Research
-
Annual Health Checks Survey
Autistic people, on average, have worse health outcomes than the general population. Annual health checks have been suggested as one way to improve health outcomes. We want to understand the barriers and facilitators involved in implementing annual health checks for this group so we can develop adequate support for primary health care professionals. Who can…
-
Research Passport
Towards empathetic autism research – Developing and evaluating an autism-specific Research Passport: This project aims to develop a Research Passport. This research passport is a tool for improving autistic people’s experiences of taking part in research. It is a way for autistic people and researchers to have a conversation about things like communication preferences and…
-
Autism and employment
Figures released by the Office for National Statistics highlight that only 21.7% of autistic adults are employed, compared to 53.6% of all disabled people. CRAE researchers want to help get more autistic people into meaningful employment. We study several different aspects of employment, including: Discover Autism Research and Employment (DARE): DARE is a collaboration between…
-
Mental health and autism
Mental health is a major public health issue, particularly for autistic people. Know your Normal: In 2017, members of the CRAE team (Laura Crane and Liz Pellicano) collaborated with a group of young autistic people from the charity Ambitious about Autism (Fern Adams, Georgia Harper and Jack Welch) to co-produce a research study as part…
-
Access to justice
Access to justice is a key issue for many sectors of society, but can be particularly problematic for those with communication difficulties. This makes us think that autistic people may be at risk in the justice system (in both criminal settings and family courts). CRAE, together with colleagues at City University of London, the University…
-
SUPER
Superior perceptual capacity in autism: investigating universality, specificity and practical applications for learning In our research, we aim to gain a deeper understanding of how autistic individuals perceive and process information in different situations. By doing this, we hope to provide better support for those who struggle with sensory sensitivities and develop the best possible…
-
Puberty and menstruation in autistic women and girls
Autistic women and girls are heavily underrepresented and understudied in research. In particular, we know very little about autistic women and girls’ experiences of puberty and menstruation. Puberty in Autistic Girls: CRAE researchers identified that very little research exists on the experience of puberty for autistic girls, especially for those who are minimally verbal with…
-
Autistic people’s access to diagnosis and healthcare
Accessing an autism diagnosis Accessing an autism diagnosis is a key milestone for autistic people and their families. Yet, lengthy delays in receiving an autism diagnosis are commonly reported. This can be stressful for the person and their family, and is not helped by the lack of support offered post-diagnosis. Led by Laura Crane, CRAE…
-
Autism and education
All children and young people deserve access to a high-quality education. Yet we know that autistic people often report negative experiences of school. CRAE research focuses on better understanding the educational experiences of autistic children, and identifying effective, evidence-based ways to best support them. Some examples of our educationally-focused research projects are listed below: Pan…
-
Robots, artificial intelligence and autism
The DE-ENIGMA Horizon 2020 project is a large, EU-funded project. It studies the potential of human-like robots as tools in autism education. This project brings together the UCL Institute of Education and partner institutions across Europe, representing both technical and autism-focused expertise. This research project explores the feasibility of robot-assisted teaching as part of autism…