Study Information: Exploring the Camouflaging Experiences of Early-Diagnosed Autistic Females
Hi there,
I hope you are doing well!
My name is Bethany Torraville, and I am a graduate student in School and Applied Child Psychology at the University of Calgary. I am conducting my master’s thesis on the camouflaging experiences of early-diagnosed autistic females. In your role as an organization supporting autistic people, I am wondering if you would be willing to share some information about my study with your community. Included in this email is information that you can share with your membership, as well as a recruitment poster for distribution.
About the Study:
Camouflaging is defined as a set of intentional behaviours and cognitive strategies used by autistic individuals to hide their autistic traits. These behaviours are studied and observed more frequently in autistic women, because of the connection between camouflaging and receiving a late diagnosis. However, children who grow up with an autism diagnosis still report engaging in camouflaging behaviours. I am interested in exploring the camouflaging experiences of women who received a diagnosis early in childhood and aim to compare these to the existing literature on late-diagnosed autistic women.
Eligibility:
If you are an autistic woman, 18 years of age or older, who received an autism diagnosis early in childhood (5 years or younger), and speak English you may be eligible to participate!
Participation:
Participation in the study involves a one-on-one interview either in person or online via Zoom with the student researcher, which typically lasts between 30 to 45 minutes. Participants will be entered to win one of two $25 Amazon gift cards in appreciation their time. Your participation is voluntary and will not influence the services you receive from any agency or organization.
If you are interested in learning more about this study or would like to participate, please contact Bethany Torraville (bethany.torraville@ucalgary.ca) or Adam McCrimmon (awmccrim@ucalgary.ca).
Thank you for your consideration in sharing this study information with your members. We appreciate your commitment to the autistic community. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.
Best regards,
Bethany
The University of Calgary Research Ethics Board has approved this study (REB24-0616).
I posted this because I was asked to and I'm fairly obedient :) but I'm really not sure what I think of it. It's autistic research and they're looking for actual autistic adults for information which is good.
But I don't think I agree with the premise of the research that camouflaging is specifically to hide autistic traits and there's a connection between camouflaging and receiving a late diagnosis.
I think camouflaging and masking are behaviours all people engage in because they want to get along with others. And unfortunately for autistic people, acting that way takes a larger toll on us. And our behaviour is often less acceptable.
I think being yourself without camouflaging and masking has more to do with whether you've been accepted by others and able to develop confidence and self-esteem than your age of diagnosis.