Current research projects
Who we are working with
Affinity Spaces: Interest-driven social media practices during the transition to adulthood
Led by Queen Mary University of London, this study explores autistic young people’s experiences of social media. It focusses on which social media resources are available to them, and how these resources are used to interact with others, and to engage in interests. The project team are interested in making existing interest-driven spaces more inclusive of autistic needs and communicative preference.
CECiLiA: Care, education and treatment reviews [CETRs] for people with Learning disabilities and Autistic people
Led by University of Birmingham, this project explores the experiences and outcomes of CETRs for people with learning disabilities and autistic people. The work investigates how CETRs are being carried out in different settings, and how CETRs influence care pathways (e.g., preventing admissions). The findings will be used to develop good practice guidelines for conducting CETRs.
XRAD (Extended Reality for Autistic Drivers)
Led by University of Exeter, this study aims to help autistic people learn and improve driving skills, to reduce common barriers and aid independence. Researchers are working with a team of autistic people to co-design new support tools using extended reality technologies, also collaborating with technology companies and driving experts.
ENHANCED: Reasonable adjustments in health datasets for people who are autistic or have learning disabilities
Led by King’s College London, the aim of the ENHANCED project is to improve how learning disability and autism are recorded in medical files, with a view to reducing health inequalities. The research team will also investigate the use of reasonable adjustments – who receives these, what are they, and what impact they have on people's care. The work will help the NHS to roll out the Reasonable Adjustments Digital Flag scheme so that appropriate, reasonable adjustments can be made for all people who need them. The work will use the anonymised electronic medical files of thousands of people from across the UK.
Inclusive Talk: Understanding how to increase inclusiveness of NHS Talking Therapies for anxiety and depression
Led by University College London, this project investigates experiences of autistic adults and adults with learning disabilities in NHS Talking Therapies for (formerly IAPT). Using a large, England-wide dataset (including over 30,000 autistic adults and over 30,000 adults with learning disabilities). this work will help to increase access, improve experiences in, and outcomes of NHS Talking Therapies for these groups.