Mindful Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Help investigate whether the Smiling Mind mindfulness app improves wellbeing in individuals with autism and their families.
We are looking for eligible participants to use the Smiling Mind app at home at least once per day for five days to test its effect on their wellbeing.
Why participate?
You will be part of a study that investigates the use of the Smiling Mind app for individuals with autism and their families. We are interested in whether using this app at home improves your wellbeing. The recruitment phase of the project is anticipated to commence in May and be completed by April 2020.
What will participants do?
Participants will be required to:
- Complete a brief online survey with general questions about the individual's autism diagnosis and treatment, day to day experiences, feelings of stress and wellbeing.
- You will then be randomly assigned to one of two groups. The first group, the “intervention group”, will be asked to download and use the Smiling Mind app for up to 20 minutes per day, at least one session a day for five days (depending on if using the app with your child or just by yourself). You can, of course, use the app more often than this during the study period. The remaining participants will be the “control group”. If you are assigned to this group, you will be asked to allocate up to 20 minutes per day, at least once per day (depending on if participating with your child or just by yourself), over five days to sit quietly and to use your smartphone, as you normally would.
- After five days you will receive a link to complete a further online survey.
- The same survey will be sent to you one month later.
- After the survey period, a limited number of participants will be contacted for feedback on whether using the app was beneficial or not.
On completion of the second online study, participants will be contacted by the student researcher about receiving a $20 Coles/Myer gift card to compensate them for their inconvenience and expenses.
Who can help?
To be eligible for the trial participants must be:
- An Australian resident
- Children (11-17 years) with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), able to understand and follow verbal commands. Children must also participate with a parent or caregiver.
- Adults (18+) with ASD, fluent in spoken and written English.
- A parent or caregiver of an individual with a diagnosis of Autism, fluent in spoken and written English.
For more information and to get involved:
Email Matthew Hartley on matthew.hartley@adelaide.edu.au for more information and to get involved.
For more information on using the app, watch the videos on our YouTube channel or read our user guides.