Samantha M. Ross
AIR-P Scholar, Cohort 2 (2021-2022)
About
Project:
Autistic Stakeholder Perspectives and Construct Validation of Flourishing Measures; Informing Surveillance and Intervention
Institution: West Virginia University
Project Overview
Summary:
The research investigates the construct validity of flourishing as a measure of well-being in autistic youth, which was integrated into the National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH) in 2018 but not validated for this population.
Methods:
The study included cognitive interviews with 12 autistic youth and 26 parents, followed by focus groups that discussed potential revisions to NSCH flourishing items and the creation of a 'conversation toolkit for flourishing.'
Results:
Preliminary analysis suggests that differences in flourishing between autistic and non-autistic youth may stem from the variability in how items are understood, rather than actual differences in well-being.
Conclusions:
Findings from autistic youth and parent perspectives will contribute to guidelines for using and interpreting flourishing measures and pave the way for larger studies on well-being and the development of universally designed assessment tools.
Project Mentors and Contributors
Kristy Anderson, Justin Haegele