Time for Autism
Research type
Research Study
Full title
An evaluation of the Time for Autism Medical Education Programme
IRAS ID
278265
Contact name
Stephanie Daley
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 4 months, 30 days
Research summary
Children with autism often experience delays in obtaining a formal diagnosis, which impacts upon timely treatment and support being offered and frequently have poor experiences of wider healthcare delivery.
Whilst all doctors should be equipped with the appropriate skills, empathy and understanding to provide best care to children with autism, specific training (particularly at undergraduate level) is limited and in many cases absent, in practice. To address this unmet need, we have developed a new educational programme for medical students called Time for Autism.
Time for Autism (TfA) is a longitudinal programme, where pairs of students engage with a family where a child is on the autistic spectrum over a period of one year. The aim is for students to understand what it is like to have autism and to care for a child who has autism and to learn from the family's experiences. Pairs of students will visit an assigned family every 3-4 months for 12 months. The Time for Autism (TfA) programme will begin in September 2020 as a mandatory component of the curriucum for medical students at the Brighton and Sussex Medical School. This study relates to the formal evaluation of the TfA programme.
Evaluation is a core element of the programme and the subject of this application. A mixed methods approach will be used to evaluate the impact of the TfA education programme on student knowledge, understanding and attitudes towards autism.
Students and parent/carers who consent to take part in the evaluation will complete questionnaires assess student knowledge and attitudes towards autism, parent/carer burden and parent/carer and child (proxy-) quality of life. A smaller subset of participants will complete interviews and/or focus groups and the impact of the education programme, including their experiences and satisfaction.
REC name
London - Westminster Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
20/LO/0672
Date of REC Opinion
7 Jul 2020
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion