Research Requests
AV regularly receives requests from researchers to advertise opportunities for our community to participate in their research projects.
Each of the research studies listed below are current academic studies researching various aspects of the lives and experiences of individuals within our community.
They include information about the goal of the study, the participant eligibility criteria, what participation involves, and any remuneration or compensation for your time and input.
If you meet the eligibility criteria for any of the below studies and would like to participate, please click the link provided for that study to find out more or to register.
If you would like to know more about any of the studies, please contact the nominated researcher for more information.
Information for researchers
If you are an academic researcher seeking participants for a current study relevant to our community and you would like to advertise your study on our website, we would be happy to assist you with this.
Please complete our research request form.
This form will ask you a series of questions about your study. Our admin team will use your responses to prepare a dot-point summary for upload to our website.
The form will also ask you to upload a PDF of your study's ethics approval. Please note that we cannot upload a study without an ethics approval.
When both of these steps have been completed, our research volunteer will be in contact with you to confirm that we have all of the required information and to advise you of the next steps.
All research requests are being processed by our Engagements Coordinator, which means that it may take a little longer for your study to be uploaded or for you to receive a response.
Studies currently seeking participants
Finding the Lost Years - Autism diagnosed later in life
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This project has two goals: first, to compare early behavioral signs of autism in individuals diagnosed after 8 years of age with those diagnosed before 2.5 years. Second, to examine whether late-diagnosed individuals show similar or different behaviors compared to those diagnosed earlier in life.
University/ Institution/ Faculty conducting this study:
Monash University - School of Educational Psychology & Counselling, Faculty of Education.
Who is eligible to participate?
- Autistic children/adolescents (under 18-years old) diagnosed at 9+ years and their parents/guardians.
- Autistic adults (over 18-years old) diagnosed at 9+ years OR those who self-identify as Autistic.
- Participants of all genders (i.e., girls/women, boys/men, non-binary and gender-diverse)
What does participating involve?
This study has two phases. You are welcome to take part in Phase 1 only, or in both Phase 1 and Phase 2, depending on your preferences and eligibility. Each phase involves different activities, and all contributions are valuable.
Phase 1:
Complete a set of online questionnaires.
Phase 2:
- Share video footage from early childhood (ages 1 to 8).
- Attend one assessment appointment (online via Zoom or in person) to explore thinking, reasoning, and problem-solving skills.
Participants will be reimbursed for their time. You may receive up to $50 in e-gift cards, depending on which phases you complete.
How will this research help people with Aspergers/Autistic people?
Participation will provide a better understanding of the early signs of Aspergers and/or autism in individuals who receive a later diagnosis. This information will benefit clinical practice, families and schools, and we hope it can be used to assist practitioners with earlier and accurate identification and diagnosis. In turn, this can help Autistic people or people with Aspergers better understand who they are earlier in life that may enhance their mental health and well-being, understanding of self, and connection with others in the neuro-diverse community. In addition, the activities we are conducting might offer some new or up-to-date information to the participant about their skills and abilities, and they will be provided with this feedback in a brief written summary report.How can I register to participate?
Click this link:
Researcher contact details:
If you want more information, contact Belinda Coldebella
Closing date: 28 February 2026
The Lived Experience of Asian Migrant Mothers of Children with Disability in Australia
This study explores the daily lived experiences of mothers of children with disability who migrated from Southeast and East Asia to Australia. We aim to understand how they use their time, the activities they engage in—including beyond caregiving—their thoughts and feelings about these activities, and how these experiences affect their wellbeing.
University/ Institution/ Faculty conducting this study:
School of Health Sciences, University of Sydney
Xinyi Yu, PhD candidate
Who is eligible to participate?
We are looking for people who are;
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Are mothers
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Are aged 18 years old or over
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Have at least one child, aged 0-18 years, with any type of disability
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Migrated from a Southeast or East Asian country.
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Currently live in Australia.
What does participating involve?
Participants will be asked to complete an anonymous online survey, which takes approximately 15 minutes. After completing the questionnaire, they will be invited to indicate whether they are interested in receiving information about a follow-up interview. This is only an expression of interest—not a commitment to participate.
How will this research help people with Aspergers/Autistic people?
This research does not directly improve the lives of people with Asperger’s or those who are autistic. However, mothers are usually primary caregiver for their children with Aspergers or autism. Much research has demonstrated that caregivers’ daily activities are closely linked to their own wellbeing and quality of life—which, in turn, can influence the wellbeing of the children with disability in their care and even the whole family. Thus, a focused investigation into this group could further provide valuable insights for service providers and policymakers, ensuring that support services are culturally responsive and effectively address the specific challenges these migrant mothers face.
How can I register to participate?
Interested parties can click HERE
Researcher contact details:
Xinyi Yu, PhD candidate, xiyu0596@uni.sydney.edu.au
Closing date: 31 July 2026
Self-reporting Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Symptoms in Autistic Adults
This study wants to find out if the checklists we use to check for OCD can help identify OCD symptoms in autistic adults. We want to see if these checklists can tell the difference between autistic traits and OCD symptoms in autistic adults. We are also looking to find out if these checklists can show us what OCD is like in autistic adults.
University/ Institution/ Faculty conducting this study:
Staff and students from The University of Western Australia (UWA) are running the study, together with a researcher from the University of Bath in the UK.
Tiana Caccetta - PhD Candidate & Westpac Future Leaders Scholar
Associate Professor Iliana Magiati - Chief Investigator & PhD Supervisor
Who is eligible to participate?
We are looking for people who;
- Are 18 years old or older
- Have a professional Diagnosis of Autism OR OCD, or Autism AND OCD
- Are not currently seriously ill, not currently receiving inpatient, hospital, or intensive care for your physical or mental health.
- Can speak English and complete an online survey.
What does participating involve?
1. Take a few minutes answering a short set of screening questions. If you meet eligibility, we will email you the survey link.
2. In the survey, you will fill a series of online questionnaires, which will take 20-40 minutes.
3. The questions will ask you some things about yourself, your autism and/or OCD diagnosis, your OCD symptoms, your emotional health, and autistic traits.
4. You will submit your completed survey to us, and we will provide information about autism & OCD supports.
Are participants eligible for compensation/remuneration for completing the study?
Once you complete the survey and submit your answers, you can choose to receive AUD$20 as a thank you for your time and for sharing your experiences. If you’re in Australia, we’ll send it by bank transfer. If you live outside of Australia, we’ll send you an e-gift card or a Wise transfer worth AUD$20.
How will this research help people with Aspergers/Autistic people?
While OCD affects about 1-3% of the general population, studies suggest that OCD is much more common in autistic adults (up to 24% in autistic adults; Hollocks et al., 2019). However, due to the significant behavioural overlap between autistic characteristics and OCD symptoms, it can be difficult to distinguish between the two. Moreover, there is a gap in the research with few studies having reported whether current self-report measures of OCD can capture autistic adults’ experiences and differentiate autistic characteristics from OCD symptoms. Thus, this study is an important start in better understanding whether current self-report measures of OCD can adequately screen for OCD in autistic adults. The findings from this study can help us: (1) better understand if current OCD measures can tell the difference between autistic characteristics and OCD symptoms in autistic adults, (2) improve screening for OCD in autistic adults, (3) better understand how autistic adults experience OCD.
How can I register to participate?
If you are interested in participating, you can check if you meet the study's inclusion criteria by answering a short set of screening questions HERE.
if you have any questions and/or concerns about any aspect of this study, please contact Tiana Caccetta (PhD Candidate & Westpac Future Leader Scholar) at tiana.caccetta@research.uwa.edu.au.
Researcher contact details:
Tiana Caccetta (PhD Candidate & Westpac Future Leader Scholar) - tiana.caccetta@research.uwa.edu.au
Closing Date: 31/08/2026
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