Would you like to share your insights and experiences about situations in which you have felt accepted, or not accepted, by society? This could include examples from a workplace, in an educational or recreational setting, or in organized activities such as sports.
Researchers at the University of Calgary’s Autism Spectrum Education, Research and Training Group (ASERT) are recruiting autistic adults age 18 and older for a study on acceptance (and non-acceptance) by society.
Participants must be:
- 18 years of age or older,
- Fluent in communicating in English (verbally and using communication technology),
- Have an autism diagnosis (by a professional or self diagnosis), and
- Live in Canada
What’s involved?
Individuals will be asked to participate in an interview that may be between 1 and 2 hours long. Questions will be provided to you up to a week before the interview. Interviews will be audio-recorded. Two weeks following your interview, you will be provided with a data summary of your interview and asked for your feedback.
Interviews can be online using Zoom, over the phone, or in person.
Participants will be compensated for their time with a gift card.
If you are interested to be part of a study with a goal of identifying key elements of acceptance to help inform way in which society can make itself a more accepting place for autistic adults, contact Shawna.gray@ucalgary.ca
About ASERT
ASERT is located in the School Psychology area of the Werklund School of Education at the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada. Under the direction of Dr. Adam McCrimmon, the group consists of researchers, clinicians, and professionals interested in understanding autism and improving the lives of individuals on the autism spectrum.
We are currently conducting several research projects that may be of interest to individuals on the spectrum or their families. We also run the PEERS social intervention for teens and young adults. We are also interested in understanding how important aspects of functioning are related to resiliency in autistic individuals. Resiliency is the ability to overcome challenges in one’s life and experience success. As many autistic individuals experience significant challenges in adapting to their environment, we believe that better understanding of those specific factors that can promote resilience and positive development in this population. For information about any of these projects, please click here.
We also provide professional services in the form of clinical assessment for autism to children, youth, or adults, as well as training to professionals who are seeking to learn how to conduct comprehensive, best-practice diagnostic assessments for autism. If you have any questions about our services, please contact Dr. Adam McCrimmon.
You can visit their website by clicking here: https://werklund.ucalgary.ca/research/asert
This study has been approved by the Conjoint Faculties Research Ethics Board at the University of Calgary (REB22-0835)
