Why

Aspect provides Autism Alert Cards for free as an Autistic-led initiative to support other Autistic people. Thousands of cards have been issued since its introduction in 2020. Despite their widespread availability, the real-world application and impact of these cards remains largely unknown.

In this research project, we explored how the Autism Alert Cards are used, whether they genuinely benefit Autistic people in their daily lives, and if the impact varies among users and situations.

How is the Aspect Autism Alert Card used in everyday life? What are the impacts of using the card?

The research

People who have requested Autism Alert Cards from Aspect were invited to complete a survey about their use and perceptions of the cards. The survey was completed by:

• 144 Autistic people
• 128 parents/caregivers of an Autistic person

What we learnt

Publication

Edwards, C., Love, A. M., Flower, R. L., Ying Cai, R., & Gibbs, V. (2024). ‘Just knowing it’s there gives me comfort’: Exploring the benefits and challenges of autism alert cards. Autism.

Making a difference

This research provides crucial insights into the real-world use and impact of Autism Alert Cards, guiding enhancements to better support the Autistic individuals as they go about their everyday lives:

• Promote card benefits: Positive user experiences suggest continued community promotion of the autism alert card.
• Education and training: Enhance societal understanding of autism through targeted education, especially in public, emergency and healthcare settings.

The feedback from participants in this study was used in the co-production of Aspect's new Autism Alert Cards, which are now available in two formats.

Research team

Dr Chris Edwards, Aspect Research Centre for Autism Practice (ARCAP)

Dr Abbey Love, ARCAP

Dr Ru Ying Cai, ARCAP

Dr Rebecca Flower, La Trobe University

Dr Vicki Gibbs, ARCAP

Funding

Aspect