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20 Minute Survey

Dear Parent(s), My name is Jennifer Milbrandt and I am a student at the Minnesota School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University, Twin Cities. As part of my doctoral psychology program, I am required to complete a Clinical Research Project to demonstrate skill and understanding of the research process. This project will also help gather information about a topic that has not been thoroughly studied. I am interested in learning about the process parents experience while finding resources for their autistic child. I would like to examine if certain factors, such as a child’s age at diagnosis and type of diagnosis, can affect the level of stress experienced during different stages, such as while searching for resources. I am also curious about helpful factors and barriers to finding resources. This study is for research purposes only, and will not be used for decision-making by any organization. I would like to question between 50-100 parents about their experiences and perspectives of the stage at which they were looking for resources for their child and family. Research suggests that parents experience stress, pessimism, difficulty working with professionals, and unmet needs before, during, and after a diagnosis of autism is provided. It is anticipated that the results of this study will also reveal these themes, as well as support increased parental involvement in diagnostic assessment and treatment attainment. I hope the results of this study can provide useful information about how to make the process of finding resources less stressful and more effective for parents and professionals. I am inviting you to participate in this study and to share your personal experience of searching for resources for your autistic child. There are a few requirements for participation. For starters, you must be English-speaking and have access to the Internet and a working email account. Second, your child must have a formal diagnosis of Autistic Disorder or Asperger’s Disorder and currently be between 5 and 11 years of age. A formal diagnosis can be made by a licensed psychologist or medical doctor. Third, parents should have used at least one resource for their child, in addition to this online support group. Resources may include supports, treatments, or other sources of assistance for your child or family. Some common examples are school supports, behavioral therapy, communication services, respite, or medical treatments. Finally, I would prefer to question the primary caregiver of the child. After 100 respondents have agreed to participate, or 60 days have passed, this website will be closed, and instead a message will appear thanking individuals for their interest and stating that no further participants are necessary. If you volunteer for this study, your participation will involve completing a survey. The survey will take about twenty minutes to complete, and include questions asking basic information, such as the age of your child, as well as questions regarding your experience finding resources. After the survey is completed, your responses will be printed off and analyzed. During this process, your responses will be stored in a locked and private place. The only individuals who will have access to these records, as well as your online responses, will be me, the primary researcher, the committee members of this study, Dr. Marcia Bennett, Dr. Nicholas Griffith, and Dr. Daniel Holland, and two doctorate students in the Clinical Psychology program at the Minnesota School of Professional Psychology to help establish themes during analysis. After the study is completed, approximately four months after your participation, a summary of results will be provided on this website for you to review. Once the study has been bound and stored in the Argosy University Twin Cities library, all hard copies of the responses will remain in a locked location for five years pending publication in further research studies. At that time, all materials will be destroyed. At no time will your responses be connected to your name or your contact information. It should be noted that this study might bring up uncomfortable emotions for parents. Recalling this process may cause past frustrations and stress to resurface. You may feel uncomfortable or have trouble concentrating while completing the survey, and need to withdraw as a result. You may withdraw from the study at any time and for any reason without consequence. Withdrawing will not affect your relationship with this online support group. You may also experience discomfort after the study has been completed. These feelings may interfere with your normal functioning, such as duties at work or home. If this occurs, it is recommended that you contact a therapist for help. A list of ways to contact a therapist will be provided on the website in case this occurs. If you are interested in participating in this study, please click on the link below. You will be taken to a different website to complete the study. Also, please feel free to contact me as the primary researcher and/or, Dr. Marcia Bennett who is the chair of my committee, if you have any questions or concerns. Sincerely, Jennifer Milbrandt Contact Information: Jennifer Milbrandt Marcia Bennett, Ph.D. Primary Researcher Committee Chair Email: autismparentresources@yahoo.com Email: mbennett@argosy.edu Phone: 651-846-3360 Link to Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ZBRPTBM

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