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Dr. Steve Edwards

Adjunct Senior Research Fellow

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Campus

Mt Helen Campus

Biography

Dr. Steve Edwards is a clinical psychologist and adjunct senior research fellow. Before taking an academic position, he held senior psychologist roles in public practice across a range of settings including intellectual disability, the Family Court and adult Specialist Mental Health Services. His clinical experience spans regional and urban public MHS services including the statewide dual-disability unit, an inner urban Primary Mental Health Team and a psychology service within Melbourne’s shelters for chronically homeless men. He has supervised provisional, registered and registrar psychologists outside and within university training settings. Steve continues supervision to psychologists at Singapore’s Institute of Mental Health in the area of autism.  

Steve’s current research focus is neurodiversity in tertiary education. He co-convenes the Neurodiversity, Inclusion and Success project which received initial HEPPP funding in 2023. The project is a collaboration between Institutes of Health and Wellbeing, Education, Arts and Community, Accessibility Services and Student Wellbeing. A co-developed survey was completed by past, present students and staff in 2024. They reported the barriers to and endorsed strategies for the social inclusion and academic success of students and with autism, ADHD and specific learning disorder at Federation University. 

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More about Steve

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy, School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne 
  • Master of Psychology, Monash University 
  • Graduate Diploma, Educational Psychology, Monash University 
  • Bachelor of Social Work, La Trobe University 
  • Bachelor of Arts, Swinburne Institute of Technology 

Areas of interest

  • Neurodiversity in tertiary education 
  • Autism, ADHD, specific learning disorder 
  • Minority and disadvantaged groups 
  • Cognitive theory of anxiety and depression 
  • Attention in anxiety and depression 
  • Severe mental illness 

Areas of expertise

Steve has clinical and research experience with neurodivergence and mental health amongst intellectually disabled, minority and disadvantaged groups. His clinical experience informs his research; he maintains national and international research collaborations as well as consulting in these areas. 

Grants

  • Edwards, S. Kennedy, G. Moore, K. Thorpe, K. Caine, J. de Gracia, R. Briede, M. Bilney, L. Burns, D. 2023, Enhancing the Inclusion and Success of Neurodivergent Students in Regional and Remote Higher Education: A Co-Developed project. Federation University HEPPP grant ($65,000) 
  • Van Doorn, G. Klein, B. Edwards, S. Shandley, K. Caine. J. 2021, Development of a mental wellbeing and social skills digital training platform for people on the Autism Spectrum Federation University Health Innovation and Transformation Centre, Mid-Career Researcher Engagement and Impact Grants ($20,000)  
  • Edwards, S. Kennedy, G. Moore, K. de Gracia, M.R. Thorpe, T. Caine, J. 2021, Investigating research collaborations with organisations that support young adults with autism within Federation University (Higher Ed. & TAFE) and the community Federation University, Research Support Program ($3,500) 
  • Edwards, S. 2018, Group social skills training programmes for adults living with autism spectrum disorder Faculty of Health Emerging Career Researchers Seed Funding Grant 2018 ($5,000) 

Past

  • PhD student, Federation University, ‘Contributions of the Alexithymia Hypothesis to Emotion Recognition in adults with ASD and the impact of a Novel Mimicry Task for Therapeutic Benefit’, supervisor.  
  • Master’s student, Federation University, ‘Online Cognitive Bias Modification Training for Social Anxiety amongst Young Adults’, supervisor.  
  • Master’s student, Federation University, ‘The impact on tertiary students of a brief online training about Autism’, supervisor.  
  • Master’s student, Federation University, ‘Retrospective and Prospective consideration of COVID-Related Disruptions and Mental Health in Tertiary Students’, supervisor. 
  • Honour’s student, Federation University, ‘Exploring Self-Perceived Strengths of Neurodivergent Students in Regional Australian Higher Education’, supervisor. 
  • Honour’s student, Federation University, ‘Do Barriers to Social Connection differ among University Students with Autism and ADHD? Is there a Gender interaction?’ supervisor.  
  • Honour’s student, Federation University, ‘Support workers’ perception of how adults with autism spectrum disorder learn social skills’, supervisor. 
  • Honour’s student, Federation University, ‘Growing up with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in different cultures’, supervisor.   
  • Honour’s student, Federation University, ‘Psychosis Knowledge and Stigma Influencing First Aid Intentions’, supervisor.  
  • Honour’s student, Federation University, ‘Diagnostic Overshadowing Bias in Diagnostic and Treatment Decisions about Adults with Intellectual Disability Among Australian Psychologists’, supervisor. 

  • Professional psychology 
  • Clinical psychology 

Psychology Board of Australia 

  • General registration 
  • Clinical endorsement 
  • Approved supervisor, all pathways to general registration and registrar (clinical) program 

Professional association memberships

  • Australian Psychological Society (member) 
  • Australian Psychological Society, College of Clinical Psychologists (fellow) 
  • Australian Psychological Society, Psychology, Intellectual Disability and Autism (PIDA) Interest Group (member) 
  • Australian Association for Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (member) 
  • Victorian Psychologists Association (life member) 

Under review 

  • Edwards, S. L., Kennedy, G.A., Thorpe, K., de Gracia, R., Caine, J. Moore, K. Could Research Collaborations between Researchers and Providers Enhance Support for Autistic Students in Rural-Regional Tertiary Education? A mixed-methods feasibility study. Submitted to Support Autistic Students in Rural-Regional Tertiary Education. Submitted to The Australian Educational Researcher, November 2025 
  • Zentveld, E., Nguyen, H.V., Winchester, M., Edwards, S., Labas, L., Charchar, F. The Association Between Increased Workloads and Mental Health Outcomes Among Higher Education Staff in Australia. Submitted to Public Health, May 2025 https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6650051/v1  

Other publications 

  • Edwards, Steve; Kennedy, Gerard; Debney, Ben; Frost-Camilleri, Liam; Dowling, Michael; Thorpe, Kieran; et al. (2025). Neurodiversity, Success and Inclusion at Federation University survey: Descriptive Results. Federation University Australia. Report. https://doi.org/10.25955/28300937.v2 
  • Edwards, Steve; Kennedy, Gerard; Debney, Ben; Dowling, Mike; Frost-Camilleri, Liam; Thorpe, Kieran; et al. (2024). Supporting Neurodivergent (ND) students in Higher Education: Survey Results. Federation University Australia. Figure. https://doi.org/10.25955/28005236.v2 

Conferences 

  • Edwards, Steve; Kennedy, Gerard; Dowling, Michael; Frost-Camilleri, Liam; Thorpe, Kieran; de Gracia, Ria (Ma Regina) (2024). Barriers to diagnostic disclosure amongst rural and regional higher education students. Descriptive results from the Neurodiversity, Success and Inclusion at Federation University Survey. Oral presentation at Institute of Health and Wellbeing research day. https://doi.org/10.25955/28301078.v1 
  • Edwards, Steve; Thorpe, Kieran; Frost-Camilleri, Liam; Sawyer, Neroli; Kennedy, Gerard (2024). How do autistic students rate strategies for social inclusion at university. Federation University Australia. Poster presented at International Society for Autism Research (INSAR) Conference 2024, Melbourne, Australia. https://doi.org/10.25955/25928812.v1

Health Innovation and Transformation Centre

Steve is part of the Health Innovation and Transformation Centre, which aims to answer complex global healthcare questions that impact the health and wellbeing of our regional, national and international communities.

Neurodiversity research group

Steve is part of the neurodiversity research group, which is a cross-disciplinary team focused on inclusion, accessibility and support for people with autism, ADHD and learning disabilities.
  • Publications

Dyslexia in Higher Education: The Australian Story