests, particularly learning disabilities, and psychological research methods. 
I have supervised placement and project students from undergraduate and postgraduate psychology courses