Time for Autism – a qualitative evaluation of an autism education programme for undergraduate medical students

Abstract

Autism education for undergraduate medical students is currently limited, variable, and under-evaluated, despite increasing recognition of the need for doctors to provide equitable, person-centred care for autistic people. The Time for Autism programme, in which medical students are paired with families of autistic children, represents a novel experiential learning approach. This MPhil research project aimed to understand the outcomes and mechanisms of action in Time for Autism by exploring the experiences of participating medical students.
The research comprised two sub-studies. First, a systematic review was conducted to synthesise evidence from international studies evaluating autism education programmes for undergraduate medical students. This review followed PRISMA-P guidelines and examined reported effectiveness and evaluation methods. Second, a qualitative study was undertaken to explore the perspectives of medical students who participated in Time for Autism. Data was generated through semi-structured interviews and analysed thematically within a constructivist paradigm, with attention to reflexivity and methodological rigour.
The systematic review identified very few published studies, highlighting both the lack of rigorous evaluation and the absence of evidence on autism education for undergraduate medical students. The qualitative findings indicated that participants in Time for Autism developed greater understanding of autistic lived experience, enhanced appreciation of individual and family perspectives, improved confidence in communication, and enhanced intentions for future practice. The findings suggested the key mechanism of action is active engagement with autistic children or young people and their families within the context of a trusting, reciprocal relationship that develops over time. Learning was affected by contextual factors including prior knowledge and experience of autism, self-perceived competence, motivation to learn, learning preferences and attitudes and expectations towards autism and the programme.
This research contributes new knowledge by demonstrating the scarcity of robust evidence in this vital yet under-researched field and providing preliminary evidence to support the educational value of the Time for Autism programme. It generates insights into how actively engaging with people with lived experience of autism over time maybe a powerful mechanism for improving the knowledge, attitudes and intentions of undergraduate medical students. Recommendations for further research and implications for autism education are presented.

Date of Award	Apr 2026
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Brighton
Supervisor	Stephanie Daley (Supervisor), Juliet Wright (Supervisor) & Elaney Youssef (Supervisor)