'Building Our Own House' as an Insider-Only Community-Partnered Participatory Research Council: Co-Creating a Safe Space for Autistic Knowledge Production

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Bibliographic Details
Title: 'Building Our Own House' as an Insider-Only Community-Partnered Participatory Research Council: Co-Creating a Safe Space for Autistic Knowledge Production
Language: English
Authors: Gemma L. Williams (ORCID 0000-0002-5162-0440), Rebecca Ellis (ORCID 0000-0002-7761-468X), Willow Holloway, Selena Caemawr, Monique Craine, Kathryn Williams (ORCID 0000-0001-7274-3493), Aimee Grant (ORCID 0000-0001-7205-5869)
Source: Autism: The International Journal of Research and Practice. 2025 29(9):2205-2215.
Availability: SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 11
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Descriptors: Autism Spectrum Disorders, Community Organizations, Community Study, Community Leaders, Researchers, Participatory Research, Safety, Cooperation
DOI: 10.1177/13623613241253014
ISSN: 1362-3613
1461-7005
Abstract: This article describes and reflects on the first six meetings of a newly established Autistic community council, founded to steer a participatory, longitudinal qualitative study investigating the reproductive health of Autistic people with wombs. The two key aims of these initial six meetings -- involving four Autistic community leader members and three Autistic researchers -- was to (1) guide the start of the project and the development of accessible recruitment materials for the future eight lay members and (2) establish a safe space and a model of accessible communication. We draw on extracts from transcripts made during meetings, member 'field' notes and a reflexive co-writing practice to identify the ways in which a sense of safety was built during these first community council meetings. We explore what it means to be an "insider"-only Community Partnered Participatory Research Council and reflect on the praxis we developed to facilitate Autistic knowledge production.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: EJ1479948
Database: ERIC
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Description
Abstract:This article describes and reflects on the first six meetings of a newly established Autistic community council, founded to steer a participatory, longitudinal qualitative study investigating the reproductive health of Autistic people with wombs. The two key aims of these initial six meetings -- involving four Autistic community leader members and three Autistic researchers -- was to (1) guide the start of the project and the development of accessible recruitment materials for the future eight lay members and (2) establish a safe space and a model of accessible communication. We draw on extracts from transcripts made during meetings, member 'field' notes and a reflexive co-writing practice to identify the ways in which a sense of safety was built during these first community council meetings. We explore what it means to be an "insider"-only Community Partnered Participatory Research Council and reflect on the praxis we developed to facilitate Autistic knowledge production.
ISSN:1362-3613
1461-7005
DOI:10.1177/13623613241253014