Guidelines for Designing Consent Materials and Procedures For Autistic Adults and People with Intellectual Disability

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y., Feb. 27, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — A new article in Autism and Adulthood presents guidelines for designing consent materials and procedures for autistic adults and people with intellectual disability and asserts that participatory methods are vital to the success of ongoing accessibility initiatives. Click here to read the article now.

Kelly Beck, PhD, from the University of Pittsburgh, and coauthors, including the Working to Increase Inclusivity in Research Ethics (WIRE) Consortium, describe lessons learned across major U.S. research institutions that improved consent materials and procedures by incorporating accommodations for processing and communication differences common in autism and intellectual disability.

“Our guidelines emphasize the importance of multiple modes to deliver content, such as auditory and visual, in order to design materials that are accessible to people with a wide range of abilities, communication needs, and experiences,” stated the authors.

“As the authors describe, consent procedures are often lengthy and may be inaccessible for many people. As a member of a Human Research Ethics Committee, I recognise the significant value of this research and the guidelines the authors present. These guidelines will be exceptionally helpful for researchers in improving the accessibility and respectfulness of their work with autistic people and people with intellectual disability, and support researchers in conducting more ethically sound research,” says Executive Editor of Autism in Adulthood, Rebecca Flower, PhD, La Trobe University.

About the Journal
Autism in Adulthood is a new peer-reviewed journal dedicated to research and scholarship on the most pressing issues affecting adults on the autism spectrum, from emerging adulthood to later life. Led by Editor-in-Chief Christina Nicolaidis, MD, MPH, Portland State University and Oregon Health & Science University, the Journal is the premier source for original research, in-depth analysis, and inter-professional dialogue, providing new insights and evidence to promote practice, systems, and policy change. For complete information, please visit the Autism in Adulthood website. 

About the Publisher
Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., a Sage Company, is a global media company dedicated to creating, curating, and delivering impactful peer-reviewed research and authoritative content services to advance the fields of biotechnology and the life sciences, specialized clinical medicine, and public health and policy. For complete information, please visit the Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. website.

Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. / Genetic Engineering News 
Media Contact: Kathryn Ryan
914-740-2250
kryan@liebertpub.com

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