Autism Advisory & Support Service is sharing the following opportunity on behalf of the researchers mentioned below.
You are invited to take part in an online focus group exploring the Autistic community’s experiences with mental health care in NSW.
This focus group is part of the NSW Strategy to Improve the Mental Health of Autistic People and is being conducted by researchers at the University of New South Wales (UNSW).
This focus group aims to hear directly from the Autistic community about their experiences of accessing mental health care in NSW. UNSW want to understand what has worked well, what has been difficult, and what autism-affirming mental health care should look like from your perspective.
Who Can Participate
UNSW are inviting people from the following groups to participate:
- Autistic people, or
- Supporters of Autistic people (such as family members, carers, paid support workers and/or volunteers), or
- Young Autistic people (aged 14–17 years old), who can participate with the support of a parent or guardian
For participants aged 14–17 years, participation requires consent from a parent or guardian and agreement (assent) from the young person. Both must be confirmed before participation in a focus group.
What Participation Involves
Participating in this focus group involves completing a short registration survey (linked below) and then taking part in an online focus group via Microsoft Teams with a researcher and a small group of other participants.
For participants aged 14–17 years, a parent or guardian will complete the registration survey and provide consent on behalf of the young person. The young person will also be asked to confirm that they are happy to participate before the focus group begins.
Focus Group Details
Focus groups will:
- Run for approximately 60–90 minutes
- Be audio-recorded
- Involve open-ended discussion about experiences of mental health care
- Explore what has worked well, what could be improved, and what autism-affirming care should look like
Important Information
Participation is entirely voluntary. If you decide not to take part, this will have no impact on your relationship with any services, organisations, or the research team.
If you choose to participate, you may withdraw at any time without giving a reason. For participants aged 14–17 years, either the parent or guardian or the young person may choose to withdraw at any time.
There are no costs associated with participating in this focus group, and you will not be paid for participating.
How to Participate
If you would like to take part, please click the link here –
This link will take you to the registration survey, where you can:
- View, sign, and download the Participant Information Sheet and Consent Form (PISCF)
- Learn more about the focus group
- Provide eligibility and demographic information
If you do not wish to participate, you may simply ignore this post
Contact Information
If you would like more information about the focus group, please contact:
Jack Cooper
📧 jack.r.cooper@unsw.edu.au
📞 +61 434 182 259
If you have any concerns or complaints about the conduct of this focus group, you may contact the UNSW Human Research Ethics Office at:
📧 humanethics@unsw.edu.au
📞 +61 2 9385 6222
Please quote the focus group title and project number 10712
