The purpose of the research is to explore the inclusion and exclusion of persons with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in Public Policy and Planning with a focus on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Planning and Preparedness at the community level in British Columbia. Adding to the difficulties Persons with Disabilities (PWD) encounter, Disaster and Emergency Management (DEM) professionals generally work on the assumption that Disaster Risk Reduction planning and preparedness must act for those affected, rather than including them. The directive approaches typical of DEM often fail to consider that people may have vulnerabilities and capabilities that can be magnified in emergency situations. Unfortunately, research suggests that emergency management agencies are not prepared to address the diverse needs of PWD and may not even be aware of those needs or their abilities to contribute but have many assumptions that affect planning.
As the research is focused on inclusion of persons with ASD, it will be participatory in nature with the aim of creating new knowledge and that is relevant to the community and the research participants. Therefore, the first step must be the positive act of inclusion in an exploration of inclusion itself, requiring that participants to be contributors rather than subjects. The ideal participant will be an English speaking adult who self-identifies (or has a diagnosis) of ASD and lives in either a rural or urban environment. Participation will consist of engaging in up to 2 unstructured Zoom focus groups, of up to 90 minutes each, and 1-2 individual interviews, of 1 hour each, over the space of about 6 months. The focus groups will discuss inclusion in general and disaster planning in particular. We are interested in your experiences and opinions, so please don’t be shy!
Benefits to participants include the empowerment attendant on having one’s voice heard and influencing change in the community. Benefits for society include the creation of a tool kit that will assist community disaster agencies to facilitate inclusion in their planning and operations. Research into how best to include the neurodiverse in public planning and policy development will create new knowledge that can be utilized to support, not just people with autism, but other marginalized groups and enrich society.
If you are interested in participating, please contact: Bill Sparling at [email protected]

The Autism in Education Lab (AEL) and Autism and Developmental Disabilities Lab (ADDL) at SFU are recruiting participants for a study about the experiences of Autistic students in work-integrated learning (WIL) programs (e.g., co-op). For this study, we are interested in how work-integrated learning programs offered by postsecondary institutions could be more inclusive and accessible for Autistic students. This study was created by a team of Autistic and non-autistic research team members.

What do we want to know?

We are interested in better understanding the experiences of Autistic students navigating Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) programs.

Who are we looking for?

We are recruiting Autistic individuals who are currently completing a co-op placement or who previously participated in a co-op placement at SFU.

What to expect:

Participation in this study involves completing an online questionnaire and answering a series of questions about your WIL experiences. Your time commitment should you choose to participate will be approximately 1 hour. You will be compensated $20 for your time.

How to sign up:

For more information or if you are interested in participating, please contact us at [email protected] or fill out this registration form: https://sfufas.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0qaygnp2bPQp4PQ
This study was developed in collaboration with community members.

Research flyer for this study: https://www.sfu.ca/content/dam/sfu/psychology/research/addl/CurrentStudyPics/Research_Flyer_Autistic_Students_WIL.pdf

Registration form for this study: https://sfufas.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0qaygnp2bPQp4PQ

Principal Investigator: Dr. Elina Birmingham ([email protected])

Co-Investigator: Dr. Grace Iarocci ([email protected])

Ethics Protocol #30002681

Autistic children and young adults are at a higher risk of pain experiences, but very little is known about how autistic young people experience chronic pain (pain that lasts 3 or more months). With the input of autistic individuals, the research team hopes to better understand pain experiences in the context of autism and to identify priorities for treatment and further research.

The research team is looking to interview autistic young people (ages 13-25) with chronic pain experiences, who are living in BC. The team is also looking for parents of autistic young people with chronic pain, based in BC. Accommodations can be made for non-verbal and non-English speaking participants.

The participant will complete an online demographics questionnaire and a questionnaire relating to their pain experiences. The participant will then take part in an online interview with a researcher to discuss their or their child’s experiences living with chronic pain Participants will receive a $50 gift card for their time.

Throughout the process, the participant’s privacy, comfort, and safety is a priority; they may skip any questions they’d like or exit the study at any time. Participants can also complete the interview with their camera off, answer questions in the chat, complete the interview with a support person, or use any communication tool. Contact the research team at ASD&[email protected]  or 604-875-2000 ext. 5445 , to learn more!

A research team at York University is inviting autistic youth (13-25 years of age) to participate in an online survey that looks at experiences of positive well-being (i.e., flourishing) among young people. Their goal is to determine if a flourishing questionnaire that was made for non-autistic youth works for autistic young people, and if not, how it can be adapted to capture autistic experiences of flourishing.  

Autistic youth can take part in this study if: 

• They are between 13 and 25 years of age. 
• Located in Canada and the United States. 
• Have a diagnosis of autism or self-identify as autistic.    

What does participation involve? 

• Completing a 15-minute online survey about flourishing and autistic traits.
• For those under 16 years of age, a parent or caregiver will be asked to provide consent for participation and complete the autistic traits questionnaire about the youth. 
• The survey can be completed alone or with a support person. 

Here is the link to their study sign-up sheet! A member of their research team will then send participants the survey directly. https://yorku.questionpro.ca/t/AB3urAcZB3u32R