We want to hear from autistic people about conversations

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Sorrah Edwards-Thro

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Jan 24, 2026, 10:45:18 AMJan 24

to can-c...@collegeautismnetwork.org

Hello all,

I am part of a team of researchers at the University of Maryland, College Park. We’re building tools to help autistic adults and speech therapists take a closer look at their conversations. It would be great if you could distribute information about our study to students and other autistic adults you know who may be interested in participating.

Below I’m including some information you can send in an email. I’m also attaching a flier.

A research team at the University of Maryland is building tools to help autistic adults and speech therapists look closely at their conversations. We want to hear from autistic adults about what kinds of conversations they would like to go better.

You can join our research study if you:

Are autistic
Are 18+ years old
Live in the U.S.
Want your conversations to go better
Pronounce words in ways most people understand

And you often:

Speak in English
Speak with your mouth

If you choose to join, you will fill out an online survey. The survey asks about what kinds of conversations you want to go better and basic information about you. The survey takes 15-20 minutes. You will be paid $10 with an online gift card for a store of your choice.

After they take the survey, some people will be invited to send in a recording of a conversation with someone they choose (for additional pay). Some survey takers with speech therapy experience will also be invited to share a progress report from their speech therapy and do an interview.

If you’re an autistic adult and want to join, fill out the screening form here. If you’re a caregiver for an autistic adult with an intellectual disability, you can fill out the screening form with them. We want to make joining this study as accessible as possible. All study materials can be provided in Easy Read format (at a 3rd-5th grade reading level with icons to support comprehension), and all study activities can be conducted via a phone or Zoom call if needed.

Questions? Email aut-...@umd.edu or leave a message at 301-405-9409.