Promoting stakeholder engagement in autism research: video-based interventions for promoting social behaviour

Dr Catherine Storey, BCBA, Lecturer in Behaviour Analysis, Queen’s University Belfast

‘Stakeholder’ can be defined as “any group or individual who is affected by or can affect the achievement of an organisations’ objectives” (Freeman, 1984). This presentation focuses on the importance of involving autistic people and other stakeholders in the research that is conducted about their lives, from planning the project through to dissemination of outcomes, to bridge the gap between research and practice and ensure that Autism research is meaningful and impactful to those individuals to whom it directly relates. Cat draws on a Campbell Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis that invited stakeholders to participate in an expert advisory group that will directly advise the project partners on the most useful and impactful data that should be extracted.

While Autism research has had many positive implications for Autistic individuals and key stakeholders, certain areas have become saturated with research, while the evidence is sparse in others. To that end, Cat discusses the importance of using Evidence and Gap maps in Autism research to determine where there are gaps in evidence which should be given priority for future research, while also identifying where there is sufficient research for systematic review and meta-analysis. Claim your CEU for Cat’s session.