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.
Note: as of February 2023, our Research Support volunteer role is vacant.
All research requests are being processed by our Community Administration Manager, which means that it may take a little longer for your study to be uploaded or for you to receive a response.
If you or someone in your team may be interested in joining the AV team as our Research Support volunteer, we would love to hear from you! Please complete our online application form or contact our AV admin team for more information.
Studies currently seeking participants
Experiences of Contraception and Menstruation Among People with an Intellectual Disability or have Autism: A body mapping study
The University of Western Sydney wants to hear participant’s menstruation experiences as Autistic adults. Their aim is to provide a platform for Autistic adults to share their experiences and needs, leading to increased support and well-overdue change within the healthcare system. The study is committed to supporting neurodivergent women and gender diverse people.
University/ Institution/ Faculty conducting this study:
Researchers from Western Sydney University, Psychology Faculty.
Who is eligible to participate?
Autistic adults with a uterus, self or formally diagnosed, gender diverse inclusive.
What does participating involve?
20 minute online survey on menstruation (coded so that a preferred term is presented throughout eg period or shark week), incorporating autistic research preferences including: visual Likert scales (circles depicting quantity), definitions for terms and open text comments boxes if participants want to explain an answer (to reduce anxiety if available answers are insufficient). Optional 1 hour zoom interview (opt in), only audio required, 16pax $50 gift voucher will be emailed at end of interview.
How will this research help people with Aspergers /autistic people?
Challenging the double empathy problem in healthcare, giving a voice to the adult autistic embodied experience of menstruation for all genders and hopefully a closer understanding of what "normal" menstruation is for an autistic uterus.
How can I register to participate?
Click this link: https://surveyswesternsydney.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_37AMoBsazQfMlqm
Researcher contact details:
If you want more information, contact Suzanne White
Closing date: 31 August 2024
Diversity and Inclusion in Australian Autism Research
The University of Technology Sydney wants to hear participant’s perspectives and experiences regarding autism research. This will help us to better understand how diverse and inclusive Australian autism research is.
University/ Institution/ Faculty conducting this study:
Autistic people and researchers from the University of Technology Sydney will be facilitating this study.
Who is eligible to participate?
Both Autistic adults, Autism researchers (Autistic and non-Autistic) that are currently living in Australia.
They would like to talk to people from diverse backgrounds and life experiences
What does participating involve?
Video call (Zoom), Phone, Chat, Online form, Video or audio recording, Email, Postal form. You can choose to be interviewed by an Autistic or non-Autistic researcher. You will be compensated for your time.
How will this research help people with Aspergers /autistic people?
This information will be used to develop recommendations for how research can include all Autistic people. This will allow all Autistic people to be included in research and to provide their perspectives on what research is needed and that will benefit their lives.
How can I register to participate?
Click this link: https://tinyurl.com/yckm2pam or use the QR code listed below on the flyer
Researcher contact details:
If you want more information, contact Dr Rachel Grove or Hayley Clapham
Closing date: 31 August 2024
Effectiveness of a Family Intervention for Autistic Children Who Are Bullied.
This study is conducting a randomised controlled trial to investigate the effectiveness and acceptability of Resilience Triple P for mainstream primary school students in Australia who have been diagnosed with ASD and are bullied by their peers.
University/ Institution/ Faculty conducting the study:
Alexandra Johnstone, Doctor of Psychology Student, Parenting and Family Support Centre, The University of Queensland
Who is eligible to participate?
Parents need to report that their child has been diagnosed with ASD by a paediatrician or psychologist, is aged between 7 and 12 years, lives at home, attends a mainstream primary school in Australia, and has been bullied at school.
What does participating involve?
Half of the families will be randomly assigned to receiving Resilience Triple P immediately. The remaining families will be allocated to the treatment as usual control condition and offered an opportunity to complete a seminar and individual follow-up session after their final assessment session. Children, parents, and teachers will be asked to complete assessments at 0 months, 4 months, and 9 months. All assessments and interventions will be delivered via telehealth.
How will this research help people with Aspergers / autistic people?
Autistic children are more at risk of being bullied at school than their typically developing peers. When children are bullied, parents want to help but are often unsure of what to do. Resilience Triple P was developed to empower parents to help their children handle bullying. This family program teaches children friendship skills and how to respond to bullying and conflict. It also looks at parenting strategies to help children develop their emotional resilience and social problem-solving skills and ways to communicate with schools to encourage an effective response to issues.
How can I register to participate?
Parents can visit the study website.
Where can I find further information?
If interested in this opportunity but want to know more, the register page will have the relevant information needed.
Researcher contact details:
Miss Alexandra Johnstone, Doctor of Psychology (Clinical) Student at the University of Queensland and Provisional Psychologist, Project Manager.
Closing date: December 2024
TRIGGER WARNING: INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE
Autistic Experiences of Interpersonal Violence
This research project is autistic-led and has undergone the co-design process.
University / Institution / Faculty conducting the study
Kassandrah Cooke, PhD Candidate, The Healthy Autistic Life Lab (HALL) at Deakin University
Who is eligible to participate?
Autistic adults (18 years or older) with low support needs (i.e., without a co-occurring intellectual disability) and non-autistic adults (18 years or older) with a previous history of interpersonal violence.
What does participating involve?
Participants will be asked to engage in a recruitment briefing (phone call with the primary researcher). You will be able to ask questions about the research and to provide additional verbal consent. Participation will also involve completing an online survey that asks questions relating to demographics, mental health, social behaviour, and violence experiences. Interested participants may also engage in an interview to describe their violence experience(s).
How will this research help people with Aspergers / autistic people?
In addition to the aims stated in the above summary, it is also hoped that the findings from this research will assist in identifying key areas for future research, and inform the development and implementation of interventions, policies, or procedures aimed at identifying, preventing, and supporting autistic individuals affected by violence.
How can I register to participate? Participants can register their interest by contacting the student researcher, Kassandrah Cooke: cookek@deakin.edu.au
Where can I find further information? Email Kassandrah Cooke: cookek@deakin.edu.au. She can send you a plain language and consent form and arrange a recruitment briefing for interested participants.
Researcher contact details: Kassandrah Cooke, PhD Candidate at cookek@deakin.edu.au
Closing date: 31 December 2024
We are conducting research to investigate whether a potential new intervention could be useful for people on the autism spectrum. This intervention is called transcranial magnetic stimulation, or TMS. TMS is a safe and non-invasive means of stimulating nerve cells in a particular part of the brain via the administration of brief magnetic pulses. TMS has been developed for a range of conditions, including depression.
Who is conducting this research?
Children’s Health Queensland, Deakin University, Epworth HealthCare, Monash University, Murdoch University, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Telethon Kids Institute, University of Adelaide, University of Queensland, University of Sydney, University of Western Australia
Who is eligible to participate?
Individuals between 14-40 years with a formal diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder by a registered psychiatrist, paediatrician, neurologist, or psychologist.
What does participating involve?
This study involves questionnaires and interviews on the topic of quality of life, cognitive assessments (e.g., computer tasks); neurophysiological recording (i.e., EEG), neuroimaging, genetic tests, and transcranial magnetic stimulation. Participants will need to travel to Deakin University, Epworth Centre for Innovation in Mental Health (ECIMH), Monash Biomedical Imaging (Monash University). Participants will receive a $200 Prezzee voucher.
How will this research help people with Aspergers / autistic people?
The outcome of this study is to establish effective interventions for the core social communicative symptoms in autism.
How can I register to participate? Visit the study website
Where can I find further information? Visit the study website
Researcher contact details: Natalia Albein-Urios - natalia.albeinurios@deakin.edu.au
Closing date: 1 May 2025
 | We rely on donations and memberships to provide specialised support, advocate for change and fill the gap in the specific services our community needs. |
