Research Study looking for Participants

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Dear Friend of ASO:

Information on a research study looking for participants. More detailed information and contact information follows MY signature. FYI - please share.

Dear Parents,I would like to invite you to participate in a survey study that explores the maternal beliefs and involvement practices of mothers of children with autism spectrum disorders.If you are a mother of a preschooler or kindergartener with autism and either 2nd generation Chinese-, Korean-, or Japanese-American (i.e. born in the U.S. with immigrant parents or immigrated before age 14) or Anglo American, you are eligible to recieve a $15 Target gift card for your participation as well as be entered into a drawing for a $200 Spa Finder gift certificate. If you are interested in participating in this survey study, please contact me, Cho at jamie118@... or (510) 594-1065.Thank you. Cho

Sincerely,

Barbara C. YavorcikPresidentAutism Society of Ohio701 S. Main St.Akron, OH 44311(330) 376-0211fax: (330) 376-1226email: askASO@...home: byavorcik@...web: www.autismohio.org Please note: This is provided for information purposes only. The ASO does not endorse or recommend any providers, methodologies or services. Providing this information should not be construed as an endorsement by the ASO, either explicit or impiled.

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November 13, 2006

Dear Parent,

My name is Cho. I am a doctoral student in the Education Department at the University of California at Berkeley. My advisor is Holloway, Ph.D. who is an adjunct professor in the Graduate School of Education at University of California at Berkeley. I am conducting a study investigating the beliefs and practices of Asian-American and Anglo-American mothers of preschoolers and kindergarteners with autism spectrum disorders. Specifically, this study will examine parents’ beliefs about disability, their roles and beliefs about parenting and their involvement in their child’s education.

I would like to invite you to participate in this study. This study involves a survey that will take you no more than 30 minutes to complete. The survey will ask you to answer questions about the way you participate in your child education, the qualities you would like your child to develop, the attitudes you have about disability, and your beliefs about being a parent. For completing the survey, you will receive a $15 gift certificate to Target as well as be entered into a drawing for a $200 Spa Finder gift certificate which can be redeemed at 2500 spa/massage locations nationwide. You can also choose to participate in one optional 60 minute interview. The total time of participation should be no more than 2 hours. The interview will take place at a time and location that is convenient for you. I will be asking you about your beliefs about disability and parenting. You will be asked some sensitive questions about your child’s diagnosis and your hopes for your child’s future.

If you are interested in participating in this study and meet the criteria: (a) Anglo-American or 2nd generation Chinese, Japanese, or Korean American (e.g. you were born in the United States with immigrant parents or you immigrated to the United States before the age of 14), ( you have a child with autism in preschool or kindergarten, you can contact me, Cho, directly at 510)594-1065 or jamie118@.... You will be asked to participate in the following ways:

◠You will be asked to complete a survey that asks for demographic information as well your views about parenting, goals for your children, beliefs about disability, and involvement in your child’s education. The surveys should only take about 30 minutes. Please return the survey within 2 weeks.

â—Following the completion of the survey, you can mail the survey to me. I will then send you a $15 gift certificate to Target and you will be entered into a drawing for a $200 Spa Finder gift certificate. I will also mail you a copy of your consent form for your records.

â—On the survey you can indicate that you would like to be interviewed. I will set up a time to interview you for approximately 60 minutes. The interview will be audio-taped.

The risks are primarily emotional in nature. You may feel vulnerable when disclosing personal information about you and your family and this personal information may evoke feelings of sadness or anxiety. It is possible that you may feel embarrassed by your emotional reactions or by feelings that you express in the interview. You are free to decline to answer any question or stop your participation at anytime without penalty.

Participation in this research may involve a loss of privacy, but your information will be handled as confidentially as possible. Participants will be assigned a pseudonym and an identity key. The pseudonym and code number will be used for transcription and all data analysis. Records kept on the computer will not have identifiable information. The list associating the subjects with identity keys will be locked in a separate location. Published reports of the study will only refer to subjects by their pseudonyms.

The data will only be used by the research team. Data may be used for publication and for conference presentations. Data will be stored for 3 years after the completion of the study, which may be needed for further data analysis and publication.

There is no direct benefit to you anticipated from the research but it is hoped that the results of this study will inform services that can be provided to children and their families as well as advance research in learning about parenting beliefs of mothers of children with autism. There are also no costs to the participants besides possible transportation costs to interview location. All participants will receive a $15 gift card for Target and be entered into a drawing for a $200 Spa Finder gift certificate, which can be redeemed at 2500 Spa locations nationwide.

In the event that you need to discontinue your participation in this study, the researcher will either use the partial data collected or not use any of the data collected, depending on your preference.

Your participation in this research is voluntary. You are free to refuse participation altogether or discontinue at any time without penalty. Whether or not you participate or permit me to use your data will be kept confidential and will have no bearing on your standing in relation to the organizations you or your child attends.

If you have any questions about the research or would like to participate, please call me, Cho, at 510) 594-1065 or email me at jamie118@.... You may keep the other copy of this form for future reference. If you have any questions about your rights or treatment as a participant in this research project, please contact the University of California at Berkeley, Committee for Protection of Human Subjects at (510) 642-7461, email: subjects@...

Sincerely,

Cho

Ph.D. Candidate

Joint doctoral program in special education

UC Berkeley & San Francisco State University