The Road Map
① Info & Consent
Read the information sheet ([Parents] | [<16] | [16+]) and chat as a family. To get started, complete the digital consent form. There is no obligation to submit work just because you’ve signed up!
② Get Inspired
Check out our Inspiration Page here for prompts and ideas. You can spend as much or as little time as you like—it’s your project.
③ Online Sessions (Optional)
Join our team and artist Charlie Murphy for a 1-hour workshop. Ask questions, see examples, or just listen in to get some ideas.
We will run a few sessions between February and April if you could use some extra support.
④ Submit Your Work
• Deadline: 30 April 2026.
• Format: We encourage you to submit something in a digital format (photos/scans/files). If your work is 3D, we can support you with postage costs—just let us know.
⑤ The Exhibition
Join us at The Exchange (Strand, London) from 6–14 June 2026 or view the gallery online.
BASIS - CANVAS
British Autism Study of Infant Siblings
Collecting Adolescents’ Narratives Visualised through Art and Stories
Project CANVAS: Your Story, Your Way
For 20 years, you’ve helped us understand neurodiversity in the lab. Now, we want to hear from you in a different way. CANVAS is a creative project for adolescents and their families to share the real experience of growing up in a neurodiverse family.
There are no right or wrong answers—just your perspective.
The Essentials
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Who: Families who previously took part in BASIS or STAARS. Any family member (12+) can participate—parents, siblings, and the original participant.
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Not sure if you are eligible? Send us an email at cbcd-superstaars @ bbk.ac.uk
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What: Share your story through art, writing, music, gaming, or media. It can be something new or something you’ve already created.
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Where: Your work will be featured in a London exhibition at The Exchange (King's College London) and in our online gallery.
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Why: To show the world your lived experience and help researchers focus on what actually matters to neurodivergent families.
Meet the Team
We are a team of researchers, an artist and a public engagement expert, under the guidance of the BASIS/STAARS Principle Investigators: Prof. Emily Jones - King's College London/Birkbeck, Prof. Tony Charman - King's College London, Prof. Mark Johnson - Cambridge. We also collaborate with therapists and a co-creation group including autistic people to create our materials and make sure we best get your voices heard. Together we are hoping to inspire you to create something for our project that we can share with the broader community and that can inspire our further research.
Tessel has been working with the BASIS/STAARS team for the past 10+ years. Some of you might have seen her during the toddler or mid-childhood visits at King's College London. She is very interested in hearing how your family’s journey has evolved over the years and loves being part of this opportunity to reconnect with some of you through this project.
Julia is a research assistant who has worked on the latest mid-childhood follow-up, StayCool, at Birkbeck. She brings a wealth of experience in supporting families through the research process and is here to help you with any questions you have.
Charlie is an artist and a teacher at Kingston School of Art. She specializes in "art-science" projects—helping people use creativity to talk about big topics like mental health and how our brains work. She is here to help you find your "artistic voice" and will assist during the interactive online sessions. You can find out more about her previous projects here: https://www.charliemurphy.co.uk.
Leigh specialises in creating meaningful interactions between researchers and the public. She has extensive experience in designing "co-creation" projects—collaborative spaces where participants, including for example neurodivergent young people, can contribute their insights as equal partners in the creative process.
FAQs
We understand that all this information might be a little overwhelming. If anything is unclear, please reach out to us and we are more than happy to help! We will add to this page whenever we can to provide additional information based on participant questions and feedback.
🏠 Who in our family can participate?
If one of your children previously participated in BASIS/STAARS and someone in your family has a diagnosis of autism and/or ADHD, any person 12+ (parents and siblings, with or without a diagnosis) can participate in the project. You can work together or submit something individually.
👩🏼🎨 Do I have to be "artistic"?
Not at all. We aren’t looking for masterpieces; we are looking for your story. Whether it’s a doodle, a poem, a photo, or a screenshot from a game, it is valuable.
🫱🏽🫲🏾 Can we work together?
Yes! You can submit individual pieces, or work on a joint project as a family. You don’t need a formal diagnosis to participate—if you are part of a BASIS/STAARS family and are 12+, you are welcome.
Do I have to create something from scratch?
Not at all! You might have already written a story, created a social media post, produced music or a video, ...
You can submit anything you have already created that fits with our question of neurodiversity experiences.
💬 Can I add an explanation of my artwork?
Absolutely! We love to hear what your artwork represents or means to you, but this is up to you.
📦 How do I submit my work?
After you have completed the consent form, we will let you know how you can submit your work online. If you make a physical piece of art, you can either take a photo/video of it and send this to us digitally, or we can support you to post it to us.
👤How is my privacy protected?
You are in total control of your identity:
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Anonymity: You can choose to be completely anonymous. Only the research team will know who created the art.
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Identification: If your art includes faces or full names (yours or others), we will double-check with you and may require extra consent forms from those pictured.
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Choice: On your consent form, you can choose exactly where your work is shown (In-person, Online, and/or in Scientific Publications).
🤷🏽 What if I change my mind?
You can withdraw at any time. If you have not submitted anything by 30 April 2026, we assume you no longer want to take part.
If you’ve already submitted work but change your mind, let us know by 30 April 2026. (After this date, we begin printing and building the exhibition, so removal may be more difficult, but we always try our best).
💷 Is there a cost to participate?
No. Participation is free. Please note that we currently cannot cover travel costs to the London exhibition, but the full gallery will be available online for everyone to see. Also, if you need art/craft resources for your artwork, but need some extra support to get these, please get in touch and we will do our best to support you.