The benefits of getting involved with Autism@Manchester

Expand your community whilst understanding your experiences better

• Join a community & meet other experts by lived experience to share and help understand yourself or others better.
• Increase your knowledge of Autism by taking part in research studies that benefit the autistic community.
• Learn more through our events, resources, newsletter and blog.

Create connections and gain opportunities

• Keep informed through our mailing list and social media
• Meet speakers, researchers and experts in their fields.
• Take part in meaningful events and studies.

Be involved at all stages of Research

• Be part of Autism@Manchester Expert by Experience Advisory Group. Join either our face-to-face group which runs 4 times a year or our virtual “text based” group at any time.
• Give critical input at all stages of research as an autistic individual, family member or carer.
• Help to shape the direction of research and experience for participants.

Improve the quality of your research and grant success

Do you want to improve your research quality and grant success? You can get input at any stage of your research from autistic individuals and family members through the Autism@Manchester expert by experience group. You can either discuss your research with our face to face group which runs 4 times a year or post to our virtual group at any time.

Here are some other benefits of being part of Autism@Manchester that could improve the quality of your research:

• Strengthening grant impact cases
• Acquiring a much broader perspective on current issues by working with autistic people (in research, clinical, education and wider society)
• Deeper level changes to perspective and values (e.g. altering the way you communicate your research to others and assess the values of yours and others research studies)
• Increased satisfaction from understanding the impact of your research or activities on the autistic community
• Improving science communication skills by discussing your work with autistic people or writing about your research for our blog.
• Opportunities to form partnerships with the autistic community
• Identification of translational opportunities
• Developing your research interests and expertise along exciting new avenues

Promote your research and be connected

Through our blog and newsletter, mailing list, twitter, Facebook and Instagram channels you can reach more participants and share your important findings with the autistic community, other researchers and practitioners. By joining our steering group, you could find new research partners and keep informed about the latest research in Manchester and beyond.

Here are some other benefits of being part of Autism@Manchester that could help promote your work and be more connected with other academics and the autism community:

• Opportunities to form longstanding collaborative relationships with other researchers within the University and across other UK institutions, leading to new joint grant applications/projects
• Increased participation in your research
• Wider dissemination and publicity of your research to the autism, research and clinical communities
• Increased awareness of autism research happening within Manchester and across the UK which is outside of your usual field
• Improving science communication skills by discussing your work with autistic people or writing about your research for our blog
• Increased opportunities for co-supervision of Masters and PhD student
• Identification of translational opportunities
• Forming friendships

Grow your experience

Use our various resources to enhance your research teams learning or directly contribute to the creation of new resources and events. By doing so, you can increase your experience of designing and delivering events, increase your confidence in embedding participatory research practices activities into your research and improve your science communication skills.

Here are some other benefits of being part of Autism@Manchester that could help to grow your experience:

• Increasing your experience of designing and delivering events/seminars
• Increasing your confidence in embedding PPI activities into your research
• Improving science communication skills
• As an Early Career research, gaining insight into how multidisciplinary groups are organised and function