Opportunities to get involved
There are many ways you can get involved with neurodiversity at La Trobe
Neurodiversity Courses and Research at La Trobe
Other ways to get involved in research
If you identify as a member of the Neurominority Community, there are several ways to make your voice heard in academic research. There are many benefits to becoming a research participant, including having a say in the direction of Autism and Neurodiversity research, contributing to research-based efforts to improve equality and quality of life for the Neurodiversity community, and using your own lived experience to contribute to building understandings of Neurodiversity in both the research setting and the broader community. These studies are voluntary, and it is up to your own discretion whether you’d like to become a research participant—you have no obligation to participate in research studies at any time, even if you are registered with the university and/or Accessibility Hub as a student or staff member with a Minority Neurotype (i.e. Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia, etc.).
If you’d like to join a research study at La Trobe’s Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre (OTARC), you can find research opportunities on the Blog and in the OTARC newsletter. We also regularly advertise these opportunities on social media. New opportunities are available regularly. Participation is voluntary. Eligibility criteria and reimbursement varies according to the study.
Active Studies — Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre | Blog
Subscribe to the OTARC newsletter
La Trobe University’s Living with Disability Research Centre also conducts research in areas relevant to Neurodiversity.
Find out more about the centre and its current research projects.
You might be asked to participate in various formats:
Interviews - This usually involves chatting with a researcher about your experiences, thoughts, or opinions, as they relate to the given research topic. This can sometimes happen in person on campus, or online, depending on the specific study.
Focus Groups - Focus Groups usually involve a group discussion between a researcher or team of researchers, and a collection of research participants with something in common (for example, a group of Autistic adults, or Disabled women). Depending on the research topic for the study, the group will usually be asked questions relating to a specific topic (for example, experiences with employment or bullying).
Surveys - Surveys are usually completed online. This requires you to use a computer and the internet to answer a series of questions. The questions are generally presented in multiple-choice, short-answer, long-answer, or tick-box, but can come in a variety of other formats. Each survey will tell you at the beginning how long it takes, and what is required of you.