Participatory Research with Autistic People and their families/carers

Beth (they/them) is a full-time Master's student in cyber security and previously did a BSc in mathematics at Warwick. They love playing sports, doing Rubik’s cubes and chatting about Doctor Who. They were first diagnosed as autistic when they were 17 and in a campaign to learn more about their identity during university, joined the Autism at Warwick society where they eventually became Social Sec and President, developing socials for autistic people to connect and regularly communicating to departments about how they can support their autistic students.

Beth, despite not having been in a PAR group before, contributes their insights as an autistic person in meetings and draws upon their experiences in the autistic community that guides or explains the research findings. The group actively includes autistic people to further orient the research in a way that is beneficial and relevant for the autistic community. The PAR group provides insights that allistic people, although usually with good intentions, would not be able to provide without the active involvement and guidance of autistic people. Beth was able to speak about some of their own experiences and raise points in a webinar that had ~200 participants attend which solidified their confidence in speaking openly about their disability in everyday life.

Ellie Horton (she/her) is a part-time PhD student at the University of Warwick, taking a participatory approach to exploring the mental health experiences of autistic university students. She also works full time as a lecturer in Health and Social Care at University College Birmingham, where she established and co-ordinates an Expert by Experience group that co-produces and co-teaches on the degree programme.

Prior to this, Ellie spent many years working in advocacy and project management roles across the voluntary and statutory sectors, often with autistic people and their families. Throughout her career, she has consistently embedded the principles of advocacy, empowerment, and participation in her work.

Ellie is a mother to an autistic daughter and has often found herself needing to advocate for her to ensure she has a voice and the opportunity to lead a fulfilling life. This largely has inspired and fuelled her passion for autism and the meaningful inclusion of autistic people in research and service delivery. Ellie is neurodivergent herself, having received a late diagnosis of ADHD in 2024, and is passionate about raising awareness of neurodiversity and promoting a neurodiversity affirming approach.

In her spare time, Ellie enjoys reading, walking her dog Alfie, listening to music, and is a regular gig-goer.

Email - Elizabeth.Horton@warwick.ac.uk or connect with me on Linked In.

Emily Ahmed (she/her) is a part-time PhD student at Warwick Medical School, exploring power and inclusion in co-produced and participatory health research. She is also a visual artist and works freelance across public engagement, creative research, and facilitation.

Emily is an experienced facilitator, trainer, qualitative researcher and public speaker, specialising in creative and participatory approaches, patient and public involvement (PPIE), and the co-production of health and social care. Over the last 25 years, she has worked across the NHS, public health, local authorities, the VCSE sector, and academia—bringing a strong focus on equity, lived experience and collaboration. Her work spans arts, ethics, maternity, women’s health, disability, long-term conditions, children and families, and youth and community engagement.

She has led and supported a wide range of projects involving autistic people and other groups often marginalised in traditional research and service design. Emily is neurodivergent (ADHD) and committed to making research more inclusive, accessible and relevant to the people it’s meant to serve.

When not co-producing and engaging with people about health and social care, Emily can often be found with a sketchbook and paintbrush in hand—or splashing around in the sea or local rivers.

Connect with Emily on LinkedIn

Dr Gitit Kadar-Satat (she/her) is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Warwick. She also serves as the department's placements officer, working closely with students, staff, and external partners to develop, implement, and evaluate a range of work-based learning opportunities. Gitit enjoys supporting - and learning from - diverse students. She is passionate about inclusive education.

Her research focuses on social inequality in education and employment. She is currently part of the 'Who's Coding?Link opens in a new window' research team and is also co-leading several research projects looking into employability. Gitit has expertise in co-production and experiential learning.

Before joining academia, Gitit worked as a playworker, a manager of an after-school club and a curriculum development officer of a residential care home for children with complex special education needs and behavioural difficulties, developing educational and therapeutic interventions.

In her spare time, Gitit enjoys gardening, reading and relaxing with her two cats. You are welcome to connect with Gitit on LinkedIn!Link opens in a new window

Dan is a current data analyst, former undergraduate psychology student and a current part-time postgraduate student. Diagnosed as autistic later in life, Dan brings a reflective and authentic perspective to the Participatory Action Research (PAR) group, grounded in both personal experience and academic insight. His contributions to the group have included a literature review and thoughtful reflections on what support would have made a difference to him during his time at university.

Dan values honesty, accessibility, and meaningful inclusion; principles that shape both his professional work and engagement with the PAR group. He views the group as a vital space to amplify the voices of autistic students, ensuring their experiences directly inform institutional change. He has raised memorable points about the often-overlooked needs of late-diagnosed individuals and the importance of nuanced, non-tokenistic support.

From the group, Dan has gained a sense of shared purpose and solidarity, finding value in connecting with others who are similarly motivated to create change. He hopes the group’s work will influence how universities design and deliver support, particularly in ways that are proactive rather than reactive. This is Dan’s first experience in a PAR group, and he approaches it with curiosity, commitment, and a strong belief in collaborative improvement.

Max Knops (he/him) is a PhD Neuroscience student at The University of Edinburgh. Max is currently developing human brain slice models to understand the role of FMRP in neuronal function, a protein which is reduced in Fragile X Syndrome. Max’s previous qualification include a BSc (Hons) in Neuroscience from The University of Manchester and an MRes from Newcastle University.

Max was officially diagnosed during his undergraduate studies which came as a relief and to know more about myself and to be able to access more tailored support from university and elsewhere. Max has been a member of the PAR group since Sept 2022 and has been involved in discussions with the group. Max is keen for the work of the group to be widely disseminated with younger people with ASD as well as mature researchers in the hope that the former can gain some understanding about the experiences of people with ASD, and how the latter can better adjust how they view and carry out their own research in a way that is not exploitative.