Research Opportunities

Updated on April 2, 2025​

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Consider signing up to participate in research. Think of all the families before you who participated in research, so your child could have quality therapy and programs.

 

Would you like to post a research opportunity? If you would like to post a Research Opportunity on this website or on our MMAA Facebook page, please reach out to our Treasurer at blatsie63@yahoo.com and request a Research Opportunity form.  We try and keep this page current, but if you find an error, please let us know! Thanks so much!

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​Name of research project: Health and the role of employment among adults with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities.

Simple explanation of project (including age of participants): We are interested in the activities of adults intellectual and/or developmental disabilities living and/or working within communities. This work will help us explore factors and relationships between community activities such as employment, physical activity, and their impact on health and wellness. There are very few risks in this study. We will collect personal information, like your name and diagnosis, but we will keep it safe. Your name will not be linked to your answers in the study. Health monitoring will be done using routine methods such as a bathroon weight scale, blood pressure cuff, and a fitbit equivalent watch worn on the waist like a belt.

Dept of Counseling, Education Psychology & Special Education; CoI: Patty West, PhD, RN, Assistant Professor MSU College of Nursing.

 Risks and Benefits (to families or scientific community): See above under "Simple Explanation of Project."

Name of PI, researchers, and administrative contacts (with credentials).  CoPI: Janet Hauck, PhD, CAPE, Associate Professor MSU Dept of Kinesiology; CoPI: Marisa Fisher, PhD, BCBA-D, Associate Professor, PLAY'D Lab: educ.playd@msu.edu; 734-368-4641 

IRB or Ethics Review Approval: STUDY00010838 approved by Michigan State University Biomedical and Health Institutional Review Board. Approval date: 12/202/2024, no expiration date.

Dates of opportunity: February 14, 2025 through December 1, 2025

Cost or honorarium: Receive a $15 Amazon.com card for filling out the surveys, an extra $20 for finishing the health measurements such as height, weight.

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Name of research project:

Using Community-Engagement to Adapt Anxiety Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for

Autistic Youth Receiving Services in Michigan Community-Based Organizations

Simple explanation of project (including age of participants):

This is a research study using community-engagement to inform needed adaptations and changes to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for autistic youth with co-occurring anxiety receiving services within community-based settings. Recruitment for the Community Advisory Board and the community suggested adaptation phase is now complete.

We are currently recruiting autistic youth and their caregivers to participate in role-play activities of community suggested therapy adaptations. Youth will be eligible to participate if they are aged 7-12 years, have a verbal IQ above 70, meet DSM-V criteria for autism, and meet DSM-V criteria for at least one anxiety disorder as indicated by medical records or study assessment.

We are also currently recruiting community providers to compare and evaluate the original version of the therapy and the community informed version of the therapy. Providers will watch online videos and complete an online survey. Community providers will be eligible if they provided or oversaw mental health services to at least 3 autistic youth (younger than 21 years) with co-occurring anxiety within the last 2 years.

Risks and Benefits (to families or scientific community):

Possible risks of participating in this study may include experiencing some discomfort in

answering questions related to adaptations needed to the manualized anxiety CBT, in providing feedback on the community-engaged adaptation method, or in providing feedback on study videos or different versions of the manualized anxiety CBT. If you or you and your child begin to feel uncomfortable, you or you and your child may discontinue your participation in the study, either temporarily or permanently. Additionally, there is some chance that personal information may be lost or accessed by unintended individuals. However, every effort will be made to ensure your or you and your child’s confidentiality.

If participating in role-play-based activities with your child, you will receive your screening assessment results as applicable and a customized list of resources for autism and anxiety. Otherwise, you or you and your child will not directly benefit from your participation in this study. However, you or you and your child’s participation in this study may contribute to the understanding of ways to use community-engaged research methods to enhance the fit of mental health evidence-based practices with autistic youth client needs and community-based service contexts.

Name of PI, researchers, and administrative contacts (with credentials):

Jessica Tschida, M.A. and Dr. Amy Drahota, Ph.D. 

IRB or Ethics Review Approval:

Approved: MSU Study ID: STUDY00010257 

Contact Information (Phone, Email, Website:  E-mail Jessica Tschida at tschidaj@msu.edu

Dates of opportunity: 

Recruitment for autistic youth and their caregivers is open until May 1, 2025 or study is full. Recruitment for community providers is open until August 1, 2025 or study is full.

Cost or honorarium:

No cost. Autistic youth and their caregivers will be compensated $50/hr for engaging in role-play activities and $25 for completing surveys. Community providers will be compensated $25 for watching brief online videos and completing an online survey. ​

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Name of research project: The Autistic Perspective On Parental And Family Stress Throughout The Childhood Experience  Simple explanation of project (including age of participants): Current discussions around autism and the family dynamic are centered primarily on the parental perspective, which leaves a gap in the research and is also a source of mischaracterization and bias expressed and felt by autistic individuals. This study intends to address the absence of autistic voices on familial concerns. The data gathered aims to include the autistic voice and perspective on family matters by analyzing themes within an open-ended qualitative survey regarding comparisons between identified neurodiverse and neurotypical backgrounds. Questions will gather input to identify notable trends throughout the autistic childhood experiences. This exploratory research will contribute to an understanding of the root of the stressors found in a neurodiverse household, particularly from the perspective of autistic individuals. · Must be 18 years or older · Self-report an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis Risks and Benefits (to families or scientific community): The potential benefits are substantial for all autism-focused research as it will provide a platform for more inclusive considerations and create a deeper awareness of family related dynamics & conflicts for future studies. Not only will this study be of great value to the autism literature as a whole, but allow participants to discuss openly their side of complicated family relationships. In essence, this study is designed to include autistic voices in the larger discourse positively impacting them as individuals & within society at large. The risks participants would have to consider in comparison are not only standard or minimal but do not universally apply as discomfort with such topics can be perceived differently by each individual. Ultimately, this study's risk holds little weight compared to the potential benefits and this ratio justifies its eventual fruition.

Name of PI, researchers, and administrative contacts (with credentials): Researchers/PI: Allea Burton Undergraduate Psychology student, McNair Scholar Institution/Study center: Siena Heights University McNair Scholars

IRB or Ethics Review Approval: Siena Heights University 

Contact Information (Phone, Email, Website): Aburton2@sienaheghts.edu

Dates of opportunity: Till May 2025

Cost or honorarium? None.​

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Name of research project: The Lived Experiences of Autistic Students during their Transition to Higher Education: A Narrative Study of Autistic Students Attending Public Universities in Michigan

 

Simple explanation of project (including age of participants): The goal of this study is to identify barriers and effective supports autistic students experienced during their transition to higher education. Participants must be at least 18 years of age, currently attending higher education, and have a medical diagnosis of autism. Participants will participate in an initial interview to tell the story of their transition to higher education, the interview can be virtual or in-person based on participant preference. After the initial interview, participants will have the opportunity to request an additional interview or journal additional experiences they would like to share. Journals will be returned to the research team within three months. 

Risks and Benefits (to families or scientific community): Foreseeable risks to participants may include discomfort due to communication and social difficulties that some autistic individuals may experience. Some participants may exhibit some discomfort recalling their transition experience. Benefits include providing information to higher education institutions regarding the supports that should be implemented, as well as the barriers that should be removed, to ensure a successful transition to higher education for autistic individuals. This research will also benefit K-12 special education and guidance counseling professionals. This will allow them to provide supportive and effective transition plans for autistic students who are planning to pursue post-secondary education.

Name of PI, researchers, and administrative contacts (with credentials):_PI- Matthew Johnson, PhD and doctoral candidate AnnMarie Bates, MS, CCC-SLP are the researchers for this study.

IRB or Ethics Review Approval: IRB # 2024-597 was approved by Central Michigan University.

Contact Information (Phone, Email, Website) AnnMarie can be reached at bates4al@cmich.edu or 989-774-5899__

Dates of opportunity?  Recruitment began 3/21/2025 and the end date is open at this point

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