We are a team of researchers from the University of Bolton with a keen interest in Autism Spectrum Disorder. We are contacting you as we need participants for our new study on the effects of ethnicity and socioeconomic status on the age at which a diagnosis of Autism is made.

Although a number of factors have been suggested to have an influence in the age at which a diagnosis of Autism is made, this information is not yet conclusive. For example, whereas some studies suggest that higher socioeconomic status has a positive impact on early diagnosis, others fail to replicate this finding, probably by not taking additional factors, such as ethnicity and educational level, into account.

The aim of this study is to provide a better understanding of how ethnicity and socioeconomic status may have a reciprocal influence and affect the age at which these conditions are diagnosed. This will allow developing more adequate screening strategies targeting specific ethnic and socioeconomic groups, thus permitting a more adequate intervention with children with Autism.

In order to do so we need the participation of parents of children/adolescents with a diagnosis of an Autism Spectrum Disorder. This entails completing a survey which asks questions regarding your daughter/son behavioural and cognitive preferences, as well as about your ethnicity and socioeconomic status. This should not take longer than 25 minutes.

You can proceed to the survey by following the link: https://boltonss.eu.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_e4mDQqiWB03xewB