Dr Abbott taught in mainstream and special schools and worked as an advisory teacher for special educational needs and ICT before becoming Director of the Inner London Educational Computing Centre.

From 1994 to 2014 he was Reader in e-Inclusion at King's where his teaching and research interests were focused on aspects of literacy, inclusion and digital technology. He is now Emeritus Reader.

Research interests

Dr Abbott is interested in accessibility of theatrical performance for children and young people with learning difficulties. Literacy, inclusion and digital technology, especially the use of assistive technology by people with learning difficulties. He has a special interest in the use of graphic symbols for communication and literacy.

He was the Founding Editor of the Journal of Assistive Technologies (now the Journal of Enabling Technologies). He is currently writing a history of eighteenth and nineteenth century theatre in Salisbury and is editing the letters of a leading playwright.