Kavitha Murthi

I am pursuing my doctoral studies at NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development in the Department of Occupational Therapy. I work with Vice Dean Kristie Patten on a National Science Foundation (NSF) project titled “Developing Abilities and Knowledge for Careers in Design and Engineering for Students on the Autism Spectrum by Scaling Up Making Experiences.” Through this project, I intend to explore the impact of interest-driven and strength-based engineering activities on autistic students’ learning and social development. I am particularly interested in understanding how neurodiverse adolescents problem-solve independently when engaged in interest-driven tasks. As I firmly believe research must be done with participants and community members, I incorporate participatory approaches to seeking answers to questions that are meaningful to the autistic community.

Before starting my journey at NYU, I completed graduate studies in Occupational Therapy in the UK and I completed my undergraduate studies in Occupational Therapy at the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences in India. I have experience working with a diverse population of children with developmental disabilities in Mumbai and Edinburgh. I have also contributed to various national and international research projects, the most notable being the Global Co-operation on Assistive Technology with the World Health Organization through my nomination with the World Federation of Occupational Therapists in 2019.