Evaluating Levels of Participation in Autism Research Tool (ELPART) and Participatory Action Research (PAR) Group Checklist
ELPART and PAR Group Checklist
Download ELPART checklist hereLink opens in a new window
Download PAR checklist hereLink opens in a new window
For more information on the ELPART or PAR group checklist, please contact Ellie Horton: Elizabeth.Horton@warwick.ac.uk.
❓Rationale for developing the tools
Despite the drive towards participation in research for autistic people, achieving true and meaningful participation remains challenging. Meaningful participation is an iterative process that requires ongoing reflection and learning from researchers’ experiences over time. While many researchers are enthusiastic about involving autistic people, they often lack the necessary expertise, support, and resources to do so effectively.
There are several issues which affect the participation of autistic people in research.
- Perceptual misalignment of what participation is
- Lack of understanding of meaningful participation
- Mismatch between research priorities of the neurotypical and autistic community
- Inconsistencies in participatory research practices
For participatory approaches to be meaningful and to address stigma within autism research, active involvement should be evident throughout all research stages but this has been found to not always be the case.
This highlights the need for clear guidance to support researchers in adopting participatory approaches throughout each and every step of the research.
Please see video below where Dan talks about his involvement in developing the ELPART and PAR group checklist;
For more details of how the ELPART and PAR group checklist was developed please read our paper:
The ELPART and PAR group checklist were developed with the aims to:
-
Evaluate community participation in autistic research (ELPART).
- Evaluate good practice in establishing a Participatory Action Research Group with autistic people (PAR group checklist).
These tools will aid researchers adopting PAR approaches and in promoting best practice in autism research by:
1️⃣ Promoting and providing specific guidance around the meaningful inclusion of autistic people throughout the research process, from conception of an idea through to dissemination of results (ELPART).
2️⃣ Aiding transparency in how and to what extent autistic people are involved throughout the research process and in decision making, promoting the fair acknowledgement of autistic people’s views (PAR group checklist and ELPART).
3️⃣ Aiding reflection and learning at all stages of the research process (ELPART).
4️⃣ Address power dynamics inherent in autism research (PAR group checklist and ELPART).
How were the tools developed?
Good Practice Guide for ELPART
Please click here for more details.Link opens in a new window