Our Research Projects

Better understanding autism in adults

We have partnered with university research programs to measure, assess and learn from the effects of home design, activity programming and technology on residents’ quality of life.

Université de Montréal

La maison phare : Concevoir un lieu d’habitation pour le bien-être de la personne autiste [The flagship home: designing a living environment for the well-being of autistic people] (2017) - Project completed

Objectives: Identify best practices around the world in order to inform and support the design of a first reproducible Home. The research team of the Faculty of Planning set the additional objective of formulating principles for the flagship home's innovative design all while using a sustainable approach.

Lead Researchers: Virginie LaSalle, Daniel Pearl, Jeanne Lafon

Impact d’un programme résidentiel adapté et novateur sur la qualité de vie des adultes autistes [Impact of an adapted and innovative residential program on the quality of life of autistic adults] - Ongoing project

Objective: The project aims to assess the impact of an innovative living environment on the quality of life and social participation of semi-autonomous autistic adults and to identify both individual and environmental factors that may have an impact on the functional autonomy, social participation, well-being and quality of life of autistic adults.

Lead Researchers: Roger Godbout, PhD; Baudoin Forgeot D'Arc, MD, PhD
Project Manager: Anne-Marie Nader, PsyD / PhD

Designing places with, by and for autistic people: Development of a design device for the built environment based on the user-experience of autistic people - Ongoing project

Objectives: Evaluate the strategies implemented during the design of existing places intended specifically for people with autism and, on this basis, to project avenues for innovation. Describe and characterize the various components of the built environment influencing the well-being of people with autism. Design an interior design pedagogical formula for the co-design of the built environment based on the lived experience of people with autism.

Lead Researcher: Virginie LaSalle

Co-researchers: Baudoin Forgeot D'Arc, MD, PhD; Vincent Larivière; Isabelle Feillou, PhD

Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières

HABITAT : des habitations adaptées aux besoins individuels et des technologies accessibles pour tous! [HABITAT: housing adapted to individual needs and technologies accessible to all!] - Ongoing project

Main objective: To develop a generalizable residential model using technology. More specifically, the project evaluates:

1. The effect of technologies on autistic people (satisfaction, autonomy/self-determination and necessary support) on their daily activities
2. Acceptance of the model
3. The deployment of the living laboratory and technoclinical tools

Lead Researcher: Dany Lussier-Desrochers, PhD

Project Manager: Laurence Pépin-Beauchesne MSc, Ps.Ed

Université de Sherbrooke

Évaluation de l’implantation et des effets du programme Soutien aux Comportements Positifs en milieu résidentiel adulte (SCP-RA) [Evaluation of the implementation and effects of the Support for Positive Behaviors in Adults in Residential Settings (SCP-RA) program] - Ongoing project

Objectives: The research project has five main objectives:

1. Understand the initial skills necessary for staff to implement the SCP-RA program and meet the needs of residents
2. Assess the degree of implementation of the SCP-RA program at the Véro & Louis Home
3. Determine the effects of the SCP-RA program on:
   1. staff knowledge and intervention strategies
   2. staff assignments and employee confidence in managing residents' problematic behaviors
   3. the well-being and occupational health of the staff
   4. the residents' behaviors, general adaptation and quality of life
4. Understand how residents' parents experienced the transition of their child's living environment in the context of the SCP-RA program's application
5. Determine the social acceptability of the SCP-RA program among staff and parents

Lead Researcher: Malena Argumedes-Charles, PhD

Project Managers: Valérie Martin, PhD; Marie-Michèle Dufour, PhD