Research
Content warning – this page discusses suicide
We commission breakthrough research, working with the world’s leading academics, including Cambridge University’s Autism Research Centre.
Reliable data about issues, such as how many autistic people struggle with their mental health and how many are unemployed, is essential to evidence the need for our activity.
Evidence is also vital to confirm that new services and support are safe, effective and impactful to enable the NHS to roll them out nationally for autistic people.
When this data isn’t available, academic research is vital. We are committed to commissioning studies that will inform our work and provide evidence for promising ideas that could transform life for autistic people.
Suicide Prevention Research
In 2024 we commissioned over £500K of suicide prevention research with Cambridge University’s Autism Research Centre (ARC).
Find out more about our suicide prevention research
Building on a legacy of world-class research
Autism Action was previously known as the Autism Centre of Excellence at Cambridge (ACE) and still oversees research grants commissioned under that name, as well as by the Autism Research Trust (ART). Read Our Story to find out more.
Music therapy
In 2023 we funded a £1 million study by Autism Research Centre which aims to see if involvement in music therapy improves wellbeing, communication and day-to-day living skills in autistic children.
Criminal justice
A 2022 study by the Autism Research Centre, funded by the charity, aimed to examine autistic people’s experiences in the criminal justice system.
Defence lawyers participating in the study reported half of their autistic clients were not treated as ‘vulnerable adults’ despite the law recognising them as such. In addition, half were not provided with the required ‘appropriate adult’ to safeguard their rights, and only 25% received reasonable adjustments.
Autistic people’s health and Covid-19
The aim of this study by the Autism Research centre was to determine if autistic people were more likely to be hospitalised or die from covid.
Vulnerability in schools in autistic children
Autistic children have a different learning style that may not be suited to the mainstream classroom or the National Curriculum. This can lead to autistic children under-achieving in mainstream school settings, being turned off education and losing self-confidence, leading to increased levels of anxiety and depression, and fewer formal academic qualifications.
The aim of this 2023 study was to establish if autistic teenagers, at age 16-18 years old, are more likely to become “Not in Education, Employment or Training” (NEET) than their non-autistic peers. It also examined the impact of NEET on young adults with SEN in comparison with neurotypical young people.
Vulnerability and mental health
Autistic people have social and communication difficulties, and different thinking styles that could leave them at greater risk of being vulnerable – for example, being exploited socially by others or misunderstanding others’ communications to their own disadvantage.
With funding from our charity, this project aimed to explore areas of vulnerability and the triggers of these, in both autistic children and adults. Researchers at the Autism Research Centre developed the Vulnerability Experiences Quotient (VEQ) as both a self-report measure for adults over 16 years old, or as a parent-report measure for children under 16 years old.
Autistic adults showed higher rates of vulnerability in all 10 areas of everyday life (including schooling, the workplace, in close relationships and health), and had higher rates of mental health difficulties. Furthermore, scores on the VEQ mediated poor mental health.
