Aspect Research Centre for Autism Practice - ARCAP

"Getting there is half the fun!" No, it's not – at least not for many Autistic travellers. Autistic people can find airports to be a barrage of sensory input – bright fluorescent lights, loud announcements and crowds moving in every direction. Faced with these challenges, many either endure the stress or avoid air travel altogether, missing out on experiences others take for granted. In an article for The Conversation Australia + NZ 💻, Aspect Research Centre for Autism Practice - ARCAP researchers, Dr Chris Edwards, Dr Ru Ying Cai and Dr Vicki Gibbs explain what they have learnt from Autistic adults and parents who travelled with Autistic children through Sydney Airport and Gold Coast Airport, two Australian airports that have been implementing autism-friendly initiatives for over five years. They discuss what airports can do to make travel more accessible and practical steps Autistic people can take to make their trip easier and less stressful. Read The Conversation article here 👉 https://lnkd.in/g2WaDEza #Autism #Research #Inclusion #Airports The Conversation Australia + NZ - Griffith University - Karen Keech - Sydney Airport - Gold Coast Airport - Hidden Disabilities Sunflower - Australia & New Zealand - Aspect Autism Friendly. Photo: Rising Sun Photography Sydney

Did you miss our recent webinar on "Autism-friendly innovations", where Dr Tom Tutton, Dr Ru Ying Cai, Dr Chris Edwards and Aimee F. shared valuable insights on practice models for creating inclusive environments and real-world examples that are transforming airports and museums into more accessible spaces for Autistic people? Great news! The webinar recording is now available. Take a look and please share with your networks. University of Glasgow Aspect Autism Friendly #AutismFriendly #Research #Webinar

ARCAP's latest publication on the benefits and challenges of autism alert cards has just been published ... and it's open access. #AutismResearch

Aspect Research Centre for Autism Practice - ARCAP partnered with Ending Loneliness Together and my brilliant mentor Michael Toland and colleague David Dueber to adapt a scale for measuring loneliness in Autistic adults. Loved speaking to Madeleine Jaine Lobsey about this important research!

"Putting Strengths-Based Approaches in Action" is the theme of the next Stanford Neurodiversity Summit, to be held 22–24 September 2024. The full program is now available, featuring a great line-up of speakers including ARCAP Research Fellow, Dr Ru Ying Cai. This is an accessible event with both in-person and online registrations available. It will be of particular interest to anyone who would like to exchange ideas about neurodiversity among a community that is open to active listening and growth. Find out more: https://lnkd.in/g74dKjrJ #Neurodiversity #GrowingCommunity Stanford University School of Medicine

💔 Steve Silberman’s NeuroTribes was pivotal in changing how autism is perceived, shifting the focus from seeking a "cure" to embracing autism as a natural variation of the human brain. His work has left a lasting legacy in promoting acceptance and understanding of neurodiversity. 

Research Fellows, Dr Chris Edwards and Dr Ru Ying Cai, have been honoured with an Early Career Research Award at today’s TheMHS Learning Network Inc. Mental Health Service Awards for their innovative work on "Improving the mental health of Autistic adults through the cultivation of self-compassion." The award recognises several years of pioneering research by Chris and Ru that resulted in the development of the Aspect Self-compassion Program for Autistic Adults (ASPAA), a free online program which helps Autistic people improve their self-compassion, emotion regulation and mental health. Over the last year, around 650 people have registered to use the program. The award was presented by TheMHS Awards Ambassador, Julie Millard AM at the ‘Finding Common Ground’ Conference Awards Ceremony, in Canberra. During their acceptance speech, Ru acknowledged the Autistic advisors who provided extensive feedback on ASPAA as well as the 39 Autistic adults who took part in the pilot study of the program. 🎉 Congratulations Ru and Chris on leading this comprehensive body of work that is proving to make a real-world impact in bettering the lives of Autistic adults. We also applaud all the other TheMHS Mental Health Service Award recipients and those who were highly commended. #TheMHSLearningNetwork #TheMHSAwards #AutismResearch #MentalHealth #Congratulations 

Our Head of Research, Dr Vicki Gibbs and CEO of Ending Loneliness Together, Associate Professor Michelle H Lim recently spoke with Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) Australia about an emerging international health crisis – loneliness. Our thanks to Josh, an Autistic man who shared his own experiences and insights for this podcast. #loneliness #research

“I knew in my heart that my daughter was Autistic by 18-months old, but what first clued me in was not what most people think of as indicators of autism,” recalls Ainslie in our latest blog post. Ainslie’s story is not uncommon. That’s why we're conducting a study to find out whether differences in the characteristics and behaviours of Autistic boys and girls in their very early years might contribute to missed or late diagnosis of autism. This study is closing soon. Can you help?  We are seeking input from parents/caregivers of Australian children/youth aged 12 to 25 who were diagnosed with autism at age 12 or older. We would especially like to hear from more parents of Autistic males. Please consider sharing your experiences to inform diagnostic criteria and enhance support services for all children. Research survey: tinyurl.com/arcapgender #AutismResearch #AutismDiagnosis #LateDiagnosedAutism #GenderDifferences

A new article with Aspect Research Centre for Autism Practice - ARCAP and Aspect Autism Friendly writing about #autism and #sport in the online Play by the Rules magazine The majority of Autistic people want to do more sport and activity. Most of the changes that enable this are known, not that costly or difficult to implement. 🏀 🏊♂️ ⚽ 🎾 👯 https://lnkd.in/gNhxtUBf