“Most people will do anything possible to help someone on the Autism spectrum live a better life, but we should consider understanding, accepting and embracing who they are, and what they can achieve”, Ben Horgan.
The Curtin Autism Research Group (CARG) is dedicated to finding evidence-based, innovative and effective approaches to support autistic individuals and their families, throughout all stages of life.
Members of this multi-disciplinary team include people on the autism spectrum and their families, researchers, students and volunteers, as well as an extensive network of industry and research partners throughout Australia and internationally.
CARG also has a large number of researchers affiliated with the Autism Cooperative Research Centre (ACRC). Ben Horgan, Consumer and Community Involvement Coordinator at Curtin University has also worked closely with the group.
Over the past year, Ben has supported five CARG projects, which were co-produced with 22 people with a lived experience of Autism Spectrum Disorder.
One such PhD project, undertaken by Rebecca Kuzminski, is the development of a tool to measure the quality of life for autistic adults. This included the development of a video ‘Photo-voice Gallery’ which was funded by the Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism (Autism CRC).
The Gallery portrays factors important to the quality of life of autistic adults through photography and voice recordings. The idea came from the first Consumer Reference Group meeting where questions for the tool were discussed and as the conversation progressed the difficulties that people with Autism Spectrum disorder have in describing how they feel became a focus of conversation. Pictures were identified as a solution.
One of the reference group members, Simon Phillips, who is a passionate photographer, supported the process and has now become a regular contributor to CARG projects.
The exhibition had a virtual launch in early November. Congratulations to all who were involved in the projects co-production.
Please take a moment to watch the photo-voice gallery:
For more information about CARG click here.