Dr Louise Carr
Senior Specialist Educational Psychologist for Autism Spectrum Conditions & ELSA Lead
Dr Louise Carr is a Senior Specialist Educational Psychologist for Autism Spectrum Conditions and is also the ELSA (Emotional Literacy Support Assistants) Lead at EPE.
Louise completed her doctoral training in 2012 via the University of Nottingham. Her doctoral thesis was an evaluation of a cognitive behavioural therapy-based intervention aimed at reducing anxiety in learners in Key Stages 1, 2 and 3. Louise worked for Telford & Wrekin LA for 10 years, from Year 2 of EP training and continuing post-qualification as an Educational Psychologist, before moving to EPE in September 2019 where she is now a member of EPE’s Senior Leadership Team.
While having a wealth of experience of all kinds of special educational needs and barriers to learning and inclusion, Louise is particularly passionate about inclusion and support for Autistic learners and how schools, as well as families, can be best helped to understand, support and celebrate neurodivergence. Prior to her EP training, Louise worked for several years in a residential school for learners with complex Autism and significant learning and emotional wellbeing needs, both as a care worker and as a member of the school's psychology team alongside education staff. This gave her invaluable experience in understanding the challenges facing Autistic learners in their home, school and community environments. At Telford & Wrekin LA, Louise contributed to the authority's Strategic Working Group on Autism and delivered DfE-backed Autism Education Trust training to educational staff in schools and settings across the borough. At EPE, Louise leads our Specialist Autism Offer working group, focusing on developing Autism-specific services which will benefit schools/settings. Louise currently or has previously supervised both Assistant EPs and qualified EP colleagues at EPE, and is also an experienced supervisor of EP doctoral trainees at all three stages of training.
Away from work, music plays a huge role in Louise's life - she is a member of a ladies choir, and regularly enjoys going to live concerts and shows, particularly orchestral music from both the traditional classical and film music genres. Louise is another EPE team member who holds National Trust membership, and enjoys scrambling around castles and other historic buildings. Louise also strives to increase her physical fitness and wellbeing, through her gym membership and more so through her enjoyment of countryside walks with a local walking group. Her biggest challenges to date have been completing the 2019 and 2021 Great North Run half-marathons. One day, she might attempt it for a third time…!
