Does Girls' Gendered Behaviour Mask Signs of Autism?

Letter of Consent

The purpose of this study is to see if girls’ gendered behaviour masks signs of autism. This letter will help you decide whether you wish to participate or not.

If you agree to participate in this study you will:

· Complete a short questionnaire online through Survey Monkey, answering questions around support, behaviours and if there was a diagnosis. This will roughly take 5-10 minutes to complete.

· Take part in a face to face interview, however if not feasible an email interview will be possible. Questions will follow from the questionnaire. Allow 30 minutes approximately to complete this.

This study is voluntary and you are not obliged to participate in all aspects of the research. That decision will be respected by both the researcher and the University. During the questionnaire all data will remain anonymous and once you have submitted you will not be able to withdraw from this. The data of the interviews will remain confidential and all names will be changed. You have the right to withdraw within a week of the interviews being conducted to allow the analysis of the data.

Any information given through email will remain anonymous, including personal information. It will not be used for any purposes outside the research. The data will be securely stored on a personal laptop via OneDrive.

If you have any questions regarding the research, you may contact the researcher, Ellie Taylor, via email: ellie.taylor@students.plymouth.ac.uk and/or the Research Tutor Dr Ulrike Hohmann at ulrike.hohmann@plymouth.ac.uk. You may ask any questions before, during or after the research.

Please print or save this copy of consent for your records.

Statement of Consent

I have read the information above and feel I understand the role I have in this research. I understand and agree to the terms above. Please indicate your consent by going forward with the questionnaire, and then emailing the researcher regarding the interview.

Question Title

* 1. What is your child's gender?

Female

Male

Question Title

* 2. How old is your child?

0-1 years

2-3 years

4-5 years

6-7 years

8+ years

Question Title

* 3. Has your child recieved a diagnosis for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)?

Yes

If yes, at what age?

Question Title

* 4. What behaviours of ASD did you notice first?

Avoiding Eye Contact

Delayed Speech

Reliance on Routines

Difficulty Understanding Emotions

Obsessive behaviour of interests or objects

Repetitve Behaviour (flapping, rocking etc)

Question Title

* 5. In relation to the previous question, at what age did you notice the behaviours associated with ASD?

0-1 years

2-3 years

4-5 years

6-7 years

8+ years

Question Title

* 6. Does your child display any unique/special behaviours associated with autism?

Question Title

* 7. If your child has recieved a diagnosis, are you personally recieving any support?

Yes

Question Title

* 8. Did you find the support you recieved beneficial?

Poor

Moderate

Excellent

Clear

i We adjusted the number you entered based on the slider’s scale.

Question Title

* 9. Has your child been offered any kind of support in their setting?

Yes

If yes, what support?

Question Title

* 10. Are there any noticable areas of development which your child has not met yet or you have concern for?

Yes

Not currently

If yes, please specify the area