Understanding the transition to adolescence in girls with and without neurodevelopmental conditions (Autism, Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and/or Developmental co-ordination disorder (DCD)/Dyspraxia.
Please read below information regarding research that you may wish to participate in:
Ailbhe McKinney is a PhD researcher at the University of Edinburgh and is working with Dr Sinead Rhodes, Dr Jackie Maybin and Prof Stella Chan to carry out a study on understanding the transition to adolescence in girls with and without neurodevelopmental conditions (Autism, Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and/or Developmental co-ordination disorder (DCD)/Dyspraxia).
They would like to invite parents and their daughters to take part in their research study. This research is being carried out to understand the challenges of becoming a teenage girl. The researchers are especially interested in hearing from autistic girls, girls with ADHD, and/or girls with dyspraxia but also girls without a neurodevelopmental condition are very welcome to take part. Girls have historically been under-diagnosed when it comes to Autism, ADHD and Dyspraxia. This means there is not a lot of research on them. The researchers are trying to understand what leads to feelings of anxiety and depression in girls and hear from the girls themselves about what adults can do to help.
Findings from this study will be used to create booklets for parents/guardians and school staff to support well-being in girls. To take part, a girl must be between 11 and 13 ½ and should be able to answer questions verbally with a researcher or complete questionnaires with the help of a researcher.
To take part your daughter can:
• have a diagnosis of autism, ADHD, and/or dyspraxia/developmental coordination disorder or be on a waiting list for a diagnostic assessment for any of these conditions.
• Or not have a diagnosis of autism, ADHD, or dyspraxia/developmental coordination disorder and not be on a waiting list for a diagnostic assessment for any of these conditions.
Participation in this study is voluntary and it is up to you and your daughter whether or not you want to take part. If you do decide to take part, you will be given an information sheet to keep and be asked to complete a consent form. The researchers will also offer your daughter the option of their own information sheet. You and your daughter can decide to stop taking part at any time.
You will have an initial phone call/text/email with the researcher to arrange a time to meet you and your daughter over zoom, Microsoft teams or the phone. You will be asked to complete four questionnaires about your daughter at the start of the study estimated to take 30 minutes in total. One will ask about background and health-related information about your daughter (age, height and weight, whether they are on medication, any history of seizures). If your daughter has a diagnosis of Autism, ADHD, or Dyspraxia/DCD, or on the waiting list for an assessment of any of these, you will also be asked about the diagnosis, age of diagnosis, and who diagnosed them. The other questionnaires are about behaviours related to thinking processes, memory, paying attention, social interaction, and motor co-ordination. There will be two 1 hour video calls with your daughter.
There is an additional part to the study: Two short 15 minute video calls. Your daughter can have the camera on or off for these meetings. The parent/guardian can be present for the meeting or not, it is whatever works best for your daughter.
If you would like to learn more about this study you can email Ailbhe McKinney at a.m.mckinney@sms.ed.ac.uk or call/text +4473 8845 4435 and Ailbhe can send you an information sheet and answer any questions you may have. You can also view the information sheet here.
