Clinicians understanding of the role of gender in ASD.
Research type
Research Study
Full title
An Interpretative Phenomenological Approach (IPA) to explore how clinicians understand the role of gender in ASD.
IRAS ID
256293
Contact name
Jennifer Jones
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Teesside University
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 10 months, 31 days
Research summary
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is reported to be three to four times more prevalent in boys than girls, and research suggests there are gender differences in the way children present and experience ASD. For example, boys were found to possess more repetitive and restrictive behaviours, and girls were reported to demonstrate higher levels of behavioural and emotional problems. Despite this, current diagnostic guidance recommends males and females are assessed using the same standardised methods, methods which rely on assessment measures largely validated in male dominant samples. This potentially increases the risk of underdiagnosing females which can have detrimental developmental effects as they are unable to access the necessary support. Studies suggest cognitive functioning of children with ASD aged 18-30 months is significantly improved following an intervention programme, compared to the control group. However, before research can progress to develop a new measure which acknowledges gender differences, a deeper understanding is required.
Research has focused on observational and parent-reported data, with more recent studies considering a clinician’s perspective using quantitative data. A qualitative method is likely to allow us to obtain more detailed information and gain a theoretical insight into the role of gender in ASD from the experience of frontline staff. This research aims to employ a qualitative method to explore how clinicians think about and understand gender in ASD based on their clinical experience. Participants will be recruited from NHS Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services in the North East of England. All clinical staff with experience of assessing children for ASD will be eligible to participate. They will be required to complete a semi-structured interview lasting approximately 45-60 minutes, which is aimed to explore how they make sense of gender in ASD, and how, if it all, gender influences their assessment. Details of the participants profession, current and historic role/s in ASD assessments, and length of experience in ASD assessments will be documented.REC name
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REC reference
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