Joint CanNRT Research Forum & Giant Steps Living Lab Learning Series | Inclusive Education: Supporting Neurodivergent Students’ Well-Being and Participation at School

Speaker

Isabelle Préfontaine holds a Bachelor’s degree (2015), a Master’s degree (2017), and a PhD (2022) in psychoeducation from the University of Montreal. She furthered her training with a postdoctoral fellowship in sociology at the Université du Québec à Montréal (2022–2023).

Clinically, Isabelle worked as a psychoeducator at the CIUSSS de l’Est-de-l’Île-de-Montréal, within the early stimulation program (ages 0–5), where she supported young children with various developmental and/or behavioral challenges and their families, in collaboration with a multidisciplinary team. Passionate about teaching, she has also gained experience as a course lecturer in psychoeducation at both the University of Sherbrooke and the University of Montreal.

Isabelle is a researcher affiliated with the Institut universitaire en déficience intellectuelle et en trouble du spectre de l’autisme, as well as the Centre interdisciplinaire de recherche en réadaptation et intégration sociale. Her research interests focus primarily on autism, intellectual disabilities, and developmental delays. Her work aims broadly to improve developmental trajectories for populations affected by these conditions. It is structured around three main areas: specialized early childhood services, the transition from early childhood specialized services to school entry, and the social inclusion of autistic students in school settings. Her research draws on qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods approaches.