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Tan DW, Crane L, Haar T, Heyworth M, Poulsen R, Pellicano E. Reporting community involvement in autism research: Findings from the journal Autism. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2024:13623613241275263. [PMID: 39239858 DOI: 10.1177/13623613241275263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/07/2024]
Abstract
LAY ABSTRACT There has been a growing push for the Autistic and autism communities to be more actively involved in autism research. From January 2021, the journal Autism made it a rule for authors to report whether they involved community members in their work; and if they did, how they had done so. In this study, we wanted to see how this new rule has changed things. Our team of Autistic and non-autistic researchers read all 283 articles published in Autism in 2019, about 2 years before the rule was in place, and in 2022, about 1 year after. We recorded what each article was about and how the community was involved. We found there was an increase in how often articles talked about community involvement - from about 10% before the rule to over 50% after. Most of these studies, however, only involved community members giving advice, with the researchers making most decisions about the research. This was especially true for applied research (like wellbeing) rather than basic science (like causes of autism). Also, some of these articles were unclear or did not give enough information for us to understand how the community was involved. This tells us that while it is promising that more community involvement is reported, researchers need to describe this involvement more clearly. It is also important for community members to have a bigger say in research by sharing power with the researchers or even leading the research themselves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Weiting Tan
- Macquarie School of Education, Macquarie University, Australia
- School of Psychological Science, The University of Western Australia, Australia
| | - Laura Crane
- Autism Centre for Education and Research (ACER), Department of Disability, Inclusion and Special Needs, School of Education, University of Birmingham, UK
- Centre for Research in Autism and Education, IOE, UCL's Faculty of Education and Society, University College London, UK
| | - Tori Haar
- Macquarie School of Education, Macquarie University, Australia
| | - Melanie Heyworth
- Macquarie School of Education, Macquarie University, Australia
- Reframing Autism, Australia
| | - Rebecca Poulsen
- Reframing Autism, Australia
- Department of Linguistics, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Australia
| | - Elizabeth Pellicano
- Macquarie School of Education, Macquarie University, Australia
- Department of Clinical, Education and Health Psychology, University College London, UK
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Poulsen R, Dwyer P, Gassner D, Heyworth M, Williams ZJ. The INSAR Community Collaborator Request: Using community-academic partnerships to enhance outcomes of participatory autism research. Autism Res 2023; 16:2071-2076. [PMID: 37688487 DOI: 10.1002/aur.3027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/11/2023]
Abstract
Participatory approaches, in which researchers work together with members of the autism community (e.g., autistic people, family members, caregivers, or other stakeholders) to design, conduct, and disseminate research, have become increasingly prominent within the field of autism research over the past decade. Despite growing academic and community interest in conducting participatory studies, stakeholder collaboration remains infrequent in autism research, at least partially due to systemic barriers. To help reduce barriers to engaging in participatory autism research, the International Society for Autism Research (INSAR) Autistic Researchers Committee has launched the INSAR Community Collaborator Request (ICCR; https://www.autism-insar.org/page/iccr), a platform on the INSAR website that allows autism researchers conducting participatory research to seek out stakeholder collaborators from the autism community (including both autistic people and their family members/caregivers, as relevant to a given research project). Interested stakeholders also have the opportunity to subscribe to ICCR posts, allowing them to be alerted of new opportunities for collaboration and potentially increasing their involvement in autism research. Overall, the ICCR provides a venue to connect autism researchers with potential community collaborators, reducing barriers to participatory autism research and increasing the frequency of successful community-academic partnerships within the field. We are hopeful that in the long term, such changes will lead to greater alignment between research outputs and the goals of the greater autism community, and consequently an increase in the overall quality and relevance of autism research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Poulsen
- Macquarie University Hearing, Department of Linguistics, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Reframing Autism, St Leonards, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Patrick Dwyer
- Center for Mind and Brain, University of California Davis, Davis, California, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of California Davis, Davis, California, USA
- MIND Institute, UC Davis Health, Sacramento, California, USA
| | - Dena Gassner
- School of Social Work, Adelphi University, Garden City, New York, USA
- Department of Health Sciences, Towson University, Towson, Maryland, USA
| | - Melanie Heyworth
- Reframing Autism, St Leonards, New South Wales, Australia
- Macquarie School of Education, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Zachary J Williams
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Frist Center for Autism and Innovation, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
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Zhou Q, Lei Y, Du H, Tao Y. Public concerns and attitudes towards autism on Chinese social media based on K-means algorithm. Sci Rep 2023; 13:15173. [PMID: 37704712 PMCID: PMC10499991 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-42396-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/09/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023] Open
Abstract
To investigate the hot topics and attitudes of autism in the larger community. In this study, we analyzed and summarized experimental texts from the social media platform Zhihu using the TF-IDF algorithm and K-means clustering approach. Based on the analysis of the 1,740,826-word experimental text, we found that the popularity of autism has steadily risen over recent years. Sufferers and their parents primarily discuss autism. The K-means clustering algorithm revealed that the most popular topics are divided into four categories: self-experience of individuals with autism, external views of individuals with autism, caring and stressful behaviors of caregivers, and information about autism. This study concluded that people with autism face more incredible negative emotions, external cognitive evaluations of the autistic group reflect stereotypes, the caregiver's family suffers high financial and psychological stress, and disorders caused by disease in autistic individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Zhou
- Hangzhou Normal University, 2318th Yuhang Tang Avenue, Hangzhou, 311121, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Yuling Lei
- Hangzhou Normal University, 2318th Yuhang Tang Avenue, Hangzhou, 311121, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Hang Du
- Hangzhou Normal University, 2318th Yuhang Tang Avenue, Hangzhou, 311121, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Yuexian Tao
- Hangzhou Normal University, 2318th Yuhang Tang Avenue, Hangzhou, 311121, Zhejiang Province, China.
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den Houting J, Higgins J, Isaacs K, Mahony J, Pellicano E. From ivory tower to inclusion: Stakeholders' experiences of community engagement in Australian autism research. Front Psychol 2022; 13:876990. [PMID: 36092113 PMCID: PMC9454607 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.876990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Autistic people, and other community stakeholders, are gaining increasing recognition as valuable contributors to autism research, resulting in a growing corpus of participatory autism research. Yet, we know little about the ways in which stakeholders practice and experience community engagement in autism research. In this study, we interviewed 20 stakeholders (academics, autistic people, family members/careers, research students, and service providers) regarding their experiences of community engagement in Australian autism research. Through reflexive thematic analysis of interview data, we generated four themes. First, our participants perceived academia as an "ivory tower," disconnected from community members' lives and priorities. Second, our participants identified that different stakeholders tended to hold different roles within their research projects: academics typically retained power and control, while community members' roles tended toward tokenism. Third, our participants spoke of the need to "bridge the gap" between academia and the community, highlighting communication, accessibility, and planning as key to conducting effective participatory research. Lastly, participants emphasized the changing nature of autism research, describing participatory research as "the way of the future." Our findings reflect both the progress achieved to date, and the challenges that lie ahead, as the field advances toward genuine co-production of autism research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacquiline den Houting
- Macquarie School of Education, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Cooperative Research Centre for Living With Autism (Autism CRC), Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Julianne Higgins
- Sylvia Rodger Academy, Cooperative Research Centre for Living With Autism (Autism CRC), Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Department of Developmental Disability Neuropsychiatry (3DN), University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Kathy Isaacs
- Cooperative Research Centre for Living With Autism (Autism CRC), Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- The Autistic Realm Australia, Inc., Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Joanne Mahony
- Macquarie School of Education, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Sylvia Rodger Academy, Cooperative Research Centre for Living With Autism (Autism CRC), Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Elizabeth Pellicano
- Macquarie School of Education, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Cooperative Research Centre for Living With Autism (Autism CRC), Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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Slade T, Duebel E, Ryan J. "Your double-blind RCT needs feminism": an argument for engaging critical theory in quantitative rehabilitation research. Disabil Rehabil 2022; 45:1563-1571. [PMID: 35507752 DOI: 10.1080/09638288.2022.2068679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Rehabilitation science has, for years, endorsed a connection between quantitative research and the philosophical assumptions of positivism. These assumptions can limit the scope of rehabilitation research, particularly in relation to matters of equity, diversity, and inclusivity. As our field moves toward a greater focus on inclusivity in research design and patient-centred care, it is imperative that we reconsider the theoretical foundations of rehabilitation research and practice. METHODS We provide an analysis of positivism on equity, diversity, and inclusivity within quantitative rehabilitation research, using the Participant Intervention Comparison Outcome (PICO) model to provide structure for the resultant discussion and recommendations. RESULTS Our analysis reveals that there are significant limitations and ethical concerns to engaging in positivism as the primary paradigm for quantitative rehabilitation research. We argue that decoupling of positivism and quantitative research methods may be warranted. CONCLUSIONS Equitable and inclusive rehabilitation research requires the researcher to consider variables which are neglected in the positivist paradigm. We argue that critical theory can equip researchers with a lens to better address injustices within rehabilitation research. We provide a series of recommendations for researchers to engage critical theory at each stage of the PICO model of clinical trials.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONCommon assumptions in quantitative rehabilitation research (i.e., positivism) can limit the utility of research findings to rehabilitation patients.Equitable, diverse, and inclusive participant samples in research better reflect the diversity of real world rehabilitation patients, helping us better serve these populations.Critical theory can help researchers and clinicians identify and avoid interventions that may cause harm to rehabilitation patients.Research and practice that prioritize concepts of "normalcy" (i.e., "normal gait," "normal behaviours") may perpetuate negative concepts of disability and further marginalize the individuals that our interventions aim to serve.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teri Slade
- Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Erin Duebel
- Department of Occupational Therapy, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Jacalyn Ryan
- Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
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Pickard H, Pellicano E, den Houting J, Crane L. Participatory autism research: Early career and established researchers' views and experiences. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2022; 26:75-87. [PMID: 34088215 PMCID: PMC8750139 DOI: 10.1177/13623613211019594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
LAY ABSTRACT 'Participatory autism research' refers to ways of involving autistic people and their allies (e.g. family members) in making decisions about research. These decisions can include what research gets done, how it gets done and how research findings are used. While there is more and more interest in participatory autism research, we know little about how researchers at different stages of their careers use this approach. To find out more, we discussed these issues with 25 researchers. Fourteen of these were at an early stage of their careers, and 11 were more senior researchers. We spoke to people in individual interviews or in groups. We then used a technique called thematic analysis to analyse our data, which involved us looking for common topics or 'themes' discussed by our participants. What did we find? Our participants told us that participatory autism research was a flexible approach, meaning that autistic people can be involved in research in many different ways. While people viewed this flexibility in a positive way, it also caused some confusion about what does or does not 'count' as participatory research. Our participants also spoke about how important it was to build relationships with those involved in their research, but they also said it could be difficult to communicate well with diverse groups of people who may not have much experience of research. Finally, our participants said it was hard to do participatory research when there was not much time, funding or support available to researchers. In this article, we discuss these findings, focusing on what needs to change to ensure that autistic people and their allies are meaningfully involved in autism research.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jacquiline den Houting
- Macquarie University,
Australia
- Cooperative Research Centre for
Living with Autism, Australia
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Whiteley P, Carr K, Shattock P. Research, Clinical, and Sociological Aspects of Autism. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:481546. [PMID: 33995134 PMCID: PMC8116543 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.481546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2019] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The concept of autism continues to evolve. Not only have the central diagnostic criteria that define autism evolved but understanding of the label and how autism is viewed in research, clinical and sociological terms has also changed. Several key issues have emerged in relation to research, clinical and sociological aspects of autism. Shifts in research focus to encompass the massive heterogeneity covered under the label and appreciation that autism rarely exists in a diagnostic vacuum have brought about new questions and challenges. Diagnostic changes, increasing moves towards early diagnosis and intervention, and a greater appreciation of autism in girls and women and into adulthood and old age have similarly impacted on autism in the clinic. Discussions about autism in socio-political terms have also increased, as exemplified by the rise of ideas such as neurodiversity and an increasingly vocal dialogue with those diagnosed on the autism spectrum. Such changes are to be welcomed, but at the same time bring with them new challenges. Those changes also offer an insight into what might be further to come for the label of autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Whiteley
- ESPA Research, Unit 133i Business Innovation Centre, The Robert Luff Laboratory, Education & Services for People With Autism Research, Sunderland, United Kingdom
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Nicolaidis C, Raymaker D, Kapp SK, Baggs A, Ashkenazy E, McDonald K, Weiner M, Maslak J, Hunter M, Joyce A. The AASPIRE practice-based guidelines for the inclusion of autistic adults in research as co-researchers and study participants. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2019; 23:2007-2019. [PMID: 30939892 PMCID: PMC6776684 DOI: 10.1177/1362361319830523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 139] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
As interest in autism in adulthood grows, so does the need for methods to promote the inclusion of autistic adults in research. Our objective was to create practice-based guidelines for the inclusion of autistic adults, both as research team members and as study participants. We conducted an institutional ethnography of three closely related research partnerships that used participatory methods with autistic adults over the years 2006-2018. We used an iterative approach which combined discussions with community and academic partners and artifact review. Guidelines to promote the inclusion of autistic adults as co-researchers focus on being transparent about partnership goals, clearly defining roles and choosing partners, creating processes for effective communication and power-sharing, building and maintaining trust, disseminating findings, encouraging community capacitation, and fairly compensating partners. Guidelines to promote the inclusion of autistic adults as study participants focus on maximizing autonomy and inclusion, creating an accessible consent process, offering multiple modes of participation, adapting survey instruments for use with autistic adults, creating accessible qualitative interview guides, and handling data from proxy reporters. Although these practice-based guidelines may not apply to all research teams, we hope that other researchers can capitalize on these practical lessons when including autistic adults in research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Nicolaidis
- Regional Research Institute, School of Social Work, Portland State University (PSU), Portland, OR, USA
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), Portland, OR, USA
| | - Dora Raymaker
- Regional Research Institute, School of Social Work, Portland State University (PSU), Portland, OR, USA
- Community Council, Academic Autism Spectrum Partnership in Research and Education, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Steven K Kapp
- Community Council, Academic Autism Spectrum Partnership in Research and Education, Portland, OR, USA
- Sociology, Philosophy and Anthropology, College of Social Sciences and International Studies, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Amelia Baggs
- Community Council, Academic Autism Spectrum Partnership in Research and Education, Portland, OR, USA
| | - E Ashkenazy
- Community Council, Academic Autism Spectrum Partnership in Research and Education, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Katherine McDonald
- Department of Public Health, Food Studies and Nutrition, Burton Blatt Institute, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, USA
| | - Michael Weiner
- Indiana University Center for Health Services and Outcomes Research, Indianapolis, IN, USA
- Regenstrief Institute, Inc., Indianapolis, IN, USA
- Center for Health Information and Communication, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, Health Services Research and Development Service CIN 13-416, Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Joelle Maslak
- Community Council, Academic Autism Spectrum Partnership in Research and Education, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Morrigan Hunter
- Community Council, Academic Autism Spectrum Partnership in Research and Education, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Andrea Joyce
- Community Council, Academic Autism Spectrum Partnership in Research and Education, Portland, OR, USA
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