Скачать или смотреть IRWB presents: Autism and the Military. When one member serves the entire family serves.

A recording of our free, livestream research café talk with Dr Gabriela Misca & Philippa White from the Interpersonal Relationships & Wellbeing Research group, University of Worcester.

When one member serves the entire family serves

This talk gives an overview of the evolving position of the Armed Forces' recruitment of autistic individuals, historically seen as “not fit for duty”. As autism has a distinct genetic component, this development must take into consideration the needs of the entire military family, as “when one member serves the entire family serves”. Findings from a qualitative research study on the perceptions of care giving parents raising autistic adolescents in a military family are discussed. It will highlight the strategies that these parents use to support their autistic adolescents amidst the military lifestyle. This includes seeking stability and advocating for their adolescents. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.

About the speakers:

Dr Gabriela Misca’s current research is focused on issues related to military and veterans’ families, their support needs in coping with the demands of military life and transitions within and out service, and the visible and nonvisible combat injuries of the serving family member. She was Research Adviser to the first independent review commissioned in 2019 by the Ministry of Defence into understanding the needs of UK Armed Forces families. The report, Living in Our Shoes, which she co-authored made 110 recommendations to the UK Government and, importantly informed the MOD’s 2022-32 UK Armed Forces Families Strategy. In recognition of her research into Armed Forces families and its impact, Dr Misca received the Special Award for FiMpacT (2021) from the Forces in Mind Trust

Philippa White is an Associate Lecturer on the BSc and MSc Occupational Therapy Degree Courses and PhD student at the University of Worcester. She has over 20 years working as a Specialist Occupational Therapist in autism and brain injuries, case management and being a Care/Occupational Therapy expert witness. Her PhD research, under the direction of Dr Gabriela Misca, explores parents’ views on supporting adolescents with autism growing up in a military family.