Sexuality, Autism and Young People – Families Study

15 January 2016

Sexuality, Autism and Young People – Families Study

15 January 2016

The Sexuality, Autism, and Young People- Families study (SAY-Families) is a joint project between Warwick, Bangor and Glasgow Universities.  Researcher Stacey Hunter explains more about the study and how you can get involved.

“The aim of the SAY-Families study is to find out about how the parents of young people with High Functioning Autism or Asperger syndrome talk to their children about relationships and sex education. A developing sexuality is one of the key challenges that young people face as they grow up, and it is important to find out about families’ experiences of supporting their child in this sensitive area. It is hoped that by finding out parents’ views and experiences, the study will be able to inform the development of support materials for young people and their families.

To find out parents’ views and experiences, we are carrying out one-to-one interviews and have developed an online survey. If you think you might like to take part in either part of the study, more information is below. If you would like to talk to one of the research team, please also feel free to give us a call, we would be more than happy to hear from you (our contact details are also below).

The face-to-face interview

We would like to speak with the parents of young people aged between 16 and 30 years old, who also have a sibling of a similar age that is the same gender as them. This is because we would like to find out if your experiences of supporting each of your children in this area have been similar or different.

One of the research team, will speak with you on the phone to arrange a time that is suitable for you to take part in an interview. The interview can take place in your home or somewhere else that is convenient. You can also arrange for your interview to take place over the phone, if that suits you better. The interview will last roughly 45 minutes.

Online Survey

We are also looking for the parents of young people with High Functioning Autism or Aspergers aged between 16 and 30 years old to fill in an online survey. The survey can be completed by one or both parents of a young person. If you would like to take part as a couple, we ask that you fill in the survey independently and indicate that you would like your responses to be linked.
You can access the online survey here. 

Many thanks for taking the time to read about the SAY-Families study. If you would like to take part or would just like find out more about the project please do not hesitate to contact us:

Stacey Hunter
School of Psychology
Brigantia Building
Bangor University
Bangor, Gwynedd
LL57 2AS

Tel: 01248 388255
Email: [email protected]