Research Participation Postings

This study is being performed to validate the findings of the previous research by looking at
ASD diagnostic biomarkers (metabolites and proteins) in the blood and urine of children, which
would help enable earlier and more effective treatment.

Researchers: Molecular You

Who can participate?

• Children between 3-12 years of age
• Canadian residents
• Not undergoing undergoing gene, chemo-, or radiotherapy
• No current immunosuppressive or infectious conditions (ex. RSV, Chicken Pox, Common cold, Strep throat, Diabetes Mellitus Type 1, organ/bone marrow transplant, steroi treatment etc.)
•  ASD group: Diagnosed via ADI-R and ADOS
• Neurotypical group: Self-identify as healthy, no chronic or acute disease, not currently taking any prescription medication.

What's involved?

• Screening Questionnaire
• Completion of the medical questionnaire (online)
• Provide a sample of blood and urine at clinical partner lab

How will participants be compensated for their participation?
Participants will receive a CAN$50 gift card as a ‘thank you’ for participating in the study at the
end of the blood collection visit.

Is there a deadline to participate?
No deadline to participate. Recruitment has started and enrollment is ongoing.

Contact Information:
You can learn about the study by visiting this link:
research.molecularyou.com/?trk=organization_guest_main-feed-card-text

You can contact us with by emailing to research@molecularyou.com OR calling +1 (800)
380-1468 ext. 6

[La version française suit le texte anglais]

Participants Needed for a Project on Neuroinclusivity!

We are looking for neurodivergent adults to provide input that will contribute to the development of a policy toolkit and educational resource that will help make Canada more accessible and inclusive.

What is involved?

Participants will do a 2-hour (with a 15-minute break) online focus group (small group conversation) about their recommendations for making society more accessible and inclusive, based on their lived experiences. Accommodations are available.

Who can participate?

To participate, you must be:

• Neurodivergent (including but not limited to autism spectrum, ADHD, and learning disabilities),
• Self-identified and/or diagnosed,
• 18 years or older,
• Located in Canada, and,
• Able to communicate in English, French, ASL, or LSQ, with or without support.

Neurodivergent adults who belong to other marginalized communities (for example, Indigenous, people of color, trans/non-binary, queer, non-speaking) are especially encouraged to participate.

Research participants will receive a $75 gift card for their participation in the study.

How to sign up: https://carleton.ca/accessibility-institute/nd-lens/nd-lens-recruitment/

Personnes recherchées pour participer à un projet sur la neuroinclusivité!

Qu’est-ce que cela implique?

Les participants et les participantes prendront part à une discussion de groupe en ligne de deux heures (incluant une pause de 15 minutes) afin d’exprimer leurs recommandations pour améliorer l’accessibilité et l’inclusivité au sein de la société fondées sur leur vécu personnel. Des mesures d’accommodement sont offertes.

Qui peut participer?

Pour participer, vous devez :

• Avoir reçu un diagnostic de neurodivergence ou vous auto-identifier comme étant une personne neurodivergente (il existe plusieurs types de neurodivergences, notamment l’autisme, le TDAH et les difficultés d’apprentissage)
• Avoir plus de 18 ans;
• Résider au Canada;
• Être capable de communiquer en anglais, en français, en American Sign Language (ASL) ou en langue des signes québécoise (LSQ), avec ou sans soutien.

Les personnes adultes neurodivergentes qui appartiennent à d’autres communautés marginalisées (par exemple, les Autochtones, ainsi que les personnes de couleur, trans, non binaires, queers et muettes) sont particulièrement encouragées à participer.

Les participants à la recherche recevront une carte-cadeau de 75 $ pour leur participation à l'étude.

Comment s'inscrire: https://carleton.ca/accessibility-institute/nd-lens/nd-lens-recruitment/

Strength Spotting with Parents of Autistic Youth

If you are a caregiver of a child with autism who is between 10 and 18 years old, we invite you to participate in a research study called, “The Effects of Strength Spotting on Parenting and Parent-Child Relationship Quality in Caregivers of Autistic Youth”. 

We are addressing the following research question: 

What are the effects of Strength Spotting on parenting and parent-child relationships of caregivers of autistic youth? 

Should you choose to participate you will be asked to: 

1. Meet online with a researcher to complete a consent form and questionnaires (~30 mins) and do two brief tasks (one just with you and the second with you and your child) (~30 mins) 
2. Participate in an online caregiver workshop to learn about strengths and Strength Spotting (~90 mins) 
3. Strength Spot on your own for 14 days (~5 min each day) 
4. Final meeting with a researcher to complete questionnaires and do the same two brief tasks at the first online meeting (~30 mins) 

No monetary or other form of compensation will be offered for participating in this study.

If you wish to participate, please follow the link below: 

brock.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4JDQMgm7moRD4RU  

If you have any questions, please contact the Student Principal Investigator, Kevin Yu at yc20tw@brocku.ca 

This message is being sent on behalf of Dr. Shahid Alvi and Peter Kokkoros (graduate student).

You are invited to participate in an optional research study that attempts to learn more about mothers who have children with autism, about the challenges experienced, and how society has supported the parents of these children. We are interested in understanding and documenting the inner care and inner life of mothers who care for children with autism. Participation is entirely voluntary, and there is no obligation or need to participate if you do not want to do so.

Participation in this research study will be through an online interview with the researcher (Peter Kokkoros). It will include questions concerning challenges, experiences and views on Canada's current support systems granted to mothers who have a child with autism. If you agree to participate, you will be given a 20$ dollar Tim Horton's gift card for taking the time out of your busy schedule to be interviewed. The interview should take approximately one hour.

If you are interested in participating or have further questions, please contact Peter.kokkoros@ontariotechu.net / Shahid.Alvi@ontariotechu.ca /(x3412).

If you have any questions regarding your rights as a participant or concerns about this study, please contact the Research Ethics Office at researchethics@ontariotechu.ca or 905.721.8668 (x3693).

This study has been reviewed by the Ontario Tech University Research Ethics Board #17266 on April 17th 2023.

Sincerely,
Dr. Shahid Alvi and Peter Kokkoros
 

My name is Sabrina Brodofski, and I am a Master of Nursing student at Athabasca University. As a requirement to complete my degree, I am conducting a research project about the experiences of adults who have a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder while accessing the emergency department. I am conducting this project under the supervision of Dr. G. Dewart and Dr. G. Martin.  

Why are you being asked to take part in this research project?
You are being invited to participate in this project because you are an adult between the ages of 18-64, with a formal or official diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, and have accessed healthcare in an emergency department within the past 12 months. 

What is the purpose of this research project?
The purpose of this research is to gain a deeper understanding of the experiences of adults with autism spectrum disorder while accessing healthcare within the emergency department.  The autism community could benefit from this study as the information gathered from this study will build knowledge and understanding to inform healthcare officials regarding potential ways to make emergency departments supportive for those seeking medical care.

What will you be asked to do?
The study involves structured interview questions to be completed virtually.  The following will describe all the procedures and participant-related activities during the study:

• The nature of the information that will be collected will be about your lived experiences while accessing the emergency department.
• You will only need to participate in one virtual interview, which should range from one to two hours; depending on the information you are willing or able to share.
• You have the right to pause the interview and resume it at a later time.
• The interview will be conducted at a date and time that is mutually agreed upon.
• The estimated number of participants in the study will range from 8-12.
• The interview will be recorded for the purpose of it being transcribed for analysis.  Once your interview has been completed, it will be transcribed.  NO identifying information will be used on the transcription. 

A copy of the interview transcript can be emailed to you – at your request – if you feel the need to alter or clarify your comments.  

What are the risks and benefits?
The following is a list of the possible risks and inconveniences that you may experience if you choose to participate in the study:

• There is potential for some psychological discomfort pertaining to any emotions you may feel when the questions are asked.
• There is the potential for some physical discomfort pertaining to your position related to the length of time you will be seated for the duration of the interview.
• To help reduce the risks, you are welcome to inform me that you need a break from the interview; you can get up, walk around, switch positions or relocate to a different location if it will assist you.
• If any of the questions make you uncomfortable or you do not want to answer it, you do not need to.  You have the right to refuse to answer any questions.

As stated previously, the autism community will benefit from this study.  Information gathered will help build knowledge and understanding to inform healthcare officials regarding potential ways to make emergency departments supportive of those with autism spectrum disorder community.  There are no anticipated direct benefits to you for taking part in this study.   

Do you have to take part in this project?
As stated earlier in this letter, involvement in this project is entirely voluntary.  You may withdraw from this study at any time while the information is being collected.  You can end an interview partway through, you are able to change your mind and withdraw from the study before the interview takes place or before the interview is transcribed.  Any data collected will be automatically destroyed.  Please note:  once the interview has been transcribed, there will be no identifying information on the transcript, and therefore, any data collected will not be able to be removed.

* There are NO consequences to you if you decide to withdraw.

How will your privacy and confidentiality be protected?
The ethical duty of confidentiality includes safeguarding participants’ identities, personal information, and data from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure.

Your confidentiality will be respected.  No information or records that disclose your identity will be published, nor will any information or records that disclose your identity be removed or released without your consent unless required by law.

How will my anonymity be protected?
Anonymity refers to protecting participants’ identifying characteristics, such as name or description of physical appearance.

You will be assigned a unique study number as a participant in this study.  Only this number will be used on any research-related information collected about you during the course of this study so that your identity [i.e. your name or any other information that could identify you] as a participant in this study will be kept confidential.  Information that contains your identity will remain only with the Principal Researcher.

Every reasonable effort will be made to ensure your anonymity; you will not be identified in publications.

How will the data collected be stored?

• The recorded interviews as well as a copy of the transcript will be kept in an encrypted and password protected file and stored within the Athabasca University server where only the principal researcher has the key
• All data will be held for 5 years, then it will be permanently deleted
• Transcripts that have zero identifying information on it will be stored in an encrypted and password protected file that only the principal researcher knows what the password is.
• The principal researcher will have access to the data ONLY.
• Athabasca University, the supervisors as well as research journals will have access to the final report – where NO identifying information will be present.

Who will receive the results of the research project?

• The existence of the research will be listed in an abstract posted online at the Athabasca University Library’s Digital Thesis and Project Room, and the final research paper will be publicly available.
• Direct quotes from the anonymous transcripts will be used.
• NO audio/video recordings will ever be published or accessed by anyone other than the principal researcher
• After the research project has been completed, a report of the findings will be emailed to you upon request.

Who can you contact for more information or to indicate your interest in participating in the research project?

Thank you for considering this invitation. If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact me, (the principal investigator) by e-mail sbrodofski1@learn.athabascau.ca or my supervisors by gdewart@athabascau.ca or gmartin@athabascau.ca.

If you are ready to participate in this project, please complete and sign the attached Consent Form and return it by email to sbrodofski1@learn.athabascau.ca no later than August 31, 2023.

Thank you.

This project has been reviewed by the Athabasca University Research Ethics Board. Should you have any comments or concerns about your treatment as a participant, the research, or ethical review processes, please contact the Research Ethics Officer by e-mail at rebsec@athabascau.ca or by telephone at 780.213.2033.

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You are invited to take part in a research project entitled ‘Experiences of Adults with autism spectrum disorder with the Emergency Department’.

This form is part of the process of informed consent. The information presented should give you the basic idea of what this research is about and what your participation will involve, should you choose to participate. It also describes your right to withdraw from the project. In order to decide whether you wish to participate in this research project, you should understand enough about its risks, benefits and what it requires of you to be able to make an informed decision. This is the informed consent process. Take time to read this carefully as it is important that you understand the information given to you. Please contact the principal investigator, Sabrina Brodofski if you have any questions about the project or would like more information before you consent to participate.

It is entirely up to you whether or not you take part in this research. If you choose not to take part, or if you decide to withdraw from the research once it has started, there will be no negative consequences for you now, or in the future.

Do you know a student with autism spectrum disorder? Did this student complete grade 9 applied English Language Arts within the 2021-2022? We are seeking volunteers for a study!

The aim of this research study is to investigate the perspective of students with autism spectrum disorder related to their experiences in developing their reading comprehension skills within the applied stream secondary English Language Arts classrooms in Ontario.

We are looking for participants that meet the following criteria:

1. Participants have been identified with autism spectrum disorder by the Identification, Placement, and Review Committee (IPRC);
2. Participants have previously completed a grade 9 applied Ontario English Language Arts credit within the 2021-2022 school year; and
3. Participants completed their grade 9 ELA credit within a setting placement of regular class with indirect support or regular class with resource assistance.

All participants will be asked to partake in an approximately hour and a half interview, which will include a semi-structured interview and a creative expression activity. The findings from this study will provide further insights on supports that teachers can provide students with autism in regards to the development of their reading comprehension.

If you or someone you know is interested, check out this flyer to learn more about how they can participate in a study regarding their reading comprehension! Contact j.graham@queensu.ca for more details!

We are looking for: 1) Autistic adults and 2) parents/caregivers to take part in an anonymous survey sharing your experiences and/or opinions about speech and language supports autistic children and youth. Participants completing the survey must currently reside in Canada and be over the age of 18 years.

In partnership with autistic committee members, caregivers, and community clinicians, researchers at the Western University welcome self-identified autistic individuals and their parents/caregivers to inform best practices for speech-language pathology services.

We aim to integrate knowledge from a broad range of perspectives into the development of a guidance resource for Speech-Language Pathologists.

If you agree to participate, you will be asked to complete an anonymous survey (15-30 minutes).

Participants will have the opportunity to be compensated for their participation.

Please use the QR code in the poster below or click here to access the letter of information and link to our survey.

For more information about this study, please contact Amanda Binns, PhD, SLP-CCC, Reg. CASLPO, School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Western University at abinns3@uwo.ca

Participant requirements:

• 16 to 35 years old
• Have received a clinical diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Experiencing significant depressive symptoms
• Without prior diagnosis of intellectual disability

What is the study about?

We are studying whether a form of brain stimulation called rTMS (repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation) is an effective treatment for depressive symptoms in Autistic youth and young adults. 

What do you need to do?

• Screening and baseline questionnaires and clinical interviews
• Cognitive tasks
• 10 minute rTMS sessions Monday to Friday for 6 weeks at CAMH (Queen and Ossington  – Toronto)
• Two MRI scans that are 60 minutes long: 1 before rTMS begins and 1 after sessions are completed
• Additional questionnaires will be performed on a weekly basis during rTMS sessions, as well as 1, 4 and 12 weeks after sessions are complete

Would I be compensated for my time?

Participants will receive an honorarium in appreciation for their time. If you decide to withdraw before the study end, you would be paid for the study visits you completed.

Contact information: Anjuli Ner, Research Analyst at autismtms@camh.ca

We want to hear from you! We are seeking feedback from autistic young adults (18 to 35 years of age) on their opinions on participating in physical activity and using wearable activity trackers.

Purpose: To learn about your experiences related to engaging in physical activity and thoughts about using activity trackers to improve physical activity.

How can you help? Please visit our website: activehealthproject.com, to complete a brief survey (10 mins) and learn more about our study.

The principal investigator of this study is Michael Barrett (mcbarret@ualberta.ca)

This study is approved by the Alberta Research Information Services (ARISE) Ethics Board through the University of Alberta (Ethics ID: Pro00118119).

Do you enjoy physical activity? If so, we would love to hear about your experiences!

We invite youth (ages 15-24 years of age) with neurodevelopmental disabilities to participate in our study.

Purpose:
To explore the impact of physical activity on the mental health of youth with neurodevelopmental disabilities.

What we need from you:
We need you to participate in an interview about your physical activity experiences (~ 45min).

Interested? Email Henna Hans at henna.hans1@ucalgary.ca to express your interest.

The principal investigator of this study is Dr. Carly McMorris (e: camcmorr@ucalgary.ca) (p: 403.220.5457)

The University of Calgary Conjoint Faculties Research Ethics Board has approved this study (REB#21-0687).

Are you an autistic person between the ages of 16-40?

Interested in participating in research to help us learn more about how autistic people time their movements?

What's involved?

• Come to the Music and Health Science Research Collaboratory (3rd floor @ 90 Wellesley St. West).
• Spend approximately 1 hour tracing circles on a touch-screen device with sound.
• Fill out a short exit survey about your experience.

You can participate if you are:

• An autistic person between the ages of 16-40.
• Not a professional musician or athlete.
• Have a normal (or corrected to normal) vision and good hearing.
• Generally able to carry out tasks such as writing and typing.

Individuals who participate in the study will receive a $15 e-gift card.

Interested? Email Nicole Richard at nicolem.richard@mail.utoronto.ca or scan the QR code at the bottom of the poster below to send an email expressing your interest.

Autistic high schoolers from grades 9-12 are wanted for online interviews about preparing to leave high school (~ 60min).

There's a 1 in 12 chance to win a $25 CDN Visa gift card!

If you are interested, please send an email to jbest1@unb.ca
* Note that you must be diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and attend a high school in Canada.

Parents of autistic high schools in grade 9-12 are wanted for online interviews about their child's preparing to leave high school (~ 60min).

There's a 1-12 chance to win a $25 CDN Visa gift card!

If you are interested, please send an email to jbest1@unb.ca

Is your child:
• Between 2 – 8 years old?
• At risk/diagnosed with a developmental disability (e.g., autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability)?
• Significantly delayed in his/her communication? (example, not speaking or using only a few words)

The Picture Exchange Communication System® (PECS®) is designed to teach functional communication skills and is commonly used among children diagnosed with autism and other developmental disabilities. Research shows that PECS® is associated with improvements in communication, social-communicative behaviour, and challenging behaviour. But not a lot is known about PECS® use in community settings and how best to train parents and professionals to teach PECS®. This study is designed to explore the use of PECS® within a community setting. Parents who participate in this study will be expected to attend a two-day virtual PECS® training and participate in four weeks of training, including one session/week virtual coaching and one session per week coaching with your child (either face-to-face or online). Parents will be asked to attend a total of two sessions a week.

If you are interested in learning more about the study, please contact the recruitment coordinator: Hannah Floyd at hf22rd@brocku.ca.

Who can participate?
Individuals 16-35 years old with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis, who have not been diagnosed with intellectual disability.

What is the study about?
We are interested in understanding more about how the brain works in ASD, and how brain properties (e.g. structure, function) relate to behaviour. This is an imaging study, which means if you decide to participate you will have a brain scan, and we will also ask you to complete some assessments in person. Our study team is interested in better understanding the relationships between the brain and behaviour in people who have a diagnosis of ASD. We hope this knowledge informs treatment development. Your participation would go a long way to helping us understand more about ASD and mental health.

What do I have to do and how much time would it take?
If you decide to participate, you would take part in screening and clinical assessments. They involve things like demographic questions, a urine sample, and some social thinking and decision making tests. You would also complete an MRI brain image. Completing all of the components of this study would take 3-4 days

Would I be compensated for my time?
You would be compensated for your time and efforts in cash after completing all of the components of this study. If you decide to withdraw before the study end, you would be paid for the study visits you participated in.

Who do I contact if I have questions or I want to participate in the study?
The Study Investigator is Dr. Stephanie Ameis. If you have any questions about the study or would like to participate, please contact our Research Analyst at: Enea Koxhioni, 416-535-8501 ext. 39140, email: enea.koxhioni@camh.ca.

What is the purpose of the study?

The research aim is to understand the ways in which autistic 2SLGBTQ+-identifying youth (16-19 years old) interactions with peers may have shaped how they view themselves, how their identities are experienced in secondary institutions, and determine sources of resiliency and supports which help facilitate positive relationships for 2SLGBTQ+ youth.

Who can participate?

Youth are eligible if they are ages 16-19 from the autism community, they also identify as 2SLGBTQ+ and have been in a secondary institution in Canada since grade 10 (this can include Indigenous, Canadian, or undocumented youth).

What’s involved?

One interview (on Zoom or Microsoft Teams) per participant, which should take approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour. Participants will also be given the option to contribute to member reflections, which is essentially allowing them to view and comment on categories/quotes/themes that have been generated during data analysis. Member reflections can be done either by providing a written email response, or by attending a group meeting on Zoom.

What is the recruitment period?

August – December 31, 2022

Will I be compensated?

By participating in this research, each participant will receive one $25 Amazon gift card.

Who is conducting this study?

This research is being conducted through Wilfrid Laurier University and has been approved by the Laurier Research Ethics Board (REB#8262).

Who do I contact to get involved?

If you are interested in this study or have any questions, please contact Brianna by email: come7440@mylaurier.ca.

Goal:

To test the effectiveness of a non-spoken communication intervention

Who?

Non-speaking autistic children (4-9 yrs) and their caregivers (who speak English)

What's Involved?

• To participate you must have access to (1) a laptop or computer with a webcam (2) reliable high-speed internet (3) a video recording device (e.g., smartphone)
• You must be willing to (1) participate in 2 video calls before intervention begins + 12 remote weekly intervention sessions (2) fill out questionnaires + submit two 5-minute videos before and after intervention

Compensation?

No monetary or other form of compensation will be offered for participating in this study.

If you are interested or have questions, please email:

Angela MacDonald-Prégent S-LP(C) BCBA, Doctoral Student, angela.macdonald@mail.mcgill.ca

Recruitment Period: August 15, 2022 – November 15, 2022 (or until all intervention slots are filled)

This study has been approved by the McGill Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences Research Ethics Board (Info-Ed File Number: 20-10-017).

We are recruiting participants for a study about how social stimuli may influence cognitive performance and physiological reactivity (such as heart rate). This study is being conducted by Ms. Agnes Wong (PhD student, M.A., MOT, HKROT Part 1), and supervised by Prof. Earl Woodruff at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) at the University of Toronto. This study has been approved by The University of Toronto Research Ethics Board

Aims:

• Considering the frequent use of strategies for increasing eye contact in clinical practice, it is crucial to understand the physiological reactivity to social stimuli such as eye contact. The findings will bridge the significant knowledge gap and have important contributions to research and clinical practice
• Targeted participants:
  • Aged 13 to 18, with or without autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
  • With estimated normal intelligence, and normal or corrected-to-normal vision

Methods:

1. Online screening: English comprehension task (~15 minutes)
2. Face-to-face experiment at OISE / location at the organization to be confirmed after ensuring the lighting and room availability: Digit span task (~30 minutes). Contactless Transdermal Optical Imaging (TOI) will be used to measure heart rate, basal stress index and blood pressure

Compensations:

• $5 gift card for screening
• $15 gift card for completing the experiment
• A list of mental health services information sheet
  • A talk related to ASD and stress for parents (topic to be confirmed and adjusted in collaboration with the organization)

For any queries and application, please contact Ms. Agnes Wong at skagnes.wong@utoronto.ca.

Parents of youth with autism or an intellectual disability wanted for online survey (20-30 minutes)

We are interested in your child's experiences as they pre pa re to transition out of high school. 

To participate, your child must: 

• Have autism (autism, Asperger's, PDD-NOS) and/or an intellectual disability (developmental delay/ disability)
• Be enrolled in high school (age 14 - 21)
• Live in Canada

Compensation

• Be entered to win a $25.00 CAD Amazon gift card (24 available)

For more information, email unbtransitionstudy@outlook.com.

This study is being conducted by PhD student, Lindsey McCullough, at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton, Canada. 

Codesigning and evaluating the usability of a workplace disclosure tool for Canadian youth and young adults on the autism spectrum

Are you a Canadian youth or young adult on the autism spectrum? Consider participating in Holland Bloorview’s latest study to help design and provide feedback on a workplace disability disclosure decision-aid guide and planning tool.

What is this study about?

We are looking for feedback on a prototype (early draft) of an online workplace disability decision-aid guide and planning tool. We want to know whether you found the tool useful, easy to use, liked or disliked it, and if anything needs to be added, changed, and/or removed.

Who can participate?

• Autistic youth and young adults (age 15-29)
• Is looking for paid work or has paid work experience
• Able to access internet and a tech device
• Able to communicate in English
• Lives in Canada

What’s involved?

• Reviewing the tool
• Participating in one interactive online session (using Zoom and Slido platforms) to answer questions and provide feedback on the tool (~2 hours) with other youth and young adults on the autism spectrum

Participants will receive an e-gift-card of their choosing and can also receive volunteer hours as a token of appreciation for participating.

You can learn more about the study at this link: https://redcap.link/codesignusability-readonlyICF

If you are interested in participating in this study or have additional questions, please contact Vanessa Tomas at vtomas@hollandbloorview.ca or 416-425-6220 ext. 3091.

Principal investigator: Dr. Sally Lindsay

Are you a Canadian youth or young adult on the autism spectrum? Consider participating in Holland Bloorview’s latest study to evaluate an online workplace disclosure decision-aid tool.

What is this study about?

We are looking for feedback on an online, workplace, autism disclosure decision-aid tool. We want to assess the usability, feasibility, and acceptability of the online tool and if it supports your self-determination and decision-making skills.

Who can participate?

• Autistic youth and young adults (age 15-29)
• Is looking for paid work or has paid work experience
• Able to access internet and a tech device
• Able to communicate in English
• Lives in Canada

What’s involved?

• Completing two online surveys at two different time points:
  • Survey 1 (~10-15 minutes) completed before reviewing the tool
  • Survey 2 (~15-20 minutes) completed after reviewing the tool
• Reviewing/interacting with the online tool (~1 hour)

Participants will receive an e-gift-card of their choosing and can also receive volunteer hours as a token of appreciation for participating.

You can learn more about the study at this link: https://redcap.link/decisionaidtool-pilotstudy

If you are interested in participating in this study or have additional questions, please contact Vanessa Tomas at vtomas@hollandbloorview.ca or 416-425-6220 ext. 3091.

Principal investigator: Dr. Sally Lindsay

A research study to understand impact of being in a mindfulness group on levels of distress, mindfulness, and connectedness in autistic adults compared to being on a waitlist.

Who is eligible:

• Autistic adults 18 years or older
• Proficient in English and able to complete questionnaires
• Living in Canada
• Have internet access and a computer or phone

What would you have to do?

• Attend a 6-week virtual mindfulness course for autistic adults
• Your participation may be up to 30 weeks
• Fill out questionnaires
• Compensation provided for participating

If you are interested, please complete this online Expression of Interest Form.

If you would like assistance by phone or WebEx, please contact us by email at hcardd@camh.ca or phone at 437-328-6761.

We are recruiting participants for a study about how social stimuli may influence cognitive performance and physiological reactivity (such as heart rate)

• This study is being conducted by Ms. Agnes Wong (PhD student, M.A., MOT, HKROT Part 1), and supervised by Prof. Earl Woodruff at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) at the University of Toronto
• This study has been approved by The University of Toronto Research Ethics Board
• Aims:
  • Considering the frequent use of strategies for increasing eye contact in clinical practice, it is crucial to understand the physiological reactivity to social stimuli such as eye contact. The findings will bridge the significant knowledge gap and have important contributions to research and clinical practice
• Targeted participants:
  • Aged 13 to 18, autistic or neurotypical
  • With estimated normal intelligence, and normal or corrected-to-normal vision
• Methods:
  • Online screening: English comprehension task (~15 minutes)
  • Face-to-face experiment at OISE / location at the organization to be confirmed after ensuring the lighting and room availability: Digit span task (~30 minutes)
  • Contactless Transdermal Optical Imaging (TOI) will be used to measure heart rate, basal stress index and blood pressure
• Compensations:
• $5 gift card for screening
• $15 gift card for completing the experiment
• A list of mental health services information sheet
• A talk related to autism and stress for parents (topic to be confirmed and adjusted in collaboration with the organization)

For any queries and application, please contact Ms. Agnes Wong at skagnes.wong@utoronto.ca.

Thank you very much for your interest! ☺

What is the purpose of the study?
The Family Check-Up is a family-centered program that has been shown to help reduce emotional and behavioural problems in children and improve caregiver well-being. However, the Family Check-Up has never been tested in families with autistic children. The purpose of this study is to see if the Family Check-Up helps improve child and family well-being in families with an autistic child. This is the first time that the Family Check-Up is being offered in an autism program.

Who can participate?
Families with an autistic child 6-17 years old and challenging emotions and/or behaviours.

What is involved?
Families will be asked to take part in 5 study visits at McMaster Children’s Hospital over a one-year period.
The first, 6-month and 12-month visit involve completing questionnaires, doing simple activities with your child, and doing a brief interview about your child. These visits take about 2-3 hours.
The other two study visits are less than an hour and involve questionnaires and a brief interview.
After the first study visit, families will be randomly assigned to either receive the Family Check-Up right away or receive it in one year at the end of the study. Family Check-Up visits can be done in person at McMaster Children’s Hospital or virtually.

Will I be compensated to take part?
You will receive gift cards for each study visit that you complete. You will also be given a parking pass for your visits at McMaster Children’s Hospital so you don’t have to pay for parking.

Who can I contact to learn more?

If you’d like to learn more about the study, please contact the study coordinator, Julie Gross at grossj@mcmaster.ca or 905-525-9140 ex 27066.'

Researchers at the University of Manitoba are looking for parents or caregivers of children with ASD and/or ADHD, ages 2-18

What is the Study About?

The purpose of this study is to learn about the strengths and parenting experiences of families with or without a child diagnosed with ASD and/or ADHD. In this study you will be asked to complete a survey on parenting, your family, your well-being, and your child’s development.

Why Participate?

By taking part in this study, your contribution will help to improve the lives of families and allow clinicians to more effectively provide parent-child support. You will also be entered to win one of ten $50 Amazon eGift Cards!

To Participate in this Study:

• Click on this link to open a new browser: https://survey.pra.ca/S2/1/UM202223Reg/

• This will lead you to a website where you will be asked to enter your email

• An automatic email will be sent to you with the survey link

• This will lead you to a survey that will take approximately 30-45 minutes to complete

If you are interested in participating in this research project and would like to learn more please email Dr. Jen Theule at jen.theule@umanitoba.ca or call 204-474-7417. Please feel free to share this information with anyone else you think might be interested! Recruitment is open until February 8, 2023.

Are you a youth that identifies as having a disability? You can participate in our research study and share your experiences during the COVID 19 pandemic.

What is this study about?
The COVID 19 pandemic has changed people’s routine and presented unique challenges. We would like to learn from youth with disabilities about any challenges they faced and how they overcame them.

Who can participate?
We are looking for:

• Youth between the ages of 12 to 21
• Youth that identify as having a disability
• Must understand and be able to communicate in English
• Must have a stable internet connection

What’s involved

• You will complete an interview and answer questions about your experience during the COVID 19 pandemic and how you overcame any challenges
• The study is one visit that will take approximately 1 hour

Potential Benefits
We want to learn about the strategies and skills you have used to adjust to changes that came from the pandemic. This may provide other youth with the resources to thrive in similar situations

Potential Risks
Some participants may feel uncomfortable sharing their thoughts and feelings about certain topics. Participants may share whatever they are comfortable with.

Participants will receive a small token of appreciation to thank them for their time.

To ask questions or sign up, please contact Sonya Basarke at: thenovellab@hollandbloorview.ca.

Are you a caregiver of youth with a disability?

You can participate in our research study and share your experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic.

What is this study about?

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed people’s routine and presented unique challenges. We would like to learn from caregivers about any challenges they faced and how they overcame them.

Who can participate?

We are looking for

• Caregivers of youth between the ages of 5to 18
• Must consider themselves to be one of the primary caregivers of a youth with a disability
• Must understand and be able to communicate in English
• Must have a stable internet connection

What’s involved?

• You will complete an interview and answer questions about your experience during the COVID-19 pandemic and how you overcame any challenges
• The study is one visit that will take approximately 1 hour

Potential Benefits

We want to learn about the strategies and skills you have used to adjust to the changes and challenges that came from the pandemic. This may provide other families with the resources to thrive that are in similar situations

Potential Risks

Some participants may feel uncomfortable sharing their thoughts and feelings about certain topics. Participants may share whatever they are comfortable with

Participants will receive a small token of appreciation to thank them for their time.

To ask questions or sign up, please contact Sonya Basarke at: thenovellab@hollandbloorview.ca.

Exploring communication and information processes for parental informed decision-making in the context of autism diagnosis

What is the purpose of the study?
We aim to explore available information provided to parents in conventional healthcare settings after children’s autism diagnosis and parental perceptions of the information in relation to usage in treatment decision-making. Precisely, the goal is to assess the extent to which there is a gap in available information and the information used in decision-making and how parents cope with this gap.

Who can participate?
Parents/caregivers of autistic children diagnosed within a year. We aim to recruit a maximum of 10 participants. Participants will be selected on a first-come/first-serve basis.

What is involved?
Two 30 minutes unstructured interviews (T1 = 6 months post-diagnosis, T2 =9 months post-diagnosis). Interviews will take place during the day at a time convenient for participants between 8 am and 5 pm. Format: Online or In person (depending on Public Health recommendations at the time).

What is the recruitment period?
August 1st – December 31, 2022

Will I be compensated?
Each participant will receive one 40$ Tim Hortons gift card as a thank you for participating in the two interviews.

Who is conducting this study?
This research is being conducted through the University of Ottawa and has been approved by the University’s Office of Research Ethics and Integrity (REG#8008).

Who do I contact to get involved?
To participate, please contact the principal investigator Marie Dominique Antoine by email: md.antoine@uottawa.ca.

Exploration des processus de communication et d’information pour la prise de décision éclairée des parents dans le contexte de diagnostic d’autisme

Notre objectif est d’explorer les informations disponibles fournies aux parents dans les établissements de soins de santé conventionnels après le diagnostic d’autisme d’un enfant et les perceptions parentales quant à ces informations par rapport à leur utilisation dans la prise de décision en lien aux traitements. Plus précisément, l’objectif est d’évaluer dans quelle mesure il existe un écart entre les informations disponibles et les informations utilisées dans la prise de décision et comment les parents font face à cet écart.

Qui peut participer ?
Parents/personnes aidants d’enfants autistes diagnostiqués à l’intérieur d’une année. Nous souhaitons recruter un maximum de 10 participants. Les participants seront sélectionnés sur la base du premier arrivé, premier servi.

En quoi consiste l’étude ?
Deux entretiens non structurés de 30 minutes (T1 = 6 mois après le diagnostic, T2 = 9 mois après le diagnostic). Les entretiens auront lieu dans la journée, à un moment qui convient aux participants, entre 8 heures et 17 heures. Format : En ligne ou en personne (selon les recommandations de la Santé Publique lors de l’entretien).

Quelle est la période de recrutement ?
1er Août au 31 décembre 2022.

Est-ce que je serai rémunéré ?
Chaque participant recevra une carte-cadeau Tim Hortons de 40 $ en guise de remerciement pour sa participation aux deux entrevues.

Qui mène cette étude?
Cette recherche est menée par l’Université d’Ottawa et a été approuvée par le Bureau d’éthique et d’intégrité de la recherche de l’Université (REG#8008).

Qui dois-je contacter pour participer ?
Pour participer, veuillez contacter la chercheure principale Marie Dominique Antoine par courriel à md.antoine@uottawa.ca.

Autistic high schoolers (Grade 9-12) wanted for online interview about their experience preparing to transition into adulthood.

This research is hosted through the University of New Brunswick. Participants are eligible if they are an autistic person in high school in Canada OR if they are a parent/caregiver of an autistic child in high school in Canada. Parents and children do not both have to participate to be eligible (i.e., a parent can participate if their child chooses not to and vice versa).

Participation will involve completing a semi-structured interview (~1hr) about the transition out of high school, including strengths already present and hopes for how the transition could look in an ideal world. Participants are eligible to be entered a draw for one of five $25 Visa gift card.

Participants interested in learning more can email jbest1@unb.ca for more information. Note that emailing does not oblige you to participate.

This project has been approved by the research ethics board at the university of New Brunswick and is on file REB# 2022-173.

Parents of autistic high schoolers (Grade 9-12) wanted for online interview about their child’s experience preparing to transition into adulthood.

This research is hosted through the University of New Brunswick. Participants are eligible if they are an autistic person in high school in Canada OR if they are a parent/caregiver of an autistic child in high school in Canada. Parents and children do not both have to participate to be eligible (i.e., a parent can participate if their child chooses not to and vice versa).

Participation will involve completing a semi-structured interview (~1hr) about the transition out of high school, including strengths already present and hopes for how the transition could look in an ideal world. Participants are eligible to be entered a draw for one of five $25 Visa gift card.

Participants interested in learning more can email jbest1@unb.ca for more information. Note that emailing does not oblige you to participate.

This project has been approved by the research ethics board at the university of New Brunswick and is on file REB# 2022-173.

Evaluation of Services for Autistic Adults in Peterborough Ontario

The purpose of this study is to explore the different types of services available for autistic adults in Peterborough Ontario. The study aims to highlight the services that are being used by autistic adults in Peterborough, which services work best, and if there are any improvements that can be made to existing services to make sure autistic adults in Peterborough are getting their service needs met.

Who can participate?

Service providers at an organization assisting autistic adults in Peterborough, or autistic adults/caregivers of autistic adults (18 years old or older) using the services of an organization assisting autistic adults in Peterborough are eligible to participate. If you choose to participate in this study, your identity will not be made known to the service organization you are referring to, and your identity will remain anonymous throughout the final report.

What’s involved?

One interview in a location of your choosing (Zoom, public library...). The interview should take approximately 30 minutes to an hour. For service providers, the interview will focus on the types of services you provide to autistic adults in Peterborough, which services are most used by autistic adults in Peterborough, and if you think there are any improvements that can be made to your services to best meet the needs of autistic adults in Peterborough. For autistic adults/caregivers, the interview will focus on focus on the types of services you use at an organization in Peterborough, what you like/dislike about these services, and if you think there are any improvements that can be made to these services to best meet your needs.

Who is conducting this study?

This study is being conducted through Trent University and has been approved by the Trent University Research Ethics Board (REB #28286).

What is the recruitment period?

Interviews will take place in the month of January 2023.

Who do I contact to get involved?

If you have any questions about this study or are interested in participating, please contact haileypower@trentu.ca.