Current Studies

All studies advertised here have been approved by the SFU Office of Research Ethics and any corresponding institutions when applicable. If you are interested in participating in a study listed below, please contact us.

UBC PEERS Study 

 We are looking for participants for dissertation research at UBC. We are interested in the opinions that adolescents on the autism spectrum have about the PEERS Social Skills program. Please see the poster below(above) for more information. If you or your child are interested, please contact the research team at ethauber@student.ubc.ca

Who Can Participate?

Autistic individuals 12-18 years of age who have never participated in the PEERS Social Skills Program. 

Participants will be eligible to recieve a $10.00 Visa gift card. 

 

 

Online Study- For Self- Harming Autistic Women

Pictured: A person sitting at a desk is typing on a laptop computer. Credit to Christin Hume on Unsplash.

Do you or someone you know struggle with self-harming or suicidal behaviour? You may be eligible to participate in a research study evaluating a telehealth delivered DBT skills training as a treatment option for self-harming autistic women.

Who can participate in the study?

To be eligible, you must:

  • Be an autistic adult (ages 19-50 years) who identifies as a woman
  • Live in British Columbia
  • Have access to a computer with a camera, internet access, and Zoom capabilities

If you are interested in learning more, please visit our web-based screening and study information at:
https://sfufas.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5grvIaWk8PrHCzs

Or contact us at: The Personality and Emotion Regulation Lab (PERL)* at emotion@sfu.ca

*This research is jointly completed with the PERL and the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Lab (ADDL).

All queries are strictly confidential.

Principal Investigators: Dr. Alexander Chapman, Simon Fraser University, Ethics Protocol #3001026

Co-Investigator: Dr. Grace Iarocci and Philippa Hood, Graduate Student, Simon Fraser University

Online Study - Partnership for Autism Spectrum Disorder and Addiction (PAAD): To Develop Concerted Services for A Better Social Participation

Pictured: A black and white photo features the silhouette of a person lighting a cigarette in their mouth. Photo by Marlon Lara on Unsplash.

Study on Autism and Addictions: Focus Group Invitation Letter

Click here for the study flyer

Click here for the consent form.

 

What do we want to know?

Although recent research has shown that some people with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) may be at increased risk of developing addictions, there is a lack of specialized services targeting individuals with ASD and addictions (both substance and behavioural addictions) and we still do not have a good understanding of how best to support this population. We are interested in learning more from service providers in both the ASD and addictions sectors about their experiences working with individuals with ASD and co-occurring issues with substance use, internet use, gaming, and/or gambling. We plan to use what we learn to develop a framework and training materials for best practices in treating people with ASD and addictions.

Who can participate in the study?

To participate in the study, you must be a psychosocial worker or administrator working in autism or addictions related services. You do not have to have direct experience working with individuals with co-occurring ASD and addictions.  

About the study:

The study will involve completing a virtual focus group with seven other people working in either autism or addictions services, facilitated by a co-investigator at SFU and the local principal investigator, Dr. Grace Iarocci. We will ask the group a number of questions to facilitate discussion of the groups experience and opinions on providing services for individuals with ASD and co-occurring addictions. The focus group will be conducted virtually over BlueJeans or Zoom (a secure video calling platform). You are also able to join the discussion via phone if preferred. The focus group will take about 1 – 1.5 hours to complete and will be will be audio recorded (for data analysis purposes). As a thank-you for your time, we are offering $20/hour for the time you spend participating.  

How do I participate?

If you are interested in participating in the focus groups and would like more information about the study, please contact Madelaine Ressel, the SFU co-investigator (email: mressel@sfu.ca, phone: 613-850-4846) to sign up for the focus group. Please note that email and phone are not secure methods of communication, and we cannot guarantee your confidentiality in any of these types of communication with the research team.

Principal Investigators: Dr. Grace Iarocci, Professor, Simon Fraser University (SFU), Dr. Marie-Hélène Poulin, Professor, University of Quebec in Abitibi-Témiscamingue (UQAT)

SFU Co-investigator: Madelaine Ressel, Graduate Student, SFU

Study on Autism and Addictions: Individual Interview Invitation Letter

Click here for a copy of the advertisement.

Click here for the consent form.

What do we want to know?

Close to 20% of Canadians struggle with substance (alcohol, drugs, and non-prescription medication) use. Although recent research has found that autistic people may be at increased risk of developing addictions, we still do not have a good understanding of how best to support individuals with ASD and addictions. We are interested in learning more from autistic people who struggle with addictions about what they need from community- based services.

Who can participate in the study?

To participate in the study, you must:

  1. Be over 16 years old and have a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Asperger's Syndrome, or PDD-NOS, and struggle with substance use (alcohol, drugs)
  2. Have access to the internet (because we are conducting interviews virtually).

If you sometimes have difficulties with communication, you can choose to have someone, who knows you and how you communicate well, with you during the interview to help make communicating with the researcher easier. This should be someone you trust and who you don’t mind sharing personal information in front of.

About participating in the study:

The study will involve completing a virtual interview with the study co-investigator at SFU. She will ask you questions about yourself, your substance use, any services you have received, and what might be missing from the services you have received. Because addictions can be a sensitive topic, we encourage you to ask a “support person” (i.e., a trusted friend or family member) to be with you during the interview, so that you can ask for support if you need it. The interview will take about 1-4 hours (depending on how talkative you are!) and can be split over multiple sessions. It can take place via Zoom or telephone. As a thank-you for your time, we are offering $20/hour. More information on participating in this study, including how your privacy will be protected, is available in the study consent form.

I need more information before I decide whether or not to participate:

If you are interested in participating in the study and would like more information, please contact the study co-investigator at Simon Fraser University, Madelaine Ressel (email: mressel@sfu.ca, phone: 613-850-4846). Please note that email and telephone are not secure forms of communication, and so we cannot guarantee your confidentiality in any email or phone communication with the research team.  To protect your privacy, please do not include any identifying information (like your full name or address) in any communication with the research team.

Principal Investigator: Dr. Grace Iarocci, Professor, Simon Fraser University

Co-Investigator: Madelaine Ressel, Graduate Student, Simon Fraser University

Online Study - How Parents/Guardians and Teachers See Kids on the Spectrum Differently

Pictured: Several children standing in a circle playing with a multi-coloured parachute outside on a sunny day. Credit to Artem Kniaz on Unsplash.

What do we want to know? We want to understand why some kids get flagged for an autism assessment and others don’t. In particular, we are investigating whether camouflaging, or hiding one's autistic traits, is related to how people in a child’s life see the same child differently. We also want to understand how this relates to different factors about the child, such as their gender, autistic characteristics, and mental health.

Who are we looking for?

  • Parents/Guardians of autistic kids aged 8 to 12 of any gender
  • Must live in the Lower Mainland of BC and be enrolled in out-of-home school

What to expect?

  • You will be asked to fill out an online survey about your child that takes about 15 minutes to complete. You will then receive an email directly from a survey publisher's website due to copyright restrictions to complete another 15 minute online survey. The study will take 30-45 minutes to complete in total. 
  • We will also be inviting your child’s teacher to participate and complete a 15 minute online survey. Whether your child’s teacher chooses to participate or not does not impact your participation in the study, and neither you nor your child’s teacher are under any obligation to participate. 
  • You will be entered into a draw for one of ten $20 Visa gift cards with a one in five chance of winning.

How to sign up? For more information, please contact Hilary Aime by email at hastudy@sfu.ca. To participate now, click here: https://sfufas.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2hLHh5fMpdXQPit

Prinicipal Investigators: Dr. Grace Iarocci and Dr. Tanya Broesch, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B.C. Ethics Protocol #30000040. This study has also been approved by the major school districts within the Lower Mainland.

Sound Sensitivity Study 

Person wearing headphones, viewpoint is from behind. Person is on a city street.

We are currently running two similar in-person studies within the Sound Sensitivity Project. One of the studies involves testing the sound management technology in VR trials in the lab and the other involves testing it in a community setting. Participants are welcome to take part in either or both of these studies. For this research, we are seeking participants who have a formal autism diagnosis, who experience decreased sound tolerance, and who do not have a hearing impairment.

We are also recruiting caregivers and adults to participate in an online survey and focus group about sound sensitivity.

More information about each of these studies is included below. 
 

Sound Sensitivity Project - VR Study

Please see the flyer for this study here

What do we want to know?

We are currently recruiting autistic youth and adults who have specific issues with sound sensitivity. We are interested in learning more about how autistic individuals cope with sound sensitivity, how sensitivity has impacted their lives, and physiological and behavioral reactions to certain sounds played through a set of headphones and through a virtual reality (VR) headset. Sound sensitivity includes being over-reactive to sounds in general, or certain types of sounds.

Who are we looking for?

  • Autistic youth and adults with a diagnosis (ages 12+) living in the Lower Mainland area who do not have a hearing impairment or intellectual disability.
  • Must experience over-reactivity to sounds in general and/or certain types of sounds

What to expect:

Participation in this study will be divided into two sessions:

  • Session 1: You will be asked to complete online questionnaires about your experiences with sound sensitivity. For youth participants, we will also ask that a caregiver complete a set of online questionnaires. This Session will take approximately 1 hour to complete.
  • Session 2: You will listen to certain sounds at different volumes through a set of headphones to determine your comfort level with these sounds. You will also be asked to wear a virtual reality headset (VR) to become immersed in virtual environments that contain sounds, and you will be asked to rate your comfort levels with these sounds. We will then use our new technology to help with sound sensitivity and ask you for your input. You will also complete a brief cognitive task. This Session will take approximately 2 hours to complete.     

Session 1 is completed online, and Session 2 is completed in-person at SFU’s Burnaby campus.

We are offering $30/hr to participants and $20/hr to parents of youth participants for their participation.

How to sign up: For more information or if you are interested in participating, please contact Meryssa at addl@sfu.ca.

Principal Investigators: Dr. Elina Birmingham [ebirming@sfu.ca], Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B.C. and Dr. Grace Iarocci [giarocci@sfu.ca] Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B.C.

Ethics Protocol H19-00159

 

Sound Sensitivity Project - Field Testing Study

Please see the flyer for this study here

What do we want to know?

We are currently recruiting autistic youth and adults (ages 12 and older) who have specific issues with sound sensitivity. We are interested in learning more about how autistic individuals cope with sound sensitivity, how sensitivity has impacted their lives, and physiological and behavioral reactions to certain sounds played through a set of headphones and while out in the community.

Who are we looking for?

  • Autistic youth and adults with a diagnosis (ages 12+) and without hearing impairment or intellectual disability living in the Lower Mainland area.
  • Must experience over-reactivity to at least one of the following sounds: sirens, traffic/cars honking, construction noise, dogs barking, or babies crying.

What to expect:

Participating in this study involves completing questionnaires online, coming into the lab, and meeting in the community:

  • Online: You will be asked to complete online questionnaires about your experiences with sound sensitivity. This session will take approximately 1 hour to complete. Caregivers of youth participants will also be asked to complete an online questionnaire.
  • Lab: You will listen to certain sounds at different volumes through a set of headphones to determine your comfort level with these sounds. We will then use our new technology to help with sound sensitivity and ask you for your input. You will also complete a brief cognitive task. These sessions will take approximately 1.5 hours to complete.
  • Community: You will listen to sounds in your environment through headphones connected to a mobile device. You will be asked to rate your comfort levels with these sounds. We will also ask for your feedback on our sound management technology. This community session will take place outside in the community and will take approximately 1 hour to complete.

Participation in this study is broken into different sessions that are completed online, at SFU Burnaby, and in the community.

We are offering $30/hr to participants and $20/hr to caregivers of youth participants.

How to sign up: For more information or if you are interested in participating, please contact Meryssa at addl@sfu.ca.

Principal Investigators: Dr. Elina Birmingham [ebirming@sfu.ca], Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B.C. and Dr. Grace Iarocci [giarocci@sfu.ca] Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B.C.

Ethics Protocol H19-00159

 

Sound Sensitivity Project - Online Survey and Focus Group

What do we want to know?

The goal of the online survey and focus group is to better understand how adults and families are coping with sound sensitivity and how it impacts their daily lives. In addition, we are working towards developing new wearable technology for helping individuals with sound sensitivity and will be asking for your input on what features are important.

Who are we looking for?

  • Autistic adults and caregivers of autistic youth who currently experience decreased sound tolerance. 

What to expect:

Research will take place remotely in two parts:

1) Online survey: The online survey will include questions about your or your child's experience with sound sensitivity and will also determine interest and eligibility for focus group participation. As a thank you for participating we will enter you into a draw to win one of ten $25 Amazon.ca gift cards. This survey will take around 20 minutes to complete.

2) Remote focus group: The focus groups will be held over Zoom and will be around 1.5 to 2 hours in duration. We will be offering each participant a $25 gift card as a thank you for your time.

It is possible to participate in just the online survey and not the focus group. 

How to sign up:

For more information please contact us at addl@sfu.ca.

Principal Investigators: Dr. Elina Birmingham [ebirming@sfu.ca], Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B.C. and Dr. Grace Iarocci [giarocci@sfu.ca] Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B.C.

Ethics Protocol H19-00159

Online Study - The Relationship Between Language Preferences, Autism Acceptance, and Mental Health

Pictured: A blue hat reading "Harmonize Humanity" rests upon a chain link fence. Credit to Steve Leisher on Unsplash.

What do we want to know? Is it ‘person with autism’ or ‘autistic person’? We want to learn how language preferences about autism develop and how they relate to autism acceptance and mental health. This study was developed in collaboration with autistic people / people with autism

Who are we looking for? 

  • Parents and caregivers of a person diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

What to Expect:

  • You will complete an online survey about your language preferences, your involvement in autistic and autism communities, how you feel in social situations, and your basic background information.
  • The survey takes approximately 20 minutes to complete.

Principal Investigator: Grace Iarocci, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B.C. Ethics Protocol 2020s0437.

How to sign up: Click here to be taken to the consent form and the study!

If you have any questions, please contact the Autism and Developmental Disorders Lab (ADDL) at addl@sfu.ca.

Job Interview Experiences of Autistic Adults: Towards More Inclusive and Accessible Hiring Practices

Pictured: The hands of two people sitting together at a table.  One person is writing in a notebook. Other items pictured on the table include a tablet, phone, messenger bag, water glass, and coffee cup.
Photo by Alejandro Escamilla on Unsplash
 

What do we want to know? We are interested in better understanding the job interview experiences of autistic adults. We also hope to identify existing barriers and explore potential strategies to promote inclusivity in hiring practices. Further information is needed to better understand how job interviews, and the hiring process more generally, could be more accessible for autistic adults. The current project will examine the job interview experiences of autistic adults through a qualitative research study in collaboration with professionals working in the field and autistic community members.

Who are we looking for? We are currently recruiting autistic adults (ages 19+) living in Canada.

What to expect: Participation in this study involves completing an online questionnaire and answering a series of questions about your job interview experiences. Your time commitment should you choose to participate will be approximately 1 to 1.5 hours.

How to sign up: For more information or if you are interested in participating, please contact Meryssa at addl@sfu.ca  

Principal Investigator: Dr. Grace Iarocci (giarocci@sfu.ca)
Ethics Protocol #30001843

Please see the flyer for this study here

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