Rate My Professor Mantilla Benitez

Ana Mantilla Benitez is an Associate Professor in the School of Educational Psychology and Counselling within Monash University's Faculty of Education. She holds a PhD in Education from Monash University, awarded in 2012 for her thesis on practices in young children's foreign language classrooms through a Colombian-Australian comparison. She also earned a Master of Education in Early Childhood from Monash University in 2005 and a BBus (Honours) in Business from Universidad de los Andes in Colombia in 2002. Her research specializations encompass early learning and wellbeing, stakeholders' perspectives and experiences regarding inclusion in education and sports, qualitative research methodologies, community-based participatory research, and knowledge translation. Research area keywords include inclusive education, disability, early childhood, wellbeing, culture, knowledge translation, and inclusion. From 2021 to 2024, she directed the AllPlay Research Programs, leading a multidisciplinary team to advance inclusive practices and capacity-building across education and community settings. She contributes to international partnerships, particularly in Latin America and the Asia-Pacific region, to foster cross-cultural dialogue and collaboration, and engages deeply with community, industry, non-profit, and peak body organisations.

Mantilla Benitez serves as Chief Investigator on several projects, including the Evaluation of Education Resources on Supporting Autistic Students under the National Autism Strategy, Exploring the Use of Haptic Music Technology to Support Autistic Young People with Complex Support Needs at School, Self-Determination in Community Settings for Young People with Disability, Implementation of the Sleeping Sound Autism Program, and Monash Krongold Clinic's Community Research Hub for Girls with Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Sports. Her key publications include 'Parents’ perspectives on inclusive practices in early childhood education and care: facilitators and barriers for children with Cerebral Palsy' (Early Years, 2024, with Bussey, K., Chan, E., Gerner, B., Rinehart, N.), 'A pilot randomised controlled trial of a telehealth-delivered brief ‘Sleeping Sound Autism’ intervention for autistic children' (Sleep Medicine, 2024, with Lewis, S. et al.), 'Building self-determination to foster better outcomes for young people with disability' (2024, with Devenish, B., Rinehart, N. J.), 'Moving beyond the one-size-fits-all approach to the education of autistic students' (2023, with Rinehart, N. J. et al.), and 'Preliminary effectiveness of professional learning about disability-specific evidence-based classroom practices for education support staff' (Education Sciences, 2023, with Devenish, B. D. et al.). Her research has informed the Early Childhood Australia Statement on Young Children and Digital Technologies and Beyond Blue's Be You Disability Inclusion Guide. She provides expert reviews for the Raising Children Network, has spoken as a guest for the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), and guest-edited the Australian Research in Early Childhood Education journal.