Assistant Professor
PhD, BCBA, RBA(Ont.)
Lisa Whittingham (she/her) is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Applied Disability Studies. She completed her PhD in Child and Youth Studies and MA in Applied Disability Studies at Brock University. Dr. Whittingham’s research interests center around disability and the law. This includes:
a) The interactions of persons labelled with intellectual/developmental disabilities (e.g., autism, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder) with the criminal justice system and the inequalities contributing to their involvement;
b) Helping justice professionals and first responders to respond to crises involving individuals labelled with intellectual/developmental disabilities; and,
c) Exploring the construction of vulnerability and risk in the lives of persons labelled with intellectual/developmental disabilities and how these constructions can shape the responses of those around them.
Dr. Whittingham’s area of research is inspired by her past clinical work and opportunities for cross-sectoral collaboration. She is an Ontario-based Registered Behaviour Analyst (RBA(Ont.)) and Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) with over 15 years of experience working with adults labelled with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including those with involvement in criminal justice, forensic, and acute mental health systems.
Dr. Whittingham’s primary research interests include disability studies, criminal justice and policing studies, socio-cultural approaches to risk and responsibilisation, and qualitative and community-based research (particularly inclusive research methodologies). Her secondary research interests include human rights and persons labeled with intellectual/developmental disabilities, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), and media analysis.
Lunsky, Y., Matheson, F., Kouyoumdjian, F., Whittingham, L., Lin, E., Durbin, A., Calzavara, A , Moser, A., Dastoori, P., Sirotich, F., & Volpe. (2024). Intellectual and developmental disabilities in Ontario’s criminal justice and forensic mental health systems: Using data to tell the story. Criminal Justice and Mental Health. DOI: 10.1002/cbm.2331
Marinos, V., Whittingham, L., Jones, J., & Schneider, R. D. (2023). Forensic neurodevelopmental disabilities: A North American perspective on pathways and services. In, J. McCarthy, R. Alexander, & E. Chaplin (Eds.), Forensic aspects of neurodevelopmental disorders: A clinician guide. Cambridge University Press.
Cooper, S., & Whittingham, L. (2022). Victimisation experiences of individuals with autism spectrum disorders and restorative practice approaches to repairing harm. In, N. Tyler & A. Sheeran (Eds.), Working with autistic people in the criminal justice and forensic mental health systems: A handbook for practitioners (pp. 163 – 176). Routledge.
Whittingham, L., Cauduro, E., Laplante, J., & Bishop, C. (2022). Interventions for persons with intellectual/developmental disabilities involved with the criminal justice system: A scoping review. Current Developmental Disorders Reports, 9, 235–251. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40474-022-00265-1
Matheson, F., Dastoori, P., Whittingham, L., Calzavara, A., Keown, L.A., Durbin, A., Kouyoumdjian, F., Lin, E., Volpe, T., & Lunsky, Y. (2022). Intellectual/developmental disabilities among people incarcerated in federal correctional facilities in Ontario, Canada: Examining prevalence, health and correctional characteristics. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 35(3), 900 – 909. https://doi.org/10.1111/jar.12995
Lin, E., Whittingham, L., Busch, L., Calzavara, A., Kouyoumdjian, F., Durbin, A., Matheson, F., Dastoori, P., & Lunsky, Y. (2022). Intensive use of forensic inpatient services by people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Ontario, Canada: Prevalence and associated characteristics. International Journal of Forensic Mental Health. https://doi.org/10.1080/14999013.2022.2027047
Coons-Harding, K., Whittingham, L., & McGannon, K. (2021). #sendwine: An analysis of motherhood, alcohol use, and #winemom culture on Instagram. Substance Abuse: Research and Treatment, 15, 1 – 9. DOI:10.1177/1782282101519
Whittingham, L. & Coons-Harding, K. (2021). Connecting people with people: Diagnosing persons with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder using telehealth. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disabilities, 51(4), 1067 – 1080. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-020-04607-z
Marinos, V., & Whittingham, L. (2020). The complexities of criminal responsibility and persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities: How can therapeutic jurisprudence help? American Behavioral Scientist, 64(12), 1715 – 1732. https://doi.org/10.1177/0002764220956698.
Whittingham, L., Durbin A., Lin, E., Matheson, F., Volpe, T. Dastoori, P., Calzavara, A., Lunsky, Y., & Kouyoumdjian, K. (2020). The representation and characteristics of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in provincial prisons in Ontario, Canada: A population-based retrospective cohort study. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 33, 1368-1379. doi: 10.1111/jar.12757
Lisa supports others’ research as a current editor for the Journal on Developmental Disabilities (JODD) and a member of the John Howard Society of Ontario’s Research Ethics Board. She is also a past board member of the Ontario Association on Developmental Disabilities (OADD) and past chair of the OADD Research Special Interest Group.
