can you help with research? wanting parents to help who have children between 5-12yrs

Recruitment for ChAAMPS Study

My name is Ella and I am an assistant psychologist working at Manchester Children’s Hospital within Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust. 

Our study team is currently working on ChAAMPS (Childhood Anxiety in Autism Managed by Parents Study). The aim of the research is to adapt the ‘Helping your child with fears and worries’ a parent-led CBT intervention to meet the needs of autistic children. The study has had ethical approval from HRA (Health Research Authority) and has been funded by the NIHR (National Institiute for Health Research).

We are hoping to conduct individual interviews and focus groups with parents/ carers of autistic children with anxiety as well as autistic children with anxiety. The content from these will be used to inform the adaptions to the HYC intervention.

We are about the start recruitment for the study and was wondering whether you would be happy to share some information (either via email or social media) with the individuals in your network. 

I have attached our eligibility criteria below for your reference, additionally we have an e-mail attachment / social media posts to be circulated. I have attached the email attachment to give you some further information about the study.

For Child Participants

·         Between 5 and 12 years old.

·         Live in the North West

·         Have a confirmed diagnosis of Autism

·         Have clinically significant anxiety

·         Can communicate their needs (either verbally or non-verbally)

·         Can speak English

·         Does not have a diagnosed moderate or severe intellectual disability

·         Is willing and able to give assent

For Parent Participants

·         Their child is between 5 and 12 years old.

·         Live in the North West

·         Their child has a confirmed diagnosis of Autism

·         Their child has clinically significant anxiety

·         Their child can communicate their needs (either verbally or non-verbally)

·         Their child can speak English

·         Their child does not have a diagnosed moderate or severe intellectual disability

·         Is willing and able to give consent

We are hoping to recruit 12 parents and 12 children for the interviews first. They can be related, and they do not need to have a formal diagnosis of anxiety, but children do need a formal Autism diagnosis.

Please let me know if this is something you would be interested in doing as we aim to start circulating the recruitment information next week. Please do not hesitate to ask if you have any further questions about the research.

Thanks in advance, 

Ella 

Ella Solomon

Contact details below

Dr Tasha Cullingham (Tasha.Cullingham@mft.nhs.uk)

Ella Solomon (Ella.Solomon@mft.nhs.uk)

Assistant Psychologist 

ChAAMPS Study