Aloha!

My name is Shaunna Gutina, and you are invited to take part in a research study. I am a recent graduate student at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa in the Department of Special Education, and I am doing a research project with my Professor, Dr. Marija Čolić.

What am I being asked to do? 

If you participate in this project, you will be asked to fill out a survey. 

Taking part in this study is your choice. 

Your participation in this project is completely voluntary. You may stop participating at any time. If you stop being in the study, there will be no penalty or loss to you. 

Why is this study being done?

The purpose of this project is to evaluate how feeling stigmatized by others affects the quality of life of parents raising children diagnosed with autism in Hawaii.  

What will happen if I decide to take part in this study?

The survey will consist of 75 multiple choice and open-ended questions. It will take 15-20 minutes. The survey questions will include questions like, “My reputation is damaged because my child has autism”; “I don’t tell anyone I have a child with autism”; “People don’t want to associate with me because I have a child with autism.”

What are the risks and benefits of taking part in this study?

I believe there is little risk to you for participating in this research project. You may become stressed or uncomfortable answering any of the survey questions. If you do become stressed or uncomfortable, you can skip the question or take a break. You can also stop taking the survey or you can withdraw from the project altogether. 

There will be no direct benefit to you for participating in this survey. The results of this project may help us understand experiences of families of children with autism in Hawaii and understand better how to support families.

Confidentiality and Privacy: 

I will not ask you for any personal information, such as your name or address. Please do not include any personal information in your survey responses. I will keep all study data secure in a locked filing cabinet in a locked office/encrypted on a password protected computer. Only my University of Hawai'i professor and I will have access to the information. Other agencies that have legal permission have the right to review research records. The University of Hawai'i Human Studies Program has the right to review research records for this study.

Questions: If you have any questions about this study, please call or email me at 808-285-8086 or shaunna4@hawaii.edu. You may also contact my faculty advisor, Dr. Marija ÄŒolić, at colic@hawaii.edu. You may contact the UH Human Studies Program at  808.956.5007 or uhirb@hawaii.edu to discuss problems, concerns and questions, obtain information, or offer input with an informed individual who is unaffiliated with the specific research protocol. Please visit http://go.hawaii.edu/jRd for more information on your rights as a research participant.

Going to the first page of the survey implies your consent to participate in this study. 

Please print or save a copy of this page for your reference.
Mahalo!