Laurie McLay

Laura-Lee Kathleen McLay is a New Zealand academic, and is a full professor at the University of Canterbury, specialising in research on sleep disorders, communication and behavioural assessments in autistic children.

Academic career

McLay completed a master's degree titled Acquisition, generalisation and retention of object names in 4 year old children: a comparison of child-led and adult-led learning interactions at the University of Canterbury, followed by a PhD titled A study of teaching strategies that facilitate stimulus generalisation in children with autism in 2011. McLay then joined the faculty of the University of Canterbury, where she was promoted to full professor in 2022.

McLay leads the Waiora Tamariki Programme, which is a nationwide research and clinical delivery service that aims to "promote the health and wellbeing of children on the autism spectrum and their whānau". In 2017, McLay was one of thirteen researchers to receive an emerging researcher first grant from the Health Research Council, to research effective treatments for sleep disorders in autistic children. According to McLay, up to 83% of autistic children experience some form of sleep disturbance, but there are few evidence-based treatments available. McLay has since been part of a research team that received a one-year HRC grant to establish the research priorities of end-users in the autism community. She also researches Functional Behavioural Assessments, toilet training and communication systems for autistic children.

Selected works