Kathryn Szechy
Assistant Professor
Email: Kathryn.Szechy@uwindsor.ca
Phone: (519) 253-3000 ext. 6775
Office: Room 232
167 Ferry Street, Windsor Hall
Scholarly Interests/Areas of Expertise
- Interpersonal theory and clinical practice
- Mental health
- Disability and adult functioning
- Stigma
- Employment
- Psychometrics and Quantitative data analysis
Educational Background
- Ph.D. Wayne State University
- M.S.W. University of Toronto
- B.A. Western University, Ontario
Biography
Dr. Kathryn (Kathy) Szechy is an Assistant Professor at the School of Social Work. Her research interests include challenges in adulthood for individuals on the autism spectrum, including post-secondary education and employment. She also studies the intersection of disability and social, racial, and economic disadvantage through the lens of critical disability studies. She is coauthor on several peer-reviewed publications on topics related to autism, disability, social work practice, child development, mental health, and substance use. Dr. Szechy has more than 20 years of social work practice experience in Canada and the United States. She has practiced in child, adolescent, and adult mental health settings, substance use services and school social work. She is a registered social worker in Ontario, a Licensed Masters Social Worker in Michigan, and holds State of Michigan School Social Work Certification.
Professional Associations
- College Autism Network
- International Society for Autism Research
- Society for Social Work and Research
- Canadian Association for Social Work Education
- Council on Social Work Education
- Ontario Association of Social Workers
- National Association of Social Workers (USA)(2020/2021)
- Michigan Education Association (2009-2019)
Recent Publications
Szechy, K. A., & O’Donnell, L. A. (2024). Neurotype and participatory autism knowledge predict perceptions of an autistic employee in the workplace. Frontiers in Organizational Psychology, 2, 1328559. https://doi.org/10.3389/forgp.2024.1328559
Szechy, K. A., Turk, P. D., & O’Donnell, L. A. (2023). Autism and Employment Challenges: The Double Empathy Problem and Perceptions of an Autistic Employee in the Workplace. Autism in Adulthood, aut.2023.0046. https://doi.org/10.1089/aut.2023.0046