About the Group Structure of the Academic Autistic Spectrum Partnership In Research and Education (AASPIRE) project.

Structure

Communities

The AASPIRE project is a partnership between people from the Academic, Autistic, and Support communities. Each person brings unique perspectives, experiences, and skills to AASPIRE. Some partners may be members of more than one community.

People from all communities work together in the work groups. This idea of people from different backgrounds and with expertise in different areas working together as equals on the project is at the heart of the idea of Community Based Participatory Research.

Types of Communities

The following Communities are represented on the AASPIRE team.

Autistic Adult Community
This community is made up of individuals on the autistic spectrum who are over the age of 18. The expertise brought to AASPIRE by the Autistic Adult Community includes understanding of the needs and wants of the autistic adults, insight into both how to conduct research appropriately for the community and how to do research that is relevant to the community, connection to the input and ideas of the greater autistic adult community, and in-depth experience and personal knowledge of being an individual on the autistic spectrum. It is not necessary that members of the Autistic Adult Community have any experience in science, research, or medical or support fields; the role of this community is to help steer the nature of the research itself and ensure that the Autistic Community's needs are met by the research.
Academic Research Community
This community is made up primarily of professional scientists, academics, and post-graduate students working in scientific research. The expertise brought to the AASPIRE by the Academic Research Community includes understanding of the scientific process, specific in-depth experience and academic knowledge in key fields (e.g. cognitive science, health services research, social sciences, communications sciences, etc.), and the ability to manage aspects of the project specific to research such as IRB interaction and grant writing. AASPIRE is doing multidisciplinary research that includes scientists working across a large number of individual fields. It is not necessary that members of the Academic Research Community be autistic or have any specific connection to autistic individuals; the role of this community is to help steer the scientific and academic aspects of the project.
Support and Service Community
This community is made up of individuals who take some form of support or service role that is relevant to AASPIRE or AASPIRE's research projects, for example, disability workers, parents of autistic individuals, doctors, teachers, etc. The expertise brought to AASPIRE by the Support and Service Community includes insight into the systems that AASPIRE is researching (e.g. how doctors are trained to interact with clients and how that may need to be modified to meet the needs of autistic clients), and access to resources that the other communities may not have (e.g. access to policy change mechanisms). It is not necessary that members of this community be autistic or have connections into academia; the role of this community is to contribute in ways not covered already by the other two communities.

It is very important to have members from all communities involved in all phases of the project.

Workgroups

The function of the Workgroups is to do the detailed work related to the project. The Workgroups will plan and carry out all aspects of the research done by AASPIRE. Anyone who is an active member of the AASPIRE project may be in any Workgroup they want to be in. Participation is entirely voluntary.

Types of Workgroups

The following Workgroups are defined for the AASPIRE project.

Research Methods Workgroup
This Workgroup manages and develops the research process, including things like assessment instruments, protocols, statistics packages and qualitative methods, etc. This work group will be doing things like deciding which instruments to recommend for use to the Integration and Supervision Committee, or working with the IRB.
Technology and Communications Workgroup
This Workgroup manages and develops communication and technology, including things like chat services for meetings, the creation and maintenance of the web site, document management and control systems, communications processes, etc. This work group will be doing things like making recommendations for survey tools, or maintaining the web information.
Networking and Outreach Workgroup
This Workgroup manages and develops networking and human interfaces, including things like recruitment, dissemination, public relations, finding expert resources, etc. This work group will be doing things like recruiting study participants, or initiating contact with other like-minded people or organizations.
Integration and Supervision Committee
This committee manages the project as a whole. This is the where draft documents, potential protocols, ideas for research direction, questions about ethics, etc. get placed for feedback and approval before action is taken. Some example tasks of the integration group are: editing and approving research design before it is implemented, ensuring that all materials are respectful and ethical, making sure necessary tasks are completed from the other Workgroups, and making suggestions for future research projects and direction.

This is the place where it is most important to have members of the Autistic Community give input and direction.

Project

Each person involved in AASPIRE is a member of at least one of the three communities: Academic, Autistic, or Support. The special skills, expertise, and perspective that each community offers to the project as a whole is the strength of Community Based Participatory Research.

Regardless of the individual expertise from each community each person brings to the project, everyone works together on whichever parts of the project are of interest to them. The project needs people who figure out the research methods, people who can provide the technology to support the research, and people who can communicate with others about the research. All of these parts are put together into a whole that everyone is happy with by the Integration and Supervision Committee.

The project itself is created by the work of the individuals from all three communities working together in the workgroups.

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Organization Structure Members Affiliations CBPR	About the Group Structure of the Academic Autistic Spectrum Partnership In Research and Education (AASPIRE) project. Structure Communities The AASPIRE project is a partnership between people from the Academic, Autistic, and Support communities. Each person brings unique perspectives, experiences, and skills to AASPIRE. Some partners may be members of more than one community. People from all communities work together in the work groups. This idea of people from different backgrounds and with expertise in different areas working together as equals on the project is at the heart of the idea of Community Based Participatory Research. Types of Communities The following Communities are represented on the AASPIRE team. Autistic Adult Community This community is made up of individuals on the autistic spectrum who are over the age of 18. The expertise brought to AASPIRE by the Autistic Adult Community includes understanding of the needs and wants of the autistic adults, insight into both how to conduct research appropriately for the community and how to do research that is relevant to the community, connection to the input and ideas of the greater autistic adult community, and in-depth experience and personal knowledge of being an individual on the autistic spectrum. It is not necessary that members of the Autistic Adult Community have any experience in science, research, or medical or support fields; the role of this community is to help steer the nature of the research itself and ensure that the Autistic Community's needs are met by the research. Academic Research Community This community is made up primarily of professional scientists, academics, and post-graduate students working in scientific research. The expertise brought to the AASPIRE by the Academic Research Community includes understanding of the scientific process, specific in-depth experience and academic knowledge in key fields (e.g. cognitive science, health services research, social sciences, communications sciences, etc.), and the ability to manage aspects of the project specific to research such as IRB interaction and grant writing. AASPIRE is doing multidisciplinary research that includes scientists working across a large number of individual fields. It is not necessary that members of the Academic Research Community be autistic or have any specific connection to autistic individuals; the role of this community is to help steer the scientific and academic aspects of the project. Support and Service Community This community is made up of individuals who take some form of support or service role that is relevant to AASPIRE or AASPIRE's research projects, for example, disability workers, parents of autistic individuals, doctors, teachers, etc. The expertise brought to AASPIRE by the Support and Service Community includes insight into the systems that AASPIRE is researching (e.g. how doctors are trained to interact with clients and how that may need to be modified to meet the needs of autistic clients), and access to resources that the other communities may not have (e.g. access to policy change mechanisms). It is not necessary that members of this community be autistic or have connections into academia; the role of this community is to contribute in ways not covered already by the other two communities. It is very important to have members from all communities involved in all phases of the project. Workgroups The function of the Workgroups is to do the detailed work related to the project. The Workgroups will plan and carry out all aspects of the research done by AASPIRE. Anyone who is an active member of the AASPIRE project may be in any Workgroup they want to be in. Participation is entirely voluntary. Types of Workgroups The following Workgroups are defined for the AASPIRE project. Research Methods Workgroup This Workgroup manages and develops the research process, including things like assessment instruments, protocols, statistics packages and qualitative methods, etc. This work group will be doing things like deciding which instruments to recommend for use to the Integration and Supervision Committee, or working with the IRB. Technology and Communications Workgroup This Workgroup manages and develops communication and technology, including things like chat services for meetings, the creation and maintenance of the web site, document management and control systems, communications processes, etc. This work group will be doing things like making recommendations for survey tools, or maintaining the web information. Networking and Outreach Workgroup This Workgroup manages and develops networking and human interfaces, including things like recruitment, dissemination, public relations, finding expert resources, etc. This work group will be doing things like recruiting study participants, or initiating contact with other like-minded people or organizations. Integration and Supervision Committee This committee manages the project as a whole. This is the where draft documents, potential protocols, ideas for research direction, questions about ethics, etc. get placed for feedback and approval before action is taken. Some example tasks of the integration group are: editing and approving research design before it is implemented, ensuring that all materials are respectful and ethical, making sure necessary tasks are completed from the other Workgroups, and making suggestions for future research projects and direction. This is the place where it is most important to have members of the Autistic Community give input and direction. Project Each person involved in AASPIRE is a member of at least one of the three communities: Academic, Autistic, or Support. The special skills, expertise, and perspective that each community offers to the project as a whole is the strength of Community Based Participatory Research. Regardless of the individual expertise from each community each person brings to the project, everyone works together on whichever parts of the project are of interest to them. The project needs people who figure out the research methods, people who can provide the technology to support the research, and people who can communicate with others about the research. All of these parts are put together into a whole that everyone is happy with by the Integration and Supervision Committee. The project itself is created by the work of the individuals from all three communities working together in the workgroups.
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