University of Massachusetts Amherst

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Mia Tittmann

Involvement: 

Award: 

Undergraduate Research Award

Bio: 

Mia Tittmann is an undergraduate studying Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences. Under the guidance of her advisor, Dr. Ashley Woodman, her current research is focused on autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Her honors thesis will address the well-being of parents of autistic children, specifically parents who identify as a racial/ethnic minority. These well-being measurements will range from stress levels, sense of community, sense of support, etc. Through a systematic literature review, she will conclude what the current research has to say about these parent outcomes. She hopes to highlight where future research is heading, what is important to these parents, how to improve these outcomes, and finally what best practices should include. She plans to attend graduate school to become a licensed speech-language pathologist and continue doing research on the intersection of ASD, race/ethnicity, and family dynamics.

Research: 

My research is about the well-being of parents of autistic children, specifically parents who identify as a racial/ethnic minority. These well-being measurements will range from stress levels, sense of community, sense of support, etc. As a systematic literature review, I will assess what the current literature concludes about these parents. Parents of autistic children will often need support from resources and intervention programs to improve the quality of life of their child. Parents of color and historically underrepresented communities in general have less research on their experiences. This means that the services based on research will not always be reflective of their identities. By better understanding these parents, we can improve services and resources to ensure all autistic children and their family are getting the help they deserve. I hope my research will encourage others in the field to make their research more inclusive of different identities and analyze its influence.

Student Award Academic Year: