Researcher Spotlight: Stephanie Andreasen
Introducing Stephanie
Meet ENHANCE Lab’s Stephanie Andreasen. Stephanie has been working with the ENHANCE Lab for almost three years, contributing to and leading various research projects throughout this time. Having completed two BSc degrees in Psychology and Biological Sciences, Stephanie is currently working towards her Master's of Science in School and Applied Child Psychology at the University of Calgary.
Stephanie has presented her work at many notable conferences, including:
Canadian Psychological Association Annual Convention (Ottawa 2024)
Canadian Health and Well-being in Developmental Disabilities (Toronto 2024)
Owerko Centre Conference (Calgary 2022, 2023, 2024)
Alberta Adapted Physical Activity Symposium (Calgary 2023)
Ontario Association on Developmental Disabilities – Research Special Interest Group (Ontario 2022)
Stephanie’s Interests
Stephanie has over 15 years of experience supporting folks with neurodevelopmental disabilities at home and in the community. She has supported adults to access employment, volunteer opportunities, and recreation in their communities, and advocated for inclusion in all areas of their lives. Stephanie currently works to support children with disabilities and their families in accessing resources and services in their homes and the community, including advocating for children and adults with disabilities to be able to access services in rural areas near Calgary with limited resources.
Stephanie’s research uses both qualitative and quantitative methods and focuses on:
The mental health of late-diagnosed neurodivergent women and girls. As a result of common stereotypes, biases, and what society considers neurodivergent, most women and girls struggle to get a diagnosis. A late diagnosis can pose a barrier to receiving adequate support and acceptance early on, which can have a large impact on the mental health of neurodivergent women and girls. Through her research, Stephanie is looking to improve mental health services for late-diagnosed neurodivergent women and girls.
Understanding and improving accessibility of mental healthcare for neurodivergent youth. Many added barriers exist to accessing adequate mental healthcare for neurodivergent youth. Stephanie’s research hopes to identify these barriers and identify supports to better inform inclusive mental health services.
The wellbeing of Special Olympic athletes and their coaches. Special Olympics (SO) Canada reaches over 41,000 athletes with intellectual disabilities and supports the physical and mental health of participants through sport. Stephanie’s research focuses on the impact Special Olympics has on the wellbeing of the athletes and coaches involved.
Current Research
In a multi-year project, Stephanie recently completed an environmental scan of existing mental health supports available for autistic youth in Calgary, as well as the supports and barriers clinicians and patients face to accessing/providing mental health services. Stephanie hopes this research can provide a guide of current services, inform the development of additional mental health services, and outline areas of improvement and services that can and should be expanded.
Stephanie is also working on a study exploring the healthcare system utilization patterns of late-diagnosed autistic children and youth. Understanding the impact of late autism diagnosis on accessing public healthcare resources will help inform the development of resources and services that could be used to intervene and support these youth before they access higher-level resources such as the emergency department and acute hospital care.
Want to learn more about Stephanie’s Research?
Feel free to contact us at enhancelab@ucalgary.ca