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Hi! 
I'm Paige Frankson, a Trainee Clinical Psychologist from the University of Hertfordshire. As part of my Doctoral training, I am conducting a study exploring what helps autistic adolescents feel supported to cope with trauma, using a creative method called 'photovoice'.
I'm Paige Frankson, a Trainee Clinical Psychologist from the University of Hertfordshire. As part of my Doctoral training, I am conducting a study exploring what helps autistic adolescents feel supported to cope with trauma, using a creative method called 'photovoice'.-
Who can sign up?
We are looking for autistic young people who:
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Are aged 14-18.
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Are formally diagnosed or self-identified as autistic and on an assessment waiting list.
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Have experienced events that they would describe as "traumatic."
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Would like to reflect on what has helped them to cope with traumatic experiences, using photographs.
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Live in the UK
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Are able to communicate in English.
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What does the project involve?
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You will be invited to an online screening call to meet the primary researcher and check that you are happy to take part (10-15 minutes)
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Two online meetings with a group of up to 8 young people and an expert by experience twice to co-design the research and learn some photography skills from a neurodivergent photographer. (up to 60 minutes x 2)
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Taking photographs to capture images that represent what has helped you cope with trauma. Create captions for your images.
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Meeting online, 1:1 with the researcher to share your images and answer some questions about them. (up to 60 minutes)
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Meeting the group online to share stories. This will be a safe space for honest, non-judgemental conversations, with no pressure to share traumatic stories, but rather to focus on what helped you to cope with your experiences. (up to 90 minutes)
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Optional- meeting the group to discuss findings and how to share them, such as a photo exhibition. (up to 90 minutes)
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Benefits of taking part?
Young people will be given Love2Shop Vouchers as a token of thanks, including £15 per hour. This means that taking part can result in up to £90 in vouchers for their time. Additional benefits include learning photography skills, connecting with peers in the group, and relating to one another’s experiences. And co-designing multiple parts of the research, such as the wording of questions, aims for the impact of the research, and how we translate the findings into recommendations.
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Please note
The dates and times of workshops and interviews can be flexible, for example, to avoid exam season. They are likely to take place between the end of June and August. We can discuss the availability of young people on the screening call, and all sessions will take place online via Microsoft Teams.
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Contact details
Paige Frankson
Email- p.a.frankson@herts.ac.uk