Goal
The IMAR project will fill knowledge gaps by taking a participatory approach to understanding the current autism research landscape and autistic community’s needs and preferences for autism research in Norway by asking the autistic community themselves, particularly the views of autistic youth (aged 18-25).
To our knowledge, IMAR project will be first conducting such autism research-priority study in Norway. The project will provide insights and knowledge with a potential to influence our future research agendas.
Background
There is a mismatch between the focus of autism research and what autistic communities desire research concerning them should focus on. Moreover, autistic people have expressed the wish to be meaningfully involved in research that concerns them.
Internationally, researchers have begun to ask autistic communities about their research priorities with the goal of setting future autism research agenda. Such a shift from researcher-led research topic choices to hearing the needs of autistic community are inspired by the neurodiversity paradigm that offers a framework for understanding and supporting autistic people.
Neurodiversity views autism as a difference and disability with both strengths and support needs. In contrast, traditional autism research has been mainly focused on support needs.
Although autistic communities outside Norway (e.g., UK) have shared with scholars what autism research should be conducted (e.g., access to support services, autism awareness), knowledge about what research autistic people in Norway wish to be conducted is scarce. Research findings from studies outside Norway do not reflect the knowledge needs of autistic communities in Norway.
Project objectives
IMAR project has two objectives:
- Objective 1: To examine the existing autism research landscape in Norway
- Objective 2: To produce feasible research ideas and topics for future autism studies in close collaboration with the autistic community in Norway
