Studies, Research & Papers

Research Opportunities

Throughout the year, there are many opportunities to participate in autism research studies. As we work together to further understand, we become better equipped to offer supports and services that reflect the needs and wants of autistic individuals and their families.

Keep checking back for updated opportunities.

************************************

March 2023

************************************

Do you identify as an Autistic Adult or a caregiver of an Autistic Adult?

This study is looking for participants to take part in an anonymous survey sharing their experiences and/or opinions about speech-language supports for Autistic children and youth.

Data collected will be used to inform and update best practices and as part of the development of a guidance resource for Speech-Language Pathologists.

For more information and details on how to take part, please see the information flyer HERE.

************************************

January 2023

************************************

Looking for caregivers from diverse backgrounds & providers with experience in making decisions in autism services

This study will explore how caregivers from different cultures decide and agree with professionals about interventions and supports in autism services for their child, and how their culture and family situation at home influences their decisions.

Who can take part?

Culturally and linguistically diverse caregivers
You are currently receiving or have received government-funded autism services for your child through an agency or private practice you have moved to Canada and were born and are from a non-English speaking country

Interviews will be 70 to 90 minutes
Interpreter support is available (or bring your own)

Providers
You have experience in delivering government-funded autism services to caregivers from different cultures through an agency or private practice

You are a speech-language pathologist (SLP), occupational therapist (OT), board-certified behaviour analyst (BCBA), or other (psychologists and physical therapists).

Interviews will be 30 to 40 minutes

As a thank you for your valuable time, participants will receive A $25.00 gift card (Amazon or Starbucks).

Interested to join or have questions?
Contact Sharon Randhawa at:
19ssr6@queensu.ca

Queen’s University Health Sciences & Affiliated Teaching Hospitals
Research Ethics Board (HSERB) Ethics Clearance# REH-833-22

************************************

November 2022

************************************

Are you a Canadian youth or young adult who has work experience or is looking for work?

Consider participating in a pilot study to evaluate a workplace disability disclosure decision-aid tool. To learn more about this study and to determine if you are eligible, please visit the following link by clicking the following link: https://redcap.link/decisionaidtool-pilotstudy

To ask questions or to sign up, please contact me at vtomas@hollandbloorview.ca.

Vanessa Tomas, M.Sc., Ph.D. Candidate

Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, University of Toronto

Bloorview Research Institute

************************************

Looking for caregivers from diverse backgrounds & providers with experience in making decisions in autism services

Who can take part?

Culturally and linguistically diverse caregivers:
You are currently receiving or have received government-funded autism services for your child through an agency or private practice you have moved to Canada and were born and are from a non-English speaking country

Interviews will be 70 to 90 minutes
Interpreter support is available (or bring your own)

Providers
You have experience in delivering government-funded autism services to caregivers from different cultures through an agency or private practice

You are a speech-language pathologist (SLP), occupational therapist (OT), board-certified behaviour analyst (BCBA), or other (psychologists and physical therapists).

Interviews will be 30 to 40 minutes

As a thank you for your valued time, participants will receive A $25.00 gift card (Amazon or Starbucks).

Interested to join or have questions?
Contact Sharon Randhawa at:
19ssr6@queensu.ca

Queen’s University Health Sciences & Affiliated Teaching Hospitals
Research Ethics Board (HSERB) Ethics Clearance# REH-833-22

************************************

September 2022

************************************

Autistic 2SLGBTQ+ Research Study

Participants Needed!

This study is seeking autistic 2SLGBTQ+ youth who are 16-19 years old and attend or have attended a secondary institution in Canada since grade 10. We are looking for participants who are willing to talk about their experiences with peer relationships and as a 2SLGBTQ+ autistic student, as well as any discriminatory or affirming
experiences in the school environment.

Participation will consist of one Zoom interview of approximately 45 to 60 minutes of your time.
In appreciation of your time, after completing the interview, you will receive a $25 Amazon gift card. You will have the option to provide feedback on the data through email or through a Zoom meeting at a later date.

If you are interested in participating, please contact Brianna by email at come7440@mylaurier.ca

************************************

August 2022

************************************

Summer Camp Research Study

Does a brief autism education session influence interaction and inclusion with peers at camp?

Looking for families with children with autism, ages 5-12 in the Edmonton and Calgary regions. We are looking for children/families who choose to disclose and choose NOT to disclose an autism diagnosis.

Will your child with autism register for a weeklong summer camp with non-autistic peers?

If you are interested in learning more and participating, please contact:

S.K.I.P. Lab
skiplab@ualberta.ca
YEG: Adrian (780.777.3010)
YYC: Emily (780.691.5606)

Ethics ID: Pro00081598

************************************

July 2022

************************************

Sleep Research at the University of Calgary

For children with autism between the ages of 6 and 12 who are interested in participating in research.

If you have a child between 6 and 12 years old with Autism Spectrum Disorder who would be interested in participating in research, please contact us to get involved!

Each child will be given a wrist device to track their sleep for one week and parents will be asked to fill out questionnaires to help us better understand sleep patterns, behaviour, and ASD symptoms in children.

Participants will receive a $20 gift card upon completion.

For Questions or to participate, contact:
Harris Park
harris.park@ucalgary.ca | (587) – 429 – 3439

This Project Has Been Approved by the University of Calgary Conjoint Health Research Ethics Board (REB21-1601)

************************************

May 2022

************************************

Better Nights, Better Days

A program for parents of children with neurodevelopmental disorders who have sleeping problems

BNBD-NDD is an online eHealth intervention for parents of children ages 4 to 12 with neurodevelopmental disorders who have sleeping problems developed at Dalhousie University in Halifax, NS. This program has been developed by a team of leading researchers across Canada, using evidence-based research and the best clinical practice. This program has an ADHD, ASD, FASD, CP, and other NDD streams. It is an online program, fully accessible from your desktop, laptop, or smartphone. There are built-in support and program tools that will guide and motivate you as you complete the program.

We are recruiting parents across Canada that have children with NDDs! Here is a little blurb about the study:

————————

Are you a Canadian resident that has a child with a neurodevelopmental disorder that is 4-12 years old and has difficulties falling asleep and/or staying asleep?

Better Nights, Better Days for Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders is a free, online program based on behavioural principles that supports parents of children aged 4-12 years old with a neurodevelopmental disorder who experience difficulties falling and/or staying asleep.

Our online program encourages positive behaviours that will help children achieve better quality and quantity of sleep throughout the night. To see if the program is a good fit for you and your child, visit our website:

Can I Participate? | BNBD (betternightsbetterdays.ca)

https://ndd.betternightsbetterdays.ca/

************************************

March 2022

************************************

Parental Self-Efficacy in Fathers/Primary Caregivers of Autistic Youth

This study will be led by Rita Abdel-Baki, a Clinical Psychology Ph.D. student at the University of Guelph.

Rita is currently recruiting parents and/or primary caregivers of children on the spectrum to participate in a 30-minute online survey.

Rita Abdel-Baki is a Clinical Psychology PhD Student at the University of Guelph. She is completing her dissertation under the supervision of Dr. Kristel Thomassin in the Child Emotion and Mental Health Lab. For her dissertation, she is researching parental self-efficacy, or how well a parent feels able to meet their child’s needs, in parents of children with an autism spectrum disorder. She hopes to learn more about how parental self-efficacy relates to parent, child, and systemic factors. This project has been reviewed by the Research Ethics Board for compliance with federal guidelines for research involving human participants (REB# 21-05-012).

This research study is looking for parents or caregivers with a child who is 6-18 years old and has been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (including autistic disorder, Asperger’s syndrome, or pervasive developmental disorder – not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS).

Participants will be entered into a draw for 1 of 15 $20 gift cards.

For more information and to participate, please visit the research web page HERE

************************************

February 2022

************************************

This study will be led by Dr. Jill Zwicker, an occupational therapist, researcher, and expert in Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) at BC Children’s Hospital.

Dr. Zwicker and her team are currently recruiting parents of children with DCD to participate in an on-line survey.

The team is researching the physical, social, emotional, and financial impact of DCD on the child and family. The impACT for DCD questionnaire will be used to gather this information to inform government about the service needs of children with DCD and their families.

If you meet the criteria for participation, please click on the link for further details and to complete the questionnaire.

The criteria to participate in this research is as follows:

Primary residence of parent(s) and child(ren) is in Canada
Child(ren) must be under the age of 18 years with motor coordination challenges
These motor coordination challenges are not because of biological, genetic, and/or developmental delays (e.g., cerebral palsy, Down’s syndrome, chromosomal abnormality, etc.)
Child(ren) may have a diagnosis of DCD, but a formal diagnosis is not required to participate in the study. Parents of children suspected to have DCD may also participate.
Child(ren) may have other co-occurring conditions that can include autism, ADHD, learning disabilities, and/or speech-language deficits.
Parents can be biological, adoptive, or guardian/caregiver
Parents need to be able to speak and read English or French

The team thanks you in advance for your participation in this research study. Please feel free to forward this link to other participants that also meet the listed criteria.

For the survey in French, click the link below:

https://bit.ly/impactfordcdfrench

For the survey in English, click the link below:

https://bit.ly/impactfordcdenglish

************************************

January 2022

************************************

* THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST! WE ARE NO LONGER INTAKING PARTICIPANTS FOR THIS STUDY*

Amplifying Autistic “Voices”: Learning from and with autistic adults to enhance self-determination

We know that autistic people are less self-determined than their peers, including peers with other developmental disabilities.

This study is part of a larger study that aims to shift how autistic people are supported to be self-determined in all that relates to them.

To help us know how to do this, we want to hear about your everyday experiences with making choices and being in charge of your life.

Do you identify as autistic?
Are you 18 or older?
Would you like to help us learn how to support autistic people to be more self-determined?
If so, and you want to learn more about this study or how to participate, please click on this link: Information, consent and participant info or contact Dr. Sandy Thompson-Hodgetts at sandy.Hodgetts@ualberta.ca (Ethics ID#: Pro00103146)

This study is supported by:

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council and

Autism Edmonton/Edmonton Autism Research

************************************

Executive Functioning and Math Performance of Adolescents

Are you a parent of a child with Autism between 12-18 years of age? Consider
having your child participate in our study:

What is the study?

The purpose of this research is to explore the relationship between individuals’ executive functioning abilities and mathematical performance. Data collected will be analyzed and reported as a Masters Thesis.

Who can participate?

We are looking for individuals diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder in the 12-18-year age range who attend classroom-based schooling. Parents will be expected to provide consent on their behalf to participate.

What’s involved?

Your child will complete short, cognitive tasks and math problems in an online survey. Testing will take place remotely from a personal computer. The researcher will connect with the participant via Zoom during the testing session. Testing will take approximately 50 mins.

Participants will be entered for a chance to win one of ten $50 gift cards!

Participation is completely voluntary and not a requirement of the society to which your child belongs (i.e., their autism society).

Want More Info?
Click to View the Poster

Want to Participate? Have questions? Contact the team:

Nicole Eddy, Graduate Student, Memorial University
(709)770-1421
neddy@mun.ca

Darcy Hallett, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology
(709)864-4871
darcy@mun.ca

************************************

2021

************************************

Research in Self-Perception with ASD Individuals

Seeking ASD females ages 9-18. This study is looking at how autistic youth differ by gender when estimating their own academic ability.

Participants will complete several questionnaires and a math & verbal task. To show our appreciation for your time, all participants will be compensated.

Want More Info?
Click to View the Poster
or click to visit the Queens University website

Want to Participate? Contact the team:
11eb31@queensu.ca

Or call 613-533-2894

************************************

Chinese Immigrant Experience of Autism Diagnosis, November 2021

Are you a Chinese Immigrant who has been or is currently being diagnosed with autism in Canada? If so,I am interested in hearing about your experience with the diagnostic process! The aim is to help professionals develop strategies to interact with immigrants undergoing a diagnosis.

A Mandarin interviewer can be available to assist with participation.

To show our appreciation for your time, all participants will be given a $25 gift card.

Want More Info?
Click to View the Poster in English

Click to View the Poster in Mandarin

or click to visit the University of Calgary website

Want to Participate? Email:
Cecilia (Qian Qian) Ye at qqye@ucalgary.ca

************************************

Hidden Diagnosis, University of Calgary, June 2021

Are you an individual on the autism spectrum who would like to share your experience of being uninformed of your diagnosis? If so, the Autism Spectrum Research, Education and Training Team (ASERT) at the University of Calgary would love to hear from you!

Participation involves completion of some tasks with our team, a questionnaire about you, and a one-hour interview about your experiences of being uninformed of your autism diagnosis. To show our appreciation for your time, all participants will be given a $20 gift card.

Want More Info?
Click to View the Poster
or click to visit the University of Calgary website

Want to Participate? Contact the team:
Brittany Lorentz asert@ucalgary.ca
Dr. Adam McCrimmon awmccrim@ucalgary.ca

************************************

Exploring the Psychosocial and Health Service Consequences of Coronavirus on Children and their Families, University of Calgary & University of Alberta, May 2021

We wish to learn about the care experiences of children and youth and their families during the COVID-19 outbreak. We are inviting children and their parents as well as health care providers to participate in an interview about their experiences.

Interested in Learning More or Participating?
Contact Olivia Conlon
519-994-9990
olivia.conlon@ucalgary.ca

This study has been approved by the University of Calgary Conjoint Health Research Ethics Board (REB20-0367) and the University of Alberta Research Ethics Office (Pro00100969).

Sponsor: University of Calgary, Faculty of Social Work
Funder: Canadian Institutes for Health Research
Investigators: Dr. David B. Nicholas, Dr. Mark Belletrutti, Dr. Gina Dimitropoulos, Dr. Sherri Katz, Dr. Adam Rapoport, Dr. Simon Urschel, Dr. Lori J. West, Dr. Lonnie Zwaigenbaum and Dr. Gina Dimitropoulos

************************************

ASD Studies, Queen’s University, February 2021

Online Emotion Study

This online study is looking at the emotional life of adolescents with ASD, ADHD or neurotypical controls. Participants and their caregiver will complete a few questionnaires and will each receive a $10 Amazon gift card for their time. Also available for non-verbal participants.

If you are interested in participating, please contact:
asd@queensu.ca
613.533.2894

More info here.

************************************

University of Alberta & S.K.I.P. Lab, February 2021

Caregiver study

Are you the caregiver of two or more children with developmental disabilities, ages 2 – 12? If so, we want to hear from you and talk about your unique experience!

To learn more about the study or to participate, please contact:
Marcela Barahona
dmbaraho@ualberta.ca

************************************

The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, Sept. 2020

Study: Caregiver separation

Looking for children with ASD or a dual diagnosis of SAD and ASD, with an intellectual impairment. Child participants should be between the age of 3-6 who have difficulty separating from their caregiver in the home environment when the caregiver is out of sight for a period no longer than one minute. Each child participant must have the ability to request for a caregiver’s presence and follow simple instructions with or without pictures as cues.

The study will take place in your home or through an online video conference with a Board Certified Behaviour Analyst and doctoral student at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, to test the effectiveness of a behaviour treatment for caregiver separation. The anticipated time commitment for participation in this study is 30 minutes, three times per week, for a maximum of eight weeks, with an approximate 1-hour screening procedure and orientation prior. All sessions will be recorded.

If you are interested in being provided with more information about this
study, please email cembry@ego.thechicagoschool.edu

More info here.

************************************