Ashlee Flanagan

Bio

I am passionate about the inclusion of Black perspectives and experiences in the field of autism research and have more than a decade of experience using qualitative methods to examine the narratives of Black caregivers and Black youth. During my graduate training at New York University, I had the opportunity to work as a research assistant for Diane Hughes, Ph.D., a renowned developmental psychologist known for her work on racial and ethnic socialization processes and parent-child communications. Dr. Hughes’ work is largely derived from voice (e.g., one-on-one interviews) and qualitative analyses. I have fond memories of sitting in the lab effortlessly listening to audio recordings and reading transcripts of youth’s stories about what their parents taught them about race. I was inspired by their stories and realized I wanted my research to be rooted in storytelling, a long-standing tradition in Black culture. Today, I use voice to explore the developmental experiences and perspectives of Black youth and families. Broadly, my research focuses on autism, Black identity development, and Black mothering. I bring my foci to life by utilizing and developing culturally sensitive research methods, exploring Black mothering systemic experiences, and implementing Black feminist approaches to understand the role of community policing on psychological development. My research aims to offer culturally sensitive and transparent research frameworks that others can replicate and build upon, to partner with the individuals my research aims to serve (e.g., autistic individuals, Black mothers, etc.), and to share Black stories and experiences through sound science.