Are you a mother of a child between 3-9 years old with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorders/Conditions (ASD/ASC)?

[KathC]

Are you a mother of a child between 3-9 years old with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorders/Conditions (ASD/ASC)?

 

Hello,

 

I am a Trainee Educational Psychologist and I am very keen on supporting children with ASD/ASC and their parents. I am currently conducting a nationwide research study to identify ways forward in which parents of children with ASD/ASC can be better supported by professionals (particularly in terms of planning interventions that would best fit the children’s and the parents’ needs). This research will help to better understand the links between parents’ views of their child’s behaviour and parents’ acceptance of interventions.

 

If you have a child who has been formally diagnosed with ASD/ASC and is between the ages of 3 and 9 years, I would like to invite you to participate in this research. It will involve completing a set of questionnaires at your own convenience. You are welcome to request a summary of the research findings when the research is completed. As appreciation for your participation, you will be given the option to enter into a prize draw of £25 M&S gift voucher (approximately a one-in-six chance of winning!).

 

If you are happy to take part, please complete the online survey (www.isurvey.soton.ac.uk/2638; password: 2638). For further information or paper copies of the survey, please call me on 07776 291 399 or email ykc1g09@soton.ac.uk. Alternatively, this is the link to my research page on the NAS website.

 

Your help with this research is greatly appreciated. Thank you!

 

Yours faithfully,

Kathy Choi

 

Trainee Educational Psychologist

Doctorate in Educational Psychology

University of Southampton

Edited August 3, 2011 by KathC

[bid]

Umm, why just mothers??

 

Bid

[KathC]

Umm, why just mothers??

 

Bid

Hello, Bid. Thanks a lot for your post!

 

As there could be gender differences in terms of parents' view/perceptions, I am hoping to include mothers only at this stage of my research to help reveal a "purer" understanding of the research findings.

 

Hope this helps. Please feel free to post me any questions.

 

To make the research findings more meaningful, I would like to invite as many parents as possible, so I would greatly appreciate your help!

 

Many thanks.

 

Kind Regards,

Kathy

[bid]

My son is an adult now, so I can't help with your research I'm afraid.

 

Are you going to balance your findings by getting the same number of fathers to complete your questionnaire then?

 

Bid

[Mumble]

Are you going to balance your findings by getting the same number of fathers to complete your questionnaire then?

That wouldn't be 'balance', that would be an extension to the study. The mother's focus reduces the competing variables, ensuring the research is valid and reliable with as much controlled for as possible.

[bid]

That wouldn't be 'balance',that would be an extension to the study. The mother's focus reduces the competing variables, ensuring the research is valid and reliable with as much controlled for as possible.

 

But surely it will only be valid as a study into what mother's think about professional support...the researcher is asking specifically for mothers to complete the questionnaire, but then she explains her research by talking about being interested in the views of parents.

 

Pedantic? Moi??

 

Bid

[Mumble]

But surely it will only be valid as a study into what mother's think about professional support...the researcher is asking specifically for mothers to complete the questionnaire, but then she explains her research by talking about being interested in the views of parents.

 

Pedantic? Moi??

 

Bid

No, not pedantic. Well no more than me anyhoo. Ah...

 

The results would only be applicable to mothers, but mothers are parents so the researcher could talk about mothers as parents and suggest how the findings may be applicable to parents more generally (I haven't seen the questions, but it's possible that for some mothers may bring up the father's role), and the need for further research.

 

All research has to be limited - this is further limited by being 3 - 9 (why those ages, you could ask), already having a dx, only a dx of ASD, possibly only those with a strong enough grasp of English to complete the questionnaire, etc., etc.,

[KathC]

But surely it will only be valid as a study into what mother's think about professional support...the researcher is asking specifically for mothers to complete the questionnaire, but then she explains her research by talking about being interested in the views of parents.

 

Pedantic? Moi??

 

Bid

Hi Bid, I’m sorry for the confusion about my research study. As Mumble mentioned, the reason to have the mother’s focus is to reduce the competing variables so that the research findings can be more meaningful. When reporting my research findings, it will be explained clearly that the present research is only able to involve mothers at this stage, so that the potential readers won’t get confused.

 

I am indeed interested in the views of all parents (both mothers and fathers). However, due to resource constraints, I am only able to focus on mothers at this stage of my research to ensure the research study can be as valid as possible. This applies the same for the decisions made on the other variables used in the study (e.g. the 3-9 age range is used for involving children who are before the adolescent phase). Hopefully further research can involve fathers or children in other age range to extend the research findings in the future.

 

Many thanks.

 

Kathy

[KathC]

No, not pedantic. Well no more than me anyhoo. Ah...

 

The results would only be applicable to mothers, but mothers are parents so the researcher could talk about mothers as parents and suggest how the findings may be applicable to parents more generally (I haven't seen the questions, but it's possible that for some mothers may bring up the father's role), and the need for further research.

 

All research has to be limited - this is further limited by being 3 - 9 (why those ages, you could ask), already having a dx, only a dx of ASD, possibly only those with a strong enough grasp of English to complete the questionnaire, etc., etc.,

Hi Mumble, thank you so much for all the clarification!

 

Many thanks!

 

Kathy

[bid]

OK, thanks for explaining, Kath and Mumble!

 

Bid

[baddad]

 

[KathC]

OK, thanks for explaining, Kath and Mumble!

 

Bid

You're very welcome! Please feel free to ask if you have any other questions