ASD Podiatry Appointment Survey

This study aims to review research to identify if there are approaches for podiatrists in a clinical setting to provide treatment to patients with Autism Spectrum Conditions (ASC) with parity to neurotypical patient care. Through an online survey, individuals’ sentiments and views on the Autism Spectrum will be gathered to collect a personal account of communication techniques, lexical alignment disparities, sensory sensitivities, and ideas that may reduce stressors or enhance management for patients in the clinical setting.
Why have I been invited?
You are invited to participate in this research study as the researcher would like to hear first-hand from Autistic individuals what they feel could help reduce stressors, aid in bridging the gap in communication between clinician and patients and reduce the disparity in patient treatment between Autistic and non-autistic patient care. Before you decide whether you wish to participate, it is important for you to understand why the study is being conducted and what it will involve. Please take some time to read the information provided in this sheet and discuss it with others if you wish. Please ask if anything needs clarification or if you would like more information.
What is the purpose of the study?
This study aims to identify potential sources of distress for patients with ASC that may inhibit effective podiatric management within the clinical setting.

Why have I been chosen?
You have been asked to participate in the study because you are 18 or older and have or identify as having Autism Spectrum Condition. You have been recruited via an established Autism social Facebook group or a representative of the University of
Northampton.

Do I have to take part?
Taking part is entirely voluntary. If you decide to take part, you will be asked to sign a consent form, and you will receive a copy of this form if you so wish. If you decide to participate and then change your mind, you can withdraw from the study at any time
during the online survey until submission. After this time, your data will no longer be discernible as yours and will not be identifiable or retractable from the other data responses.

What will my participation involve?
Once you agree to participate in the study, you will proceed with the online study through SurveyMonkey, where there will be questions relating to your demographic, Communication preferences, Potential sensors sensitivities, awareness level of podiatry,
and to share your opinion about clinical settings and your feelings and views around this topic. The survey consists of multiple-choice questions and open-answer fields for elaboration on questions. There are no right or wrong answers. Your data will be held on a password-protected site only accessible to the researcher. All data collected will be for educational use only and shall not be shared for use by any third party. It will be managed by the researcher, who will not request identifiable data to be transferred
during the survey.

What are the possible benefits of taking part?
The information obtained from this study will be used for suggestions that could be made to the podiatric clinical setting that may reduce stress, create a better understanding between Clinicians and Autistic patients and facilitate parity of care.

What are the possible risks or disadvantages of taking part?
There is a possibility that some of the survey questions may trigger some participants and potentially elicit anxiety; this is not the researcher's intention. They have chosen an online study that can navigate backwards and forward to ensure the participant is
comfortable with the given answers and can change those answers if they so wish while in the comfort of their environment. The questionnaire is 5-10 minutes long; however, there is no set time limit by which you are required to complete the survey, so
please do not feel rushed.

What if something goes wrong?

If you have any concerns about how you have been approached or treated during the course of this study, then don't hesitate to get in touch with The Chairs of the ‘Health’ and ‘Society’ Research Ethics Committee: Alison.ward@northampton.ac.uk or
Michelle.pyer@northampton.ac.uk (Health Committee Chairs), Manos.Daskalou@northampton.ac.uk (Society Committee Chair).

Will my information be kept confidential?
All the information collected for this study will be kept confidential. Only the researchers will have access to it. All data will be held on a password-protected computer and destroyed five years after the study's completion.

What will happen to the results of the study?
The results from this study will only be disseminated in appropriate academic f
Who has reviewed the study?
This study has been reviewed and approved by the University of Northampton, Faculty of Health and Society Research Ethics Committee.

Contact for further information
If you have any questions about this study or your involvement, please contact me or my supervisor using the contact details below.
Nicola Mannion: nicola.mannion20@my.northampton.ac.uk
Supervisor Connor Ratcliffe: Connor.Ratcliffe@northampton.ac.uk

Thank you for considering taking part in this study.

Question Title

* 1. Do you have an official diagnosis for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)?

Question Title

* 2. Gender assigned at birth

Question Title

* 3. Age

Question Title

* 4. Where are you located

Question Title

* 5. Ethnicity

Question Title

* 6. Preferred Pronoun

T