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Current Research Happening

What is happening in our research space?

Explore some of our current projects underway right now.

Research into Digitally-Enabled Care for Autistic People

We are inviting Autistic people to take part in co-design wānanga (workshops) on the potential use of digital technologies and tools to improve the accessibility of Aotearoa New Zealand’s community healthcare sector.

The aim of this research is to work together with people who use healthcare services, healthcare professionals, and other stakeholders to develop a digitally enabled care framework (DECF) for Aotearoa’s community healthcare sector, such as general practices (GP clinics).

The DECF will be co-developed in partnership with healthcare users, with a focus on communities that often experience barriers to accessing healthcare, including Māori, disabled people, and Autistic people, and with professionals working in community healthcare settings (such as general practitioners, nurses, healthcare leaders and managers, and policy makers).

Opportunity: We are currently inviting Autistic people to take part in a half-day wānanga, either in person or via Zoom.

  • In-person wānanga will be held in Wellington (28th October 2026) and Christchurch (9th September 2026).
  • The Christchurch wānanga will be hybrid, with an option to join virtually via Zoom (9thSeptember 2026).

Participants will receive a $50 koha (grocery, petrol or Mighty Ape voucher) to acknowledge their contribution. Parking coupons will be provided for the Wellington workshop.

 All participants in the wānanga will be Autistic, and the wānanga will be co-facilitated by Autistic and non-autistic researchers.      

For more information about this project or how to support, click the following flyers to learn more:

Flyer 1

Flyer 2

Flyer 3

Research on how stuttering therapy changes the brain

UC Speech-Language Neuroscience Lab, we are investigating stuttering in young children and how the brain changes in response to therapy. Stuttering affects many preschool-aged children, yet we still do not fully understand why it occurs or how the brain responds to treatment. The study includes 40 children aged 4-6 years, including 20 children who stutter and 20 who do not. Children who stutter took part in an 8-week evidence-based therapy programme (RESTART-DCM), allowing us to explore both improvements in speech fluency and treatment-related brain changes. This is the first study internationally to investigate neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to adapt and change, in preschoolers who stutter using both structural and functional MRI. Our long-term goal is to improve our understanding of developmental stuttering, support effective early intervention, and contribute to better outcomes for children and their whānau.

*** We are currently only looking for 4-year-old boys who do not stutter, as controls for children who completed the study ***

 

For more information, contact: Wallis Grout-Brown wallis.grout-brown@pg.canterbury.ac.nz

Digital Medial Research Network

The DMRN is a research group based at the University of Canterbury dedicated to supporting youth digital wellbeing in Aotearoa!

Learn about the research the network has done on digital media and wellbeing:

https://www.instagram.com/nzdigitalmediaresearchnetwork/

https://linktr.ee/NZdigigalmediaresearchnetwork

 

Current Projects

  • Hidden in Play: Advertising Content in Children’s Mobile Apps. In this study we are exploring the types of ads and advertising prevalence within mobile apps aimed at young children (aged 8 and under). We are comparing advertising across platforms and monitisation models within the most popular mobile apps for young to children to understand the presence of advertising within online app play.
  • A Scoping Review of Children’s Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): In this project are conducting a scoping review to map existing research on AI in children’s family, learning, play, and everyday contexts. Following PRISMA-ScR guidelines, the review will identify the types of AI technologies being studied, examine how children’s AI use has been studied in relation to communication, learning, wellbeing, relationships, and adult support, and identify evidence gaps. Findings will inform future research, family guidance, educational practice, technology design, and subsequent empirical research.
  • ManyBabies 8 (Screen Use): We will soon be collecting data as part of this collaborative, international study across more than 50 countries. The MB8 project will examine cross-country variation in young children’s digital media use and investigate how early media experiences relate to language and socio-emotional development across diverse cultural and socioeconomic contexts. We will be recruiting families of children aged 6 to 36 months across three NZ sites starting early in 2027!

Find out more about the Research for Children Aotearoa Collaboration

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