Impact of our research
Our research delivers impact in practical, measurable ways.
We focus on promoting meaningful outcomes and the full range of abilities across the lifespan. We work with other autism research centres and institutes in Australia and globally. Our four Research Programs align with research priorities identified by the national and international Autistic and Autism communities, with La Trobe University’s research themes, OTARC's Strategic Plan 2023-28,and with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
We deliver impact by sharing our research findings widely and by creating evidence-based tools for use in the community. We create pathways for Autistic people:
- to study with us
- work with us through work-based learning placements
- to become OTARC researchers and scholars.
CREATING KNOWLEDGE:
2023 IN THE SPOTLIGHT
The following content contains OTARC’s latest efforts to enrich the lives of Autistic people, their families and their carers through high-quality scientific research, innovation and translation.
I am delighted to introduce the Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre (OTARC) 2023 Impact Report, which highlights another year of significant research translation by a Centre that is deeply committed to contributing to improved wellbeing in the community.
OTARC exemplifies the University’s mission to do world class research with real world impact. Its programs directly support Autistic people and their families.
During 2023, OTARC delivered a year of impressive research projects and programs to support identification and diagnosis, supports and practices for daily living, educational and vocational engagement and health and wellbeing for Autistic people. The Centre’s work is the primary reason that La Trobe was rated as Australia’s leading institution for research on Developmental Disabilities by The Australian Research Magazine for a third consecutive year in 2023.
OTARC researchers also contributed to national policy development in 2023, including providing advice to the Western Australian Education and Health Standing Committee on supporting Autistic children in schools, contributing to the National Disability Insurance Scheme Review, and serving on the Oversight Council for the National Autism Strategy.
The Centre is well placed to remain at the forefront of developing meaningful and impactful programs following the release of the new OTARC Strategic Plan in March 2023, which sets out a plan to expand the Centre’s workforce and activities.
A key milestone was achieved during the year, with reestablishment of the Victorian Early Assessment Clinic managed by OTARC, which is funded by the Victorian Department of Families, Fairness, and Housing and is the leading centre providing support for families of children under 36 months of age with a high likelihood of Autism.
I congratulate OTARC’s staff, supporters, and partners on their achievements during 2023. We all benefit from the Centre’s dedication to advancing research that enriches the lives of Autistic people, their families, and carers.
Professor Theo Farrell
Vice-Chancellor
The strategic aspiration of the Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre is to create knowledge and impact to enrich the lives of Autistic people and their families and carers. The 2023 OTARC Impact Report demonstrates the multiple pathways by which OTARC research is impacting Autistic lives.
We are committed to keeping the Autistic voice central to all we do. Our research program areas: identification and diagnosis, supports and practices for daily living, educational and vocational engagement, and health and wellbeing, reflect the priorities of the Autistic and autism communities for knowledge generation. The community further informs our research processes through the establishment of OTARC’s Autvisory group, a panel of Autistic and autism community members who participate in the co-design of OTARC research.
We actively contribute to policy that directly impacts Autistic people and their families. In 2023, OTARC researchers participated in three government inquiries considering inclusive education practice and the National Disability Insurance Scheme. Representation was also made to government advisory committees across topics including Autistic mental health, the National Autism Strategy and the autism education strategy.
Our researchers are actively involved in implementing and assessing the impact of evidence-based supports and strategies on Autistic people in the community. In 2023, we evaluated school-based and clinic-based supports and the results disseminated through community events, research conferences and government briefing papers.
Knowledge exchange is another impact pathway for our research. Our monthly research seminars are attended or viewed by researchers, practitioners and others across Australia. We hosted several community events on high-priority topics, including mental health, intersectionality and feeding challenges. More than 60 community members attended our community research showcase in September. Attendees highly rated the event for its accessible format and community relevance. OTARC also continues to expand its dissemination of research through traditional research outlets with a 75% increase in journal publications and 45 invited talks, including keynote presentations in 2023.
As a result of our endeavours, OTARC’s research is driving greater access for families of young children to neurodiversity-affirming early identification services, enhancing resources for mental health services and the public on suicide prevention for Autistic people, and improving attainment of physical wellbeing through community-based exercise programs. These are just some examples of the reach, significance and impact of OTARC research in 2023.
Professor Alison Lane
Director, OTARC
To achieve impact, OTARC we utilise multiple pathways:
- advisory
- evaluation
- commercialisation
- outreach and media
- knowledge exchange
- public involvement.
ADVISORY PATHWAY
We are dedicated to improving the lives of Autistic people and their families by providing expert, community-driven, evidence-based advice. We actively engage in panels, committees, and strategic consultancy to maximise our impact. We amplify the voices of the Autism community by submitting comprehensive responses to public inquiries, ensuring our advisory efforts drive meaningful change in policies and practices.
OTARC Strategic Plan: Goal 1 - Conduct and lead the highest-quality multi-disciplinary research where we are a trusted source of evidence-based knowledge and practice.
In 2023, we provided expert, evidence-based recommendations for three public inquiries:
- Western Australian inquiry into support for Autistic children and people in schools (Invited)
- Response to the NDIS review committee's 'What have we heard' report (Invited)
- Inquiry into the state education system (Victoria). As a result of the submission, the committee visited OTARC in August of 2023 to further discuss our recommendations.
Left to right: Carolyne Jones, Professor Cheryl Dissanayake, Chris Tallentire MLA* (Committee Chair), Lisa Munday MLA, Lisa Baker MLA (Deputy Chair), Kevin Michel MLA, Professor Alison Lane, Associate Professor Josephine Barbaro. *MLA - Members of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly.
- Health Science Clinical Research Award, European Academy of Childhood Disability, Professor Nora Shields
- Nancy Millis Medal, La Trobe University, Dr Melanie Muniandy
- Square the Ledger, La Trobe University, Professor Cheryl Dissanayake AM
- Best Pitch - Perfecting your Pitch, La Trobe University, Dr Kelsey Philpott-Robinson
- Field Leader - Developmental Disabilities, The Australian, Professor Cheryl Dissanayake AM
- Excellent PhD Thesis in Psychology, Australian Psychology Society, Dr Melanie Muniandy
- Lawrie Bartak Best Poster Prize, Australasian Society for Autism Research, Dianne Blackwell (PhD scholar)
- Margot Prior Best Paper prize, Australasian Society for Autism Research, Elly Greenwood (PhD scholar)
- Graduate Women Victoria Feminist Fathers Bursaries, Helen Andrews (PhD scholar)
- Margot Prior Research Award, Australasian Society for Autism Research, Dr Patrick Dwyer
- Shine Award, “Autism Research & Community Support”, East African Women’s Foundation, Dr Ifrah Abdullahi
- Global Senior Leader, International Society for Autism Research (INSAR), Professor Cheryl Dissanayake AM
- School of Psychology and Public Health Research Engagement and Impact Award, La Trobe University, Kate Gore & Lyndel Kennedy (PhD scholars)
- Vice-Chancellor’s Research Award for Research Engagement and Impact - Highly Commended, La Trobe University, Kate Gore & Lyndel Kennedy (PhD scholars)
- Victorian Autism Education Strategy Advisory Group, Professor Alison Lane
- Victorian Autism State Plan committee, Professor Cheryl Dissanayake AM
- Oversight Council for the National Autism Strategy, Associate Professor Josephine Barbaro
- Australian Advisory Board on Autism, Professor Cheryl Dissanayake AM
- Review of Student Eligibility Processes for Victorian Government Specialist Schools and Settings Advisory Group, Professor Alison Lane
- Health Roadmap Working Group, National Roadmap to Improve the Health and Mental Health of Autistic People, Associate Professor Darren Hedley
- Journal of Autism & Developmental Disabilities editorial board, Associate Professor Darren Hedley
- Mental Health Foundation Australia Scientific Advisory Committee, Professor Amanda Richdale
- National Autism Strategy Diagnosis and Supports working group, Associate Professor Josephine Barbaro
- Amaze’s Neurodevelopmental Advisory Panel, Dr Melissa Gilbert
- Neurodiversity editorial board, Associate Professor Josephine Barbaro & Dr Patrick Dwyer
- Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders editorial board, Professor Amanda Richdale
- Autism Research editorial board, Professor Amanda Richdale
- Steering Committee Member. Mental Health and Adult Autism Project (MHAAP), Adult Mental Health Program, Monash Health, Associate Professor Darren Hedley
- Autism: International Journal of Research and Practice editorial board, Associate Professor Darren Hedley
- Autism in Adulthood Deputy Editor, Associate Professor Darren Hedley
- INSAR membership committee, Dr Patrick Dwyer
- AIR-P Network ANSWER leadership group, Dr Patrick Dwyer
- Frontiers in Neurology, Pediatrics editorial board and guest editor on the second special edition, Associate Professor Josephine Barbaro
- Selected Steering Committee Member, Neurodiversity Special Interest Group, Australian Association of Psychologists Incorporated (AAPi), Associate Professor Josephine Barbaro
- Vice President, Australasian Society for Autism Research (ASfAR), Associate Professor Josephine Barbaro
- Elected Member, Psychology of Intellectual Disability and Autism (PIDA) Special Interest Group, Australian Psychology Society (APS), Associate Professor Josephine Barbaro
EVALUATION PATHWAY
We are dedicated to enhancing the lives of Autistic people and their families through the highest quality research practices. Our impact is achieved through active engagement, extensive consultation with stakeholders, and thorough evaluations to ensure the effectiveness and relevance of initiatives to Autistic people and the Autism community.
OTARC Strategic Plan: Goal 1 - Conduct and lead the highest-quality multi-disciplinary research.
Supporting self-regulation
We conducted a pilot study of a novel way of working together among occupational therapists (OT), teachers, and OT students - The Alert Program® - in two rural primary schools in Bendigo (St Peter's and Kallianna) and one secondary school in Swan Hill (Swan Hill College), to enhance the wellbeing of Victorian school children in regional and rural areas.
Through The Alert Program® children learn to recognise their own 'alert' states using the metaphor of a car engine - too fast, just right, or too slow - and adjust those 'alert' states using sensory and movement strategies depending on what is required to support their learning at school.
We trained OTs, teachers, and OT students to co-deliver the Alert Program® over one school term through a single weekly 45-minute session in the classroom and assessed its impact on students wellbeing using an innovative game-based tool called Rumble's Quest. This tool enables students to respond to questions about their wellbeing while playing a fun, quest-based video game.
This pilot study is the first time the classroom approach has been formally evaluated in rural/regional Victoria. Our data indicate that at least 30% of students attending the three schools showed wellbeing concerns before the start of the program.
Preliminary student outcomes:
The program improved students' executive function, supporting their self-regulation and enhancing engagement with learning. Success at school is likely to improve the wellbeing of all students but especially vulnerable learners, such as Autistic students and those with trauma backgrounds.
Teacher’s evaluation of the program:
We interviewed participating teachers to understand the program’s acceptability and effectiveness. Teachers discussed how the program offers universal benefits to students and teachers, and the specific factors they felt were important for the program to be successful.
Benefits described:
- greater understanding of self-regulation (teacher and student),
- development of a shared language they could continue to use in the classroom.
Teachers reported that communication was very important to create cohesion between the teachers and the occupational therapist. Whilst teachers found the training useful, they also called for greater involvement, through co-development and co-facilitation of the program.
Funding: Kalon Salter Bequest
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
Supports and practices for daily living research program website
We conducted an evaluation of JettProof compression singlets and their effect on the self- regulation of Autistic children. We completed a review of literature and a small pilot study including six Autistic children.
Because of the strong, preliminary support for using compression for self-regulation, the project team strongly suggests doing more research that addresses current research problems and tries to discover how compression affects self-regulatory processes. The project results generally support the idea that compression and similar therapies may be a safe and effective way to improve self-regulation in some Autistic children who have sensory processing difficulties. However, this project also showed that it is not possible to draw clear conclusions about how well compression therapies work in this situation because:
- the effects are different and very personal
- researchers need to conduct more studies on specific, individual therapies in controlled settings
- the quality of the research so far is affected by small numbers of participants, different therapeutic methods, different outcome measures, and poorly described participant groups.
Funding: AusIndustry, Indasun Pty, LTD, Commonwealth Department of Industry, Science and Resources
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
Supports and practices for daily living research program website
The Victorian Early Assessment Clinic (VEAC) at OTARC is now open to the public following months of preparation, recruitment, and training. The OTARC Research Unit houses the Clinic on the Bundoora La Trobe University Campus. The VEAC currently operates two days per week and is funded by the Victorian Department of Families, Fairness and Housing, initially at $400K annually for two years. The VEAC aims to provide an affordable comprehensive needs assessment and differential diagnosis within a neurodiversity-affirming practice model to families of
children under 3 years of age with a high likelihood of Autism in Victoria.
Research and evaluation are a core part of the operation of the VEAC to:
- Inform continual improvement of the service
- allow us to measure our impact
- determine the best methods for early identification of Autism and neurodevelopmental
differences - build workforce capability by developing expertise in early assessment and diagnosis of
Autism by training allied health professionals, including student trainees, who will observe
and work alongside our expert interdisciplinary clinical team (Psychology, Speech
Pathology, Occupational Therapy).
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
COMMERCIALISATION PATHWAY
This section highlights our growing commercialisation activities, including expanding our training programs locally and internationally and integrating research into real-world applications. Our commercialisation program is a core foundation of our research-to-practice principles, ensuring that our findings advance academic knowledge and directly benefit practitioners, educators, and the broader Autistic and autism community.
OTARC Strategic Plan: Goal 2 - translate research to practice by developing, delivering and evaluating evidence-informed practices and supports, training outstanding autism scholars and practitioners, and embedding research in services and the community.
In our ongoing efforts to make research count in the real world, we've upgraded our training programs. We've switched to a new user-friendly platform to make our courses more accessible. We have also created a new training page on our website. This revamped hub is where our research-based insights meet practical learning, ensuring our mission of creating impactful change through accessible and innovative solutions stays on track. In 2023, we had two training programs available:
- The social attention and communication surveillance (SACS) tool. The SACS method identifies a set of behaviours or 'early signs' that are characteristic of Autistic children from as young as 12 months old. Originally implemented in Victoria's Maternal and Child Health services, more than 15 countries now use the SACS method. In 2023, we trained more than 250 professionals and students.
- Supporting a neurodiverse workforce. This specialised workplace training was designed to support the mental health and wellbeing of Autistic workers. It has up-to-date, evidence-based information and strategies about mental health and wellbeing. These training course aims to create workplace competency in mental health and Autism. Content is available for executives, supervisors, mentors, co-workers and Autistic employees. The program was developed with generous support from DXC Technology and ANZ Bank in partnership with OTARC.
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
OTARC has an embedded research-in-practice program at the La Trobe University Community Children’s Centre on its Melbourne campus. Children participate daily in an evidence-based early support program called the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM).
More than 300 Autistic children have attended the Centre since it opened in 2010. The findings from research undertaken within the Centre are incorporated into a cycle of continuous evidence-based improvement. This cycle has been pivotal in the development and implementation of the EDSM in inclusive (mainstream early education) and specialised (Autistic children only) settings, providing a solid foundation for the program's effectiveness.
A group version of the EDSM (G-EDSM) was developed within the Centre in partnership with University of California, Davis and this model has been adopted across 7 early learning centres in metropolitan Melbourne and internationally (e.g. Every Child-US) following specialised training by the team, evidencing significant knowledge translation to end-users.
39 children attended the children's centre each day across settings in 2023.
OUTREACH AND MEDIA PATHWAY
We recognise the importance of strategic outreach and media dissemination to generate impact for the Autistic and Autism communities. We use a diverse range of media channels to amplify our research. Our dedication to making a positive difference and fostering understanding in the broader public sphere aligns with our mission to create meaningful change through research-led solutions.
OTARC Strategic Plan: Goal 2 - translate research to practice by using all relevant forms of media to disseminate and increase the impact of our work in the community.
In 2023 we:
- OTARC website had >44,000 website views
- published 5 Newsletters - achieving an average open rate of 40%, almost 5% above the 2023 Mailchimp benchmark. We have 3,574 contacts and have improved our typography (ease of reading) by 13.9%.
- 5,694 total social media followers, up 5% from 2022. We posted a total of 311 times, achieving a mean engagement of 8%. We had a 55% increase in Facebook visits in 2023.
- 86% increase in OTARC Blog visitors. We had 14,964 visitors to the site. The top performing article was - Australia’s rates of autism should be celebrated - but real-life impact, not diagnosis, should determine NDIS support.
- 15 media stories and 10 interviews. 2023 media list
KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE PATHWAY
We bridge the gap between scientific advancements and real-world applications through research outputs, co-authorships, cross sector events, and training initiatives. This section highlights our commitment to collaborative efforts, emphasising the diverse channels through which we share insights, foster understanding, and contribute to positive change within the Autistic and Autism communities and beyond.
OTARC Strategic Plan: Goal 3 - disseminate research findings in high-impact journals and, books, at Australian and international conferences, and community events. Additionally we engage with other disciplines via seminars, conferences, and hosting research scholars to further enrich our research and practice.
We invite leading international and local scholars to present their research to OTARC researchers, our affiliates and the wider La Trobe community. The seminars covered a wide range of topics, including:
- sensory experiences
- caregiver practices
- health and wellbeing
- early literacy services
- coping strategies
- self-regulation
- psychological support for Autistic individuals.
Speakers: Professor Alison Lane, Professor Julia Looper, Dr Brittany M. St. John, Dr Lauren Lawson, Milly Romeijn-Stout, Dr Melanie Muniandy, Associate Professor Karla Ausderau, Dr Kelsey Philpott-Robinson and Dr Rebecca Flower.
We would like to acknowledge the generosity of our speakers and the audience for participating in the OTARC Seminar Series.
The seminar videos are hosted on Vimeo and publicly available.
Community events
Mental health & wellbeing for Autistic young adults
The panel discussion featured OTARC’s Dr Simon Bury, OTARC Affiliate Dr Lauren Lawson and mental health advocate Jessica Davis. It offered practical advice, tips and knowledge for supporting the mental wellbeing of Autistic young adults, their family members/carers or supporters and care professionals.
Intersectionality: What is it and why it matters in Autism research and practice?
This public lecture by our new Advisory Committee member, Professor Brian Boyd, focused on the impact of race and sexual and gender diversity on the outcomes of Autistic children and youth and their caregivers as part of a broader understanding of intersectionality theory.
OTARC research showcase
This event showcased a sample of our current and proposed research projects across our four program areas. Our senior and junior researchers presented 10-minute rapid-fire talks. Attendees rated the event 4.2/5 and provided valuable feedback to improve neuro-inclusivity for future events.
Professor Nora Shields and Dr Katy Unwin at the OTARC research showcase in September 2023.
Feeding challenges in Autistic children and supporting Autistic children & their families with feeding challenges
OTARC’s Honorary Fellow and Fulbright Fellow, Dr Brittany St John, delivered two presentations on feeding challenges and Autism, ideas for monitoring for challenges, a summary of current evidence on feeding, and information on ongoing research opportunities families can participate in.
Student event
United in Body and Mind: School of Psychology and Public Health (SPPH) higher degree researcher student conference – 114 attendees
OTARC PhD scholar Lyndel Kennedy, with Deniz Senyel, Deanna Tepper, Jenn Lee, Setho Hadisuyatmana, Sowmya Malamardi, Anteneh Ayelign Kibret organised the conference. It consisted of five panels (academic and student presenters) including:
- participant recruitment
- ethical use of AI in research
- post-PhD career pathways
- writing ethics applications
- writing literature reviews.
Left to right: Setho Hadisuyatmana, Anteneh Ayelign Kibret, Deanna Tepper, Deniz Senyel, Lyndel Kennedy, Sowmya Malamardi, Jenn Lee
Dr Melissa Gilbert, an Autistic and ADHD Teaching and Research Fellow, coordinated the Autism specific subject offered by La Trobe University in semester two. This subject is available as an elective for undergraduate students across all courses at the university.
The subject takes scientific, applied, and lived experience perspectives to help students understand Autism. Students explore the changing views on Autism from its first proposed accounts to contemporary understanding. They learn about the early signs, core features, diagnostic tools, and various supports for different needs and life stages. The course presents different presentations of Autism, Autistic people’s lived experiences, and the support needs of Autistic people and their families across the lifespan from neonatal life and very early infancy, right through childhood and adolescence, into adulthood. Students also explore attitudes and perspectives on Autism locally within Victoria, Australia, and abroad, including community perspectives, media representation, and government policy. The course helps students develop essential skills for critically evaluating the wealth of information on Autism in the public domain.
478 students From Bundoora (241), online (205), Bendigo (24) and Albury-Wodonga (8). The students were from multiple degrees: psychological science, education, politics, philosophy, economics, animal and veterinary biosciences, arts, biomedical science, health sciences, sport and exercise science, and open university.
- 56 peer-reviewed articles
- 84 conference presentations
- 45 Keynotes and invited talks and workshops
- 2.84 field weighted citation impact (where 1 is average)
- 1,299 Almetric mentions.
*Metrics collected in January 2024 from Web of Science, SciVal and Altmetric.
PhD
Dr Melanie Muniandy
Topic: Facing stress: Coping strategies, resilience and mental health outcomes in Autistic adults.
Supervisors: Professor Amanda Richdale & Dr Lauren Lawson.
Awards: Nancy Millis Medal and the Australian Psychological Society’s the Award for Excellent PhD Thesis in Psychology.
Dr Kelsey Philpott-Robinson (External)
Topic: Self-regulation practice in occupational therapy: A conceptual analysis
Supervisors: Professor Alison Lane, Dr Carl Leonard (University of Newcastle), & Dr Kylie Wales (University of Newcastle)
Honours
- Zehra Al-Fahdawi
- Emily Reuter
- Opia Inyasio
- Tori Barnett
- Kelsi Bartzis
- Kaileigh Serle
- Meaghan Smith
- Katrina Alford
Student placement:
In 2023, La Trobe University, led by Beth Radulski (Manager, Neurodiversity Inclusion Prevention and Culture and OTARC PhD scholar), launched a new placement program for ten undergraduate students to undertake up to 300 hours of industry placement to gain work experience and to help make the workplaces where they train more inclusive. We hosted our first student, Josephine Ho, for two days in 2023. Jennifer shadowed our professional staff and OTARC’s Director, learning how our roles facilitate world-class Autism research. We hope to host more students in the future.
Dr Brittany St . John is an occupational therapist, a Fulbright Postdoctoral Scholar and Honorary fellow at OTARC in 2023. Brittany has expertise in feeding challenges in Autistic children, including characterising the presentation of challenges and intervention development. Brittany is researching effective family-mediated interventions to support families with Autistic children in managing feeding challenges during daily life. In addition to undertaking research at OTARC, Brittany delivered multiple community talks in Bendigo and presented at the OTARC seminar series.
Professor Karla Ausderau is Associate Professor in the Department of Kinesiology at UW-Madison and an Investigator at the Waisman Center. Through Karla’s clinical practice and research, she focuses on the health and well-being of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) as well as their families and caregiving communities. Karla specifically engages community organisations, families with children with neurodevelopmental disabilities, and adults with intellectual disabilities to better inform her research questions, processes, and targeted outcomes. Karla presented at the OTARC seminar series in August.
Professor Brian Boyd is the William C. Friday Distinguished Professor of Education, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and sits on the OTARC Advisory Committee. Brian is an expert in the fields of community-partners participatory research, implementation of evidence-based practices particularly in the early years, and health disparities and intersectionality in autism. Brian was our guest speaker at our September Research Showcase.
PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT PATHWAY
Public involvement is integral to our commitment to enriching lives through high-quality scientific investigation, innovation, and translation. Actively engaging with the Autistic and Autism communities ensures that our high-quality scientific research is rigorous and reflects the needs, preferences, and experiences of the individuals we aim to support. We strive to create a research environment that is not only scientifically rigorous but also genuinely impactful and responsive to the diverse needs of the Autistic and Autism communities.
OTARC Strategic Plan: Goal 1 - conduct and lead the highest quality multi-disciplinary research by engaging Autistic people at every stage of our research.
In 2023, we established the Autvisory Committee as a stakeholder reference group to meaningfully include Autistic people and their families in all stages of the research-to-practice lifecycle. The group comprises nine Autistic adults and is co-chaired by Associate Professor Josephine Barbaro and Perrin Date. The Autvisory Committee is working with the co-chairs to inform and guide an OTARC Participatory and Inclusive Research Framework, and provide expert lived-experience advice on strategic opportunities.
We have recruited Autvisors with consideration of communication and access needs, socioeconomic and educational background, disability, identity (including race, religion and culture), gender, age, body shape/size, and LGBTQIA+ membership to ensure that a diverse range of Autistic people are represented on the committee.
In 2024, we will be recruiting a larger pool of people, with assistance from Autvisors who have indicated an interest in co-designing research and who will be our Community Research Partners. We will contact Community Research Partners to work with OTARC staff and students on specific research projects to ensure all of our research has involved Autistic community members in its design and delivery.
This research project was spearheaded by Autistic Master of Clinical Psychology student (now PhD scholar) investigator Kate Gore and guided by supervisors Dr Melissa Gilbert, Dr Susan Hayward, Dr Rebecca Flower, and Associate Professor Josephine Barbaro; the focus was on exploring the experiences of Autistic working mothers. This study, deeply rooted in Kate's personal and academic background, prioritised participatory research design to address a critical gap in the existing literature at the intersection of motherhood, Autism, and employment.
Central to this participatory approach was the close collaboration with a dedicated Advisory Group comprising five Autistic adults. Their lived experiences and subject matter expertise played a pivotal role in shaping the research questions, interview guide, and recruitment materials, ensuring the project's relevance and cultural sensitivity. This collaborative design aimed to empower the targeted community and validate their perspectives.
The research team recruited 10 Autistic working mothers, aged 34 to 50, through social media, emphasising inclusivity and diversity in participant selection. The semi-structured interviews were tailored based on the Advisory Group's input to explore participants' experiences as mothers and employees separately. Ethical considerations, including participant debriefing, member checking, and fair compensation, underscored the commitment to respectful and inclusive research practices.
The research team employed inductive reflexive thematic analysis in the analysis phase, integrating participatory elements through member checking. Participants actively contributed to interpreting their interview transcripts, ensuring the findings authentically reflected their experiences. This participatory approach enriched the research process and amplified the voices of Autistic working mothers, fostering a sense of ownership and empowerment within the study.
This study has been published.
2023 IMPACT STORIES
These impact stories detail our research's substantial and positive changes to the Autistic and autism communities in 2023.