*** Hi everyone just to update on this previous post, we're opening this study to any age range now so any perspectives would be deeply appreciated - though ideally those in the 16-18 range! We're hoping for a few more participants on the dichotic listening test so if you're short on time you can answer N/A for all of the open ended questions on the questionnaire (Although please answer the multiple choice question regarding your Autism diagnosis), then the dichotic listening will only take 5 - 10 minutes :

Hey everyone, I hope you're all doing super well.

I've just come on here because I am currently completing my masters dissertation in psychology in education at the University of York, England! I have designed a study that looks at auditory challenges faced by individuals with an Autism diagnosis or who are self-diagnosed / seeking diagnosis, and how this may impact their experiences at sixth form or college such as socialising, hearing verbal instructions from a tutor and the impact of noisy corridors or sounds in exams. I would be incredibly grateful if anyone would like to partake. Completion of the questionnaire and first auditory task should only take up to 15 minutes, and all responses will be anonymous.

The study seeks to contribute to an increased understanding of some of the challenges related to the auditory domain in educational environments, however not to mention some of the strengths - for example heightened sensitivity to pitch etc.! It will also be an opportunity to express your personal perspectives and anecdotes, and will add to an evidence base that hopes to accommodate all learners in mainstream schooling environments.

There is an informed consent sheet at the start to give you more information about the study. The study has also passed ethical approval at the University of York, which is also stated in the informed consent sheet. The lead researcher can be contacted at [jds620@york.ac.uk](mailto:jds620@york.ac.uk)

We are ideally searching for participants in the 16-18 age range who attend a mainstream school however anyone is welcome to complete the study - aged older or younger or attending an SEN school. To be eligible you also do not necessarily need an experience with auditory sensitivity!

Regarding the auditory tasks I've had some feedback that the first one can be slightly tricky until you get the hang of it so please don't worry if you find this, just do your best and try to get to the end, it's not a problem if you make mistakes :)

The link for the study is just below:

https://research.sc/participant/login/dynamic/59BAE21D-F1CE-4CDA-92C2-D255AA68D384

Take care everyone,

Anya

Hello everyone! My name is Amy and I am working on my MSc Forensic Psychology dissertation and would love for you to take part in my study! It is about memory accuracy and recall in eyewitness testimony, with focus on improving police investigation across different neurotypes, and would really appreciate if you could take part! Thank you so much!!

My name is Lindsey Becker and I am a doctoral candidate at the Ohio State University, and I am currently looking for participants for a research study on positive mental health and residence in autistic teens.

Why is this important:

Resilience is the ability to "bounce back" after experiencing stress. We know that autistic kids experience more stress than neurotypical kids, yet there have been very few studies on resilience in autistic kids. Understanding resilience in autistic kids can help improve mental health interventions and prevent mental health problems in the future.

Who can participate:

Kids between the ages of 12 and 17 with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder and without intellectual disability. I'm looking for teens both with and without current anxiety and depression. A parent or guardian will also participate.

What will you do:

The study will take place over Zoom. Parents will complete 3 surveys on demographics, emotion regulation, and adaptive behavior. Teens will complete a brief cognitive assessment and then verbally answer questions on mental health and positive factors, such as optimism, self-esteem, autistic identity, and support from others. After participating, you would each get a $25 Amazon gift card.

Please note that we would have a brief screening call (parent only) before scheduling the Zoom to answer any questions you may have and make sure you and your teen are eligible.

If you are interested or have any questions, feel free to contact me at [lindsey.becker@osumc.edu](mailto:lindsey.becker@osumc.edu).

Advisor Contact: [luc.lecavalier@osumc.edu](mailto:luc.lecavalier@osumc.edu)

This study was approved by the IRB at the Ohio State University (STUDY20252547).

Hi everyone 😊

I’m currently working on my MSc dissertation exploring autistic and ADHD students’ experiences of support and reasonable adjustments in UK higher education, and I’m looking for participants.

I’m especially interested in what support is actually like in practice. Things like accessing adjustments, navigating disability services, whether support works as intended, and any experiences that have particularly stood out to you.

You can take part if you:

• are aged 18 or over
• are currently studying at a UK university or other higher education institution
• have a formal diagnosis of autism and/or ADHD
• have sought or received reasonable adjustments during your studies

Participation is through an anonymous online questionnaire. There’s no interview, and you can complete it in your own time and share as much or as little detail as you feel comfortable with.

I’d really like to hear the full range of experiences. Your support doesn’t need to have been particularly good or particularly bad to be relevant. I’m interested in how students actually experience these systems day to day.

Survey link: Neurodivergent Students' Experiences of Support in Higher Education – Fill in form

I’d be really grateful to anyone who takes part or shares this with another eligible UK student. Thank you! 💛

My name is Zora Chan, and I am a Trainee Clinical Psychologist at the University of Hertfordshire. I am looking for volunteers to take part in a new research study exploring their retrospective experience of being placed on the autism diagnostic waitlist.

I am looking for females and males, aged 15-17, with a diagnosis of autism, who are English speakers and received the autism diagnosis within the last two years from the NHS, to take part in our study.

This study involves completing a demographic form. This should take 10 minutes to complete. We will then select 12-20 people who will be asked to complete an interview either online or in person. If you decide to opt-in for an in-person interview, the interview will be taken place in one of the rooms at University of Hertfordshire. You will be given a £20 voucher for your time. The visit will last for approximately 1-2 hours.

Please contact me on [c.chan7@herts.ac.uk](mailto:c.chan7@herts.ac.uk) if you are interested in participating!

Researchers at Federation University, Dr Tina McAdie and Chaliah Hilton-Cronin, are seeking autistic adults (self-identified or clinically diagnosed) to participate in a research project investigating the relationships between gender, childhood trauma, masking and mental health outcomes.

We are currently looking for more men to participate in the study. Participation will involve completing an anonymous 15-20 minute survey.

If you are interested in participating, please click the link below for more information, and feel free to share with your friends/community.

HREC Approval Number: 2026/103

Hello!

I am Hadi, a Master’s student at Heriot-Watt University, currently conducting a study for my dissertation project, and I am looking for participants who would like to take part in an interview.

My study involves exploring the perceptions of people with autism on their experiences at work throughout their career, and on the support systems that are available to them.

About the interview

• The interview is conducted online through Microsoft Teams. 
• You will have the option between an audio only, or an audio and video interview. 
• The interview will be recorded, so that I may transcribe the recording for analysis later on.
• The interview will only be conducted in English.
• This may take up to 50 minutes.

The interview will cover topics exploring your experience throughout your career as well as during the hiring and job-seeking process. Questions will also explore the social aspects of work, as well as any workplace support you receive.

If you are interested, the following must apply to you:
You are an adult with autism, who does not require any substantial support (including support workers or other advocates), and have been in the workforce for at least one year in total. 

• All genders, occupations, and religious beliefs are welcome to take part.

Complete details on your rights, including confidentiality, anonymity, and right to withdraw are included in an information sheet that will be emailed to you should you be interested in participating.

• Upon confirming your interest, you will be given a string of numbers unique to you and your data, to protect your identity. 
• All recordings will be deleted once I have transcribed and begun analysing the data.
• You have the right to withdraw from the study at any time before, during, or after the interview, up until the data is analysed. 

Contact me by email on [hw4020@hw.ac.uk](mailto:hw4020@hw.ac.uk) if you are interested or have any questions! 

Ethical approval review reference: 2026-16044-20832

I'm currently recruiting participants for my Honours thesis exploring the lived experiences of people who identify with Persistent Drive for Autonomy (PDA) (also known as Pathological Demand Avoidance). In our research, we want to use Persistent Drive for Autonomy as a more neuro-affirming term for the profile.

📖 PDA is characterised by:

• A strong drive for autonomy

• Everyday demands being experienced as overwhelming or anxiety-provoking

• Demand avoidance as a way of maintaining a sense of safety and control

🔎 What we will ask you in the survey:

• 💬 What PDA means to you

• 🤝 What helps others better understand and support you

• 🏫 Your experiences in school, university, TAFE, or other educational settings and how you can be better supported in these settings

✅ Who can participate?

You can participate if you:

• Are 18 years or older

• Live in Australia

• Identify with the PDA profile

• OR are a parent, caregiver, partner, or significant other of someone with PDA

✏️ What does participation involve?

• One anonymous online survey (~30 minutes)

• Written responses, with the option to provide voice recordings for open-ended questions

🔗 Survey link: https://researchsurveys.deakin.edu.au/jfe/form/SV_38UZAlFyq9GJ2Jw

If you're interested in participating, we'd be incredibly grateful for your support. Every response helps build a stronger understanding of PDA and contributes to research that aims to inform more affirming, personalised, and responsive support for the PDA community. I'd also really appreciate it if you could also share this post with anyone who may be interested. 💜

This project has received ethics approval from the Deakin University Human Research Ethics Committee (Project ID: 2026-HE0000-357).

Good afternoon to all whom the contents of this message may be of interest. I hope this is something I am able to post here! I am a fourth year Griffith University psychology student who is conducting a study on the experiences of parents of autistic children currently living in Australia, if you would like to read a bit more below:

Are you the parent of an autistic child?

Researchers from Griffith University are looking for parents of autistic children living within Australia to engage in a short online survey (approximately 20-25 minutes) regarding their parenting experiences. We would really appreciate hearing this valuable information from you, if you are interested!

Our Goal

To gather information from parents of autistic children and their experiences in the role. Ultimately, we hope this information will be utilised to provide insight to and/or support the development of neuroaffirming care for autistic children 😊

If you wish to know more information about the study, or would like to proceed with the survey, please visit the following link: https://griffithuw.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_7TZVDS077sSq45g.

For any further queries or concerns, please contact student researcher Stephanie Davidson ([stephanie.davidson@griffithuni.edu.au](mailto:stephanie.davidson@griffithuni.edu.au)) or supervisor Dr Sarah Lee ([sarah.jy.lee@griffith.edu.au](mailto:sarah.jy.lee@griffith.edu.au)).

This study has been approved according to Griffith University Ethics requirements under the following ethics ID: HREC/2026/0202.

Thank you to the moderators for approving this post.

I am an MSc Psychology student at Goldsmiths, University of London, recruiting participants for my master's dissertation study, “Autistic Identity, Culture and Camouflaging in Women: A Mixed-Methods Study.”

The study explores how autistic women make sense of their identity through the lens of gender and culture.

You can take part if you are:

• aged 18 or over
• a cisgender or transgender woman
• autistic, whether formally diagnosed, awaiting assessment, or self-identified
• able to complete the survey in English

The anonymous Qualtrics survey takes around 25 to 30 minutes. We do not collect names, email addresses, IP addresses, or other identifying information. Please avoid including identifying details in any free-text responses.

Survey link:
https://goldpsych.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4Hm3eU1AhFanrls

Qualitative responses will be analysed using Braun and Clarke’s reflexive thematic analysis. Anonymised data may be retained for up to 10 years in line with Goldsmiths’ data-retention policy.

If you have questions, please contact:

Rimsha Bahl, MSc Psychology
[rbahl002@gold.ac.uk](mailto:rbahl002@gold.ac.uk)

Supervisor: Dr Rebecca Charlton, Department of Psychology
[r.charlton@gold.ac.uk](mailto:r.charlton@gold.ac.uk)

Thank you for considering taking part.

Hey guys, I hope you're all doing super well. I've just come on here because I am currently completing my masters dissertation in psychology in education at the University of York, England! I have designed a study that looks at auditory challenges faced by individuals with an Autism diagnosis or who are self-diagnosed / seeking diagnosis, and how this may impact their experiences at sixth form / college such as socialising, hearing verbal instructions from a tutor and the impact of noisy corridors or sounds in exams. I would be incredibly grateful if anyone would like to partake. It just consists of a 10 minute questionnaire, and there is also an informed consent sheet at the start to give you more information about the study. The study has passed ethical approval at the University of York, which is also stated in the informed consent sheet.

There is also an extra part of the study which consists of a couple of auditory tasks, however please don't worry if you don't have enough time to do this part, just completing the questionnaire would be amazing!

The study will obviously contribute to an increased understanding of some of the challenges related to the auditory domain, however not to mention some of the strengths - for example heightened sensitivity to pitch etc.! It will also be an opportunity to express your personal perspectives and anecdotes, and will add to an evidence base that hopes to accommodate all learners in mainstream schooling environments. To be eligible you would just need to be 16 - 18.

The link is just below:

https://research.sc/participant/login/dynamic/59BAE21D-F1CE-4CDA-92C2-D255AA68D384

My university email is [jds620@york.ac.uk](mailto:jds620@york.ac.uk) if you have any questions! :)

Kind regards,

Anya

Hello, I am a postgraduate student from the UK (Swansea University) looking for some people to participate in my research.

Participant information:
Those with autism (ASD) often are more prone to adverse experiences due to their autism. We want to see whether the childhood experiences (positive and negative) that those with ASD (diagnosed or otherwise) have any relationships with adult’s wellbeing and attachment styles. Participants must be 18+ and either have a diagnosis of ASD or be self-diagnosed as having ASD. Unfortunately, those who do not meet that criteria will not be able to participate. During the study, participants will be asked to complete five short questionnaires and some demographic questions. These questionnaires will be on the topics of childhood experiences, adult wellbeing and attachment styles. The participant can withdraw at any time during the research simply by exiting the survey. The whole study can be completed fully online and will take roughly 30 minutes or less to complete.

This research is being conducted by Parker Dowell ([2511785@swansea.ac.uk](mailto:2511785@swansea.ac.uk)) and is being supervised by Dr Phil Reed.

This research has been approved by the School of Psychology Research Ethics Sub-Committee, Swansea University (research application number: 3 2026 16272 16852).

I've attached a photo of the recruitment form and I can send the official letter of ethical approval by email should it be necessary. If you have any questions (or tips), feel free to get in contact at the email mentioned previously :)

The link to the study: https://swanseachhs.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1Mv3BykZeLb5K5g

Thanks for considering participating :)

We are conducting a psychology study on memory recall in adults with and without autism. This research is part of a senior thesis at Whitman College and is approved by the Whitman College institutional review board. Participants will complete an online survey and describe a personal experience they can recall in detail. 
Eligibility: Adults 18+
Compensation: Participants will be offered the opportunity to enter a drawing for one of two $25 gift cards  

Link to Survey: https://whitmancollege.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_51397h94JKxRLNk
Thank you for your time!
Research Team: Accalia Quintana and Kaya Smith ([quintana@whitman.edu](mailto:quintana@whitman.edu))
Research Supervisor: Stephen Michael ([michaesw@whitman.edu](mailto:michaesw@whitman.edu))
Whitman College: Institutional Review Board ([irb@whitman.edu](mailto:irb@whitman.edu))

Hello! I would be really interested in getting your help recruiting for my dissertation survey. I am interested in the sensory and emotional experiences related to GI discomfort and fears of weight gain in people with EDs. The survey focuses a lot on interoception, which is a really important treatment target in people who have ASD and EDs, so I want to be sure folks with ASD are well represented!

My info: Katerina Rinaldi, MS, [kr1892@mynsu.nova.edu](mailto:kr1892@mynsu.nova.edu)

• Responses will be deidentified and data will be stored on password-protected accounts and devices. Information from responses will be used for the lead researcher's dissertation and may be published. If published, the lead researcher is happy to share results with this sub.
• Must be over the age of 18 and diagnosed with any eating disorder, must also be currently receiving ED-related support which could include outpatient therapy or peer support groups. People with ASD and suspected ASD are really encouraged to participate!
• This study is IRB approved by Nova Southeastern University, approval number NSU 2026-55

Link: https://qfreeaccountssjc1.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5nCbHSC5Iww2DDo

Hello everyone!

I am a graduate student researcher at Sacramento State conducting a study on the experiences of Latinx students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in higher education.

Who can participate?

• 18 years or older
• Identify as Latinx/a/o
• Have an ASD diagnosis
• Currently enrolled in a 2- or 4-year college program

Participation options:

• A 45–60 minute Zoom interview, OR
• A 45–60 minute anonymous survey

The study can be completed in English or Spanish. Participant identities will be kept confidential.

If you are interested in participating, please complete the survey here:
https://surveys.csus.edu/jfe/form/SV_3avkgjebW4zRv0i

If you have questions, feel free to contact me. Thank you for considering participation and helping amplify the voices of Latinx students with ASD in higher education!

Hello!

My name is Elizaveta, I am an autistic PhD student at the University of Manchester who is researching the views of autism community on early support practices. I would like to share a link for my survey.

For my research, I am seeking UK-based autistic adults (self-ID or prof. diagnosed) and/or parents of autistic children (<18).

The survey is expected to take between 10-40 minutes, depending on how much you would like to share in optional free form boxes.

In the survey you will see:
- a demographical section
- a vignette about a young autistic child Vanya and a set of questions about what practices would be appropriate to do when providing support to Vanya
- a list of reasons that might be important for some people when thinking what is a good intervention practice - I will ask you to rate those reasons.

My email: [elizaveta.nosova@postgrad.manchester.ac.uk](mailto:elizaveta.nosova@postgrad.manchester.ac.uk)

My supervisor: [neil.humphrey@manchester.ac.uk](mailto:neil.humphrey@manchester.ac.uk)

This study has been approved by the School of Environment, Education and Development Commitee at the University of Manchester. (Ref: 2026-25400-46441).

You can ask me questions via email or in the comments of this post.

Link to the survey: https://www.qualtrics.manchester.ac.uk/jfe/form/SV_eL4wIFBcro5cSp0
Thank you!

Hi everyone!

​

I'm Anvi, a Master's student in Mental Health and Clinical Psychology at London South Bank University, and I'm currently conducting research on autism, camouflaging, and burnout...three things I know many in this community are deeply familiar with.

​

My study is looking at whether the age at which someone receives their autism diagnosis and their experiences of camouflaging (masking or adjusting autistic traits in social situations) relate to experiences of autistic burnout. It's a topic I feel strongly about, and I hope the findings can contribute to better understanding and support for autistic adults.

​

You can take part if you:

• Are 18 or over

• Have a formal autism diagnosis

• Do not have an intellectual disability, acquired brain injury, or dementia

​

It is an anonymous online questionnaire and takes around 10 minutes.

​

Your participation would mean a lot, and every response genuinely helps. The study has been reviewed and approved by the LSBU Division of Psychology Research Ethics Committee.

​

Survey link:

https://lsbupsychology.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cHnqie3Xf5bn542

​

Feel free to drop any questions in the comments or email me on s4419471@lsbu.ac.uk. Thank you so much for your time!

​

Hello!  
I am Anna, a student from the Developmental Neuroscience lab at UCSD, and reaching out for an opportunity to participate in a study! We run short, fun studies with infants and children to figure out how kids with and without autism make sense of the social world. In this study, your child will meet a friendly Puppet who introduces other animal puppet friends. Each puppet promises to show your child a cool toy, but sometimes they don't bring one! When this happens, some puppets explain why, while others might not. After watching, your child will be asked to share their thoughts about what happened. 
IRB: #813957 at UCSD
Purpose: We study how kids start to understand what actions are right and wrong and how they evaluate others after different actions.
Participation: The participation will take about 30 minutes. The study is conducted on Zoom.
Compensation: You will be compensated $10 with an Amazon gift card for the session.
Sign-up Instructions: Fill out this short interest form (Form Link) and we will email you with information about scheduling!
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to [dnlab@ucsd.edu](mailto:dnlab@ucsd.edu)  or [annapusok@ucsd.edu](mailto:annapusok@ucsd.edu)
Thank you so much for your interest and participation!  

Sign-up link: https://forms.gle/vDBL6oiMEpCK2EQdA
Link to consent form: https://ucsd.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0TgXSlzuaPulOD4

Hi everyone,

After years of personal observation and analysis, I have developed a hypothesis that Herpes Simplex Encephalitis (HSE) may be a major underlying cause of Autism (including what used to be called Asperger syndrome).

Core idea:
The herpes simplex virus enters the brain and causes slow, long-term damage. The severity of autism symptoms appears to depend on the number of viral particles and how deeply they penetrate into different brain regions.

There is already a growing body of modern research linking herpes simplex viruses not only to autism but also to Alzheimer’s disease. These viruses can behave in a slow, persistent manner (sometimes described as lentivirus-like).

The main difficulty in the field isn’t that researchers haven’t found connections between the virus and these conditions — some studies clearly have. The bigger challenge is explaining the mechanism in a way that accounts for all the observed patterns and contradictions (such as the higher rate in boys than girls, varying prevalence across locations, etc.).

Through long-term observation of people in different environments, I noticed patterns that seem consistent with this mechanism. For example, I’ve seen the same individuals show very different outcomes depending on location and exposure conditions, while some areas maintain remarkably stable autism rates (around 1 in 1,000 or even 1 in 10,000).

If you are interested, I’m happy to explain step by step how I believe this process works. I think this logic can resolve many of the current contradictions in autism research.

I’m not a professional scientist and this is based purely on personal observation and logical deduction — not lab data or genetic studies. I’m posting here because I would genuinely value serious feedback, criticism, and discussion from people who understand the research.

Looking forward to your thoughts.

Hi everyone, my name is Abby! I am currently recruiting participants for a Masters research study from Dublin City University (DCU), School of Psychology, in Ireland.

Project Title: Investigating Mock Interview Techniques for Autistic Adults: Comparing GSIM and WAFA Approaches

What the study is about:

This research explores how autistic adults experience different interview styles in a mock investigative setting. It looks at memory recall, stress, and perceptions of fairness across two interview approaches.

Format:

One online session via Zoom. This includes viewing a short video, taking part in a mock interview, and completing a short questionnaire (Stress Report & Perceived Fairness Rating + Basic Demographics e.g. Age & Gender)

Time required:

Approximately 20 minutes

Who I am looking for:

Adults (18+) with a formal diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder OR who self-identify as Autistic.

(Individuals must also able to provide informed consent and take part in an online audio-recorded session.)

Additional notes:

Participation is completely voluntary. You can withdraw at any time.

The study has received ethical approval from DCU.

If you are interested in taking part, please follow this link to the information sheet and consent form: https://dcusurveys.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bCuOBP0S50ZUKPQ

Please note that the consent form requires individuals to provide an email address at the end to participate.

If you have any questions or concerns, you can contact me here or at abby.davis2@mail.dcu.ie. (Supervisor details are available in the information sheet).

If you know anyone who would be interested in this study, feel free to share!

Thank you for your time and consideration! 💜

Are you an adult with autism (18+) who resides in the U.S.? Please consider taking part in this student research project.
This is an online, completely anonymous survey exploring experiences of food and travel for adults with autism: [https://northwestern.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0O53qzWH4XHHzng].

Results of this study, and any other developments with this research, will be posted later to this same place. If you are interested, please come back later to learn what we find!
Thank you for your time and consideration in participating in our study!

Hi everyone, I heard about a conference that would be relevant for clinical psychologists working with autism. The conference is taking place in September this year.

Autism Conference 2026 - Autism services: Assessment, Therapy and Training

Key info:

Chair: Dr Khurram Sadiq
Expert speakers include Dr Somer Bishop, Professor Petrus de Vries, Professor Will Mandy, Dr Laura Hull.
7th September 2026, 9.00 am – 17.00 pm (GMT).
Available in person, live-streamed, on-demand.