Research

The brainy side of what I do.

Every assessment and therapy decision I make is backed by evidence — and much of my career has been spent contributing to that evidence base. Current projects, key publications, workshops, and conference work, all in one place.

My research sits at the crossroads of clinical practice, community need, and practical application. Past and current projects span classroom behaviour management, autism assessment, and culturally responsive mental health care — with a through-line of trying to make psychological science usable by the people it's meant to serve.

Browse the sections below — current projects, key publications, workshops, conferences.

Current projects

What I'm working on right now.

Active research and resource-building projects. Both free to use, both grounded in the same commitment: effective psychological care has to reflect the lived experiences of the people it serves.

Primary active project

Cultural Wellbeing Hub

A freely accessible, evidence-informed platform offering resources that are adapted for cultural relevance and psychological rigour. Designed for clients, families, and practitioners alike — and developed in response to emerging research and community feedback, with a focus on expanding reach across diverse cultural groups in Australia and beyond.

Begin learning
In development

EthicsNav

Ethical decisions are hard.
Your reasoning shouldn't be.

Structured decision trees for ethical dilemmas. A CPD portfolio that tracks your 30 hours. A reflective journal that counts toward your evidence. Annual planning that actually helps. Built by a psychologist — no AI, no guesswork.

Visit EthicsNav
Key publications

Peer-reviewed contributions.

Published work across classroom behaviour management, mobile intervention design, and autism assessment practice.

Mittiga, S. R., Freeman, N. C., Leif, E. S., Furlonger, B. E., & Pattison, E. (2024)

Behavior Change Potential of Classroom Behavior Management Mobile Applications: A Systematic Review

Education and Treatment of Children
doi.org/10.1007/s43494-024-00122-3
Mittiga, S. R., Freeman, N. C., Furlonger, B. E., Chan, P., & Leif, E. S. (2024)

A Content and Quality Evaluation of Mobile Classroom Behavior Management Applications

Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions
doi.org/10.1177/10983007241230594
Pattison, E., Ure, A., Mittiga, S. R., Williams, K., & Freeman, N. C. (2022)

The feedback session of an autism assessment: a scoping review of clinical practice guideline recommendations

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 52(4), 1821–1840
doi.org/10.1007/s10803-021-05067-9
Workshops & PD

Bringing the evidence into the room.

August 2024 · Professional development

Supporting Young Learners: Intervention Strategies & Behavioural Management

A 2-hour session for kindergarten teachers on practical classroom behaviour management, crafting effective social stories, and supporting emotional regulation in young children. Part of my ongoing work to put evidence-based strategies into the hands of the educators using them every day.

Conferences

Presenting the work.

May 2018 · San Diego
44th Annual ABAI Convention

Teaching Turn-Taking During Conversations for Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Poster presentation. Presented by Brett E. Furlonger, PhD; poster designed by Sharon Mittiga and Brett E. Furlonger.

Furlonger B. E., Mittiga S. R., Butler S., Kaye V., Moore D., Anderson A., & Busacca M.

November 2017 · Sydney
ABAA Annual Conference

Teaching Adolescents with an Autism Spectrum Disorder to Take Turns in Conversation

Oral presentation with co-presenters Butler S. and Kaye V.

Mittiga S. R., Butler S., Kaye V., Furlonger B., Moore D., Anderson A.

Let's begin

Curious to work together?

If any of the above overlaps with what you're looking for — assessment, counselling, consultation — send through a referral.