Newsletters

Summary: We are inviting neurodivergent native English speakers from the United States and Canada to take part in an international research project exploring online conversations with Polish university teachers. Through friendly, one-to-one conversations in English, we aim to explore how people with different experiences and perspectives can learn from one another, build understanding and contribute to more inclusive approaches to higher education. The study also examines par

Summary: This study explores how older autistic adults (50+) manage everyday activities, including where they may experience difficulties with planning, organizing, adapting to, or completing a specific task, and how technology can help them stay independent. By listening directly to older autistic adults, our ultimate goal is to use this firsthand feedback to design better, smarter assistive technologies and tools. Researchers: Principal Investigator: Alex Mihailidis (PhD),

Summary: This study explores parents' and primary caregivers' experiences accessing preventive dental care, such as routine check-ups and cleanings, for children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in Canada. We hope to learn about challenges families encounter, positive experiences, and changes they believe would make dental services more accessible and inclusive. This research is being conducted as part of an undergraduate Honours thesis in Health Sciences a

Accessible Skies is a national project working to better understand the barriers people with cognitive disabilities and their support networks experience when travelling through Canadian airports. The project is currently seeking survey responses from adults with cognitive disabilities who travel by air, or who have reduced or stopped flying because of cognitive, intellectual, sensory, or mental health barriers, as well as care partners and family members who have supported s

Summary: We are in the process of designing a measure that assesses the frequency, severity, and function of many common self-injurious and aggressive behaviours that are common to autistic individuals who have difficulty communicating and require significant caregiver support. This measure is designed to be completed by people who work with or provide care for these individuals. We are currently inviting people to complete our measure in order to build our understanding of h

Summary: This Canadian virtual study evaluates a caregiver-led LEGO intervention designed to improve social communication in autistic children aged 3–7. It extends a previous study to test the effectiveness of these play-based strategies across different cultural and developmental contexts. Researchers: Primary Researcher: Reilly Burnett. Masters Student, University of Western Ontario. Who can participate? Participants must be autistic children between 3 and 7 years old who

Summary: This research study examines the effects of a structured music-based NeuroArts intervention on emotional regulation, sensory processing, stress, and overall well-being among autistic individuals. The study will evaluate participant experiences and, where appropriate, psychological and physiological measures to assess potential benefits of music-based approaches. Researchers: Professor, Physician, Psychology, Neuroscience, Occupational Therapy, or Related Field, stude

Summary: This anonymous online study explores how camouflaging, authenticity, loneliness, and wellbeing relate to one another across different neurotypes and lived experiences. It focuses particularly on autistic, ADHD, and AuDHD adults, while also including otherwise neurodivergent, questioning, and non-neurodivergent adults. Participation is open worldwide to adults who are fluent in English. Researchers: Safir Blyznyuk, Dr Lizzie Bradford Who can participate? Adults aged 1

Summary: The purpose of this study program is to investigate the effects of an attention focused music-based music training on the language development of children with autism. This study will help to discover possible challenges and benefits regarding le relationship between attention and language skills. Moreover, it will contribution to advancements in clinical and research knowledge. Researchers: Dr. Jenny Diouf Lewis, Dr. Henry Brice, Dr. Michael Thaut Who can participat

Have you experienced barriers when using public transportation by air, land, or sea? Autism Canada is inviting Autistic and neurodivergent adults to share their experiences using public transportation across Canada. Your feedback will help inform advocacy efforts and support more barrier free, inclusive travel experiences. Participation is anonymous and voluntary. --- Avez-vous rencontré des obstacles lors de l’utilisation du transport public par voie aérienne, terrestr

Summary: Exploring the lived experiences of accessible and affordable housing among families with children, youth and young adults with disabilities and identifying solutions to enhance inclusion is a 5-year project focused on the lived experiences of acquiring accessible and affordable housing among families with children, youth and young adults with disabilities and their families. Dr. Sally Lindsay, senior scientist at Holland Bloorview (TRAIL Lab), is leading this project

Summary: We are enrolling both children and adults diagnosed with autism, as well as physicians who provide care to individuals on the autism spectrum who reside in Alberta. The study, led by Dr. Daniel Moreno De Luca at the University of Alberta, aims to understand the experiences and perspectives of individuals on the autism spectrum, their families, and physicians regarding genetic testing in autism. Researchers: Dr. Daniel Moreno De Luca, Dener Cardoso Melo, Carrie Best,

Help us improve how organizations understand workplace performance. We are recruiting participants for a research study on the competencies that drive effectiveness at work across different ways of thinking. Too often, workplace expectations are built around a narrow model of performance. This study is part of a broader effort to better understand how both autistic and non-autistic employees contribute, and how organizations can design environments that make better use of tha

Summary: Help Improve Mental Health Support for Autistic Youth! Our research team is working to develop neurodiversity-affirming mental health supports for Autistic youth who have experienced suicidality. We believe that the best supports are created with input from people with lived and professional experience, and we are inviting community members to share their perspectives to inform a brief suicide intervention designed for and with Autistic youth. Researchers: This resea

Summary: We are looking for neurodivergent adults to participate in survey research. Using multiple choice questionnaires, we want to measure traits commonly associated with autism and ADHD, including repetitive motor movements, emotion regulation, and emotional identification. We also want to measure your dissociative experiences, including experiences with maladaptive daydreaming. The results of this study will be shared through publications in peer-reviewed academic journa

Summary: Through this study, we will gather evidence from young carers, their family members, and others who work with or provide support to young carers. This research will inform the development of policies and research priorities meant to enhance the health and well-being of young carers across Canada. Researchers: Principal Investigator (PI): Dr. Roberta Woodgate, Distinguished Professor Helen Glass Centre for Nursing, University of Manitoba 204.474.8338 Co-Investigators:

Summary: The Double Empathy Problem theory posits that social difficulties between autistic and non-autistic people are bidirectional. The theory has renewed investigations challenging the long-held notion of an “empathy deficit” in autism. In our study, we want to examine if emotional understanding differs when participants (either autistic or neurotypical) empathize with others who share or do not share their neurotype. Researchers: Wei Ai (PhD student), Jennifer Yu (Maste

Summary: This study wants to find out if the checklists we use to check for OCD can help identify OCD symptoms in autistic adults. We want to see if these checklists can tell the difference between autistic traits and OCD symptoms in autistic adults. We are also looking to find out if these checklists can show us what OCD is like in autistic adults. Researchers: Miss Tiana Caccetta, Associate Professor Iliana Magiati, Dr Lauren Taylor, Professor Ailsa Russell Who can par

Summary: Children today spend a large part of their daily lives using screens such as tablets, phones, televisions and video games. This research project aims to better understand the relationships between screen time and behavioural and psychological factors in children with autism aged 6 to 10 years old. The study will focus on parents’ reports of their child’s screen use and their child’s everyday behaviours and emotions. Researchers: Mariah Lisi & Supervisor: Dr. Miranda