Please use this thread to post proposals for future research subjects. Subjects will be chosen that have the general aim of aiding better public perception and treatment of people on the spectrum. At the meeting where this was first proposed environmental causes were agreed upon, so please do not repeat this same proposal.
Idea:
Effective methods of accomodating people with autism in the work place.
It would address such issues as sensory overload, communication between employer and other workers, training methods and aids.
There could be a separate study for people just with Asperger's. It would be difficult because no two people with autism are alike and each person has special needs. I think that most people would be surprised at what simple accomodations are needed and ignorance is the biggest problem.
Yeah. I have a possible research proposal.
Before I say anything, I have asperger, am a male, and 21 years old.
Now let get down to what research we should be studying.
I called this project "Rain Man" Code name: Rain Man .
This research was not designed to mock the movie "Rain Man" at any way. The idea is to see how much an aspies can unlock the power of Rain Man's and other autistic incredible ability that occurs in history.
The test control should be people with autism and Asperger. No bi-polar or anything that is not related to the autistic spectrum.
Special ability as follow..
Counting toothpicks, marble, etc very quickly
Calculating large number without doing scratch paper.
Playing poker and winning at every hand.
Being the best basketball game player.
We know that we can't have every special ability but the research are designed to show whether we may have a possible undeveloped "special ability" that might be hatch. Thus during the research, we to collect survey and ask question. We then compares aspies's special ability with other to see if there any connection. On top of that, we test to see if an aspies can try their best on things that other aspie are good at for supporting evidence on hatching "undeveloped" special ability.
May I have a supporter that can yea, vote, have motion toward this idea, or volunteer?
An interesting hypothesis. How would you test it practically?
An interesting hypothesis. How would you test it practically?
I would say that we practice through mental, physical, and vocational test. Some aspies might have a good reflex when come to someone patting them on the stomach.
Like I said above, the idea to release new ability that we didn't think we have. For example: If we started a new ability then suddenly turn into super talent. Put it down that was a undeveloped special ability that hatched into a talent.
Another hypothesis I like bring and thank you nyanchan for bringing new idea to the Rain Man project. We will like to use that idea as well for the project.
Learning Curves
Can an aspies learn quicker than NT?
How does an aspies outperform in some ability that leave NT in the dust?
The reason for this idea because it can support the undeveloped ability idea within the Rain Man project.
All of the this will goes toward the Rain Man project for yea, votes, motion in favor, support, and volunteer.
This is the (rather tentative) title of the new research I intend to pursue for my PhD:
In search of a common language: an inquiry about written communication and self-narrative in the autistic community
It sounds very boring (it is, the title i mean
), but it will be about written production in the ASD community, books, autobiographies, blogs etc etc. I am an avid reader of autobiographies myself, and I have a keen interest in the on-line written communication (blogs, forums, etc).
I'll be reading a lot in the next few years
Martina
Another idea:
Do people on the Autistic Spectrum process 'safe' HERBAL sedatives & anti-depressants differently than NTs, as they often do with medications used in psychiatric treatment? If this is unknown, would this be a worthwhile research topic?
This is a very good idea with very wide-reaching implications. Clinical trials for herbal products are non-existant and for anti-depressants obviously they are not focused on autism. I am personally unable to spend much time at the moment on this due to the "OMG! Term coming to an end so all assignments due" effect at uni (amongst other things - such as continuing with the site). In the new year or during xmas holidays I will take a much more active role.
Special ability as follow..
Counting toothpicks, marble, etc very quickly
Calculating large number without doing scratch paper.
Playing poker and winning at every hand.
Being the best basketball game player.
Memory related abilities? Such as the ability to recall the day of the week associated with specific dates over a period of years.
Or interesting musical abilities?
Another question would be why do special abilities sometimes fade with age, and what outside influences can effect this?
Although again I have little idea how this could be turned from musings to practical research.
Is it actually easier for nonverbal autistics to learn Autlang, as opposed to French or German or Russian or whatever?
Is there any proof that the "comorbid conditions" truly are "comorbid"? Hypothesis: The "comorbid" conditions are not comorbid. They are a natural response to a lifetime of abuse, exclusion, ill-treatment, and incompetent treatment on the part of caregivers and society in general. Is depression considered a "comorbitidy" of abuse? Is anxiety considered a "comorbitity" of abuse? Is lashing out considered a "comorbidity" of abuse?
This is of course an interesting question that I wanted to solve in the Aspie-quiz evaluation, but I'm not quite sure that I have solved it though. Mostly it seems like many traits that usually are signs of bad environment and that are common in ASDs also are hightly coupled to each others. I tried to answer the question if things like preference for sameness and solitude were caused by environment, and I think they mostly are because they are highly linked to depression and thoughts of commiting suicide that must be environmental. I don't know how to prove that this is the only connection (might not even be possible), but it is at least a major cause.
1) Is artistic development noticably different in autistic children?
"Normal" development of the ability to draw follows the same path almost exactly in people of all ages from all cultural and racial groups across the planet, begining with the scribble stage and moving on through a series of symbol stages that hardly ever vary. As far as I'm aware, no research has ever been done to determine whether or not this rigid pattern of development is different in autistic children or a significant portion of autistic children (i.e., in non-verbal children, or in children who later show savant abilities in drawing, ect.)
2) I'm not sure how this would be accomplished exactly, but a study (or series of studies) showing how auistics process language vs. how Nts process language, what parts of speech are most difficult for them (is there one form of grammar that's easier? Is it the very sound of the letters themselves that are hard to proccess?), in so that we could learn how best to structure a learnable language (a more effective Autlang).
3) This ties into the above. Is language easier for autistics to understand when it's sung? Can instructions be remembered better and performed more acurately when they are sung to the individual? Do we learn better when our lessons are sung to us?
1) Is artistic development noticably different in autistic children?
"Normal" development of the ability to draw follows the same path almost exactly in people of all ages from all cultural and racial groups across the planet, begining with the scribble stage and moving on through a series of symbol stages that hardly ever vary. As far as I'm aware, no research has ever been done to determine whether or not this rigid pattern of development is different in autistic children or a significant portion of autistic children (i.e., in non-verbal children, or in children who later show savant abilities in drawing, ect.)
I think that has been done; I can't find the study, but I think I remember it was found that autistic children had a much better intuitive grasp of perspective and depth (even non-savants).
Research Idea:
Attempt to formulate an all inclusive (global) theory whereby the whole of Autism/Asperger's et al (plus all the comorbids, i.e. dyspraxia, digestive tract dysfunction, consonant detection, etc.) are defined as a broad 'close' relative of ADD/ADHD - as ADBD or Attention Division/Balance Disorder (for instance).
1. Multi-disciplinary assistance: Refer to separate medical specialists for each aspect of the manifestation of ASD's and their maximal view of how much accountability could be laid at the feet of attention imbalances or limitations... other than attention deficit conditions.
2. Neurological underpinning: Come up with a reasonable idea on what must be neurologically different (structure-wise) to account for this condition in those who have it.
3. Peer Review & Reporting: Subject the theory to peer review before public release, ensuring the peer review critiques are included in both the summary and the full article.
4. Success: If successful in conquering the world with this theory by having it accepted as fact:
a) congratulate yourself and your colleagues
b) thank all those who took pot-shots at your theory and strengthened it over time
c) give me a tiny 8pt attribution in a grey font at the foot of the last page, and
d) call upon all Autism institutions to merge with ADD/ADHD bodies forthwith.
5. Failure: Console yourself with the thought that I only put 4.5 minutes into coming-up with that 1/32th-baked theory and that I have 1,732,234 more theories, probably all as likely to crash and burn, just above my pronounced neanderthal brow ridges.
John
Why am I what I do and what I cannot do?
Given that many, or all, aspies have been so since birth I think any research on newborns and infants would be interesting.  My son was born 4 weeks early (labour was induced because he had stopped growing), refused to breast feed and was extremely difficult to bottle feed.  Moving him onto solids was also a struggle and he continues to be the pickiest eater.  The emphasis on breast feeding rather than bottle feeding was unhelpful to say the least, and I wonder now if the sensory aspects of AS were at least a contributory factor in any or all of these early difficulties.  Also worth mentionning here is that at less than a month old and in an incubator he was extremely active and banged his head as soon as his neck was strong enough.
Research on this would be incredibly helpful for mothers like me who really struggled with feeding a child, which is so fundamental to a maternal relationship.
I don't know if there's any research on a possible link between low-birth weight babies and AS.  I think I read somewhere that underweight children are over-represented among aspies as opposed to NTs.
I did some completed research. I have been posting my research on YouTube.
Please go to http://www.youtube.com/bopkasen then go through my video. I have other various video that is not related to autism but I requested that you add me as subscription.
Apologies if this is either a) already mentioned b) already researched or c) a silly idea...
On the "Unintentianal mimicry" thread we got around to talking about echolalia, and the 'spectrum' of echolalic behaviour: from solely repeating what's heard without neccessarily understanding it, through to using 'stock phrases' to make routine social interaction easier.  Someone suggested that kids who go through an echolalia stage tend to eventually learn to communiacte effectively, they just learn via a different route.
I think this is fascinating, and if it's true it could be an important thing to understand when teaching kids with echolalic tendencies.  And might it not just apply to spoken language, but all sorts of other social interaction as well?
Echolalia is actually a normal phase of development in all children- the difference in autistics is that it tends to last longer and/or appear later, and is often non-communicative. Personally I think it's very likely that echolalia is an important stage of autistic development- this being part of the theory that autistics develop through different stages and in different ways than NTs do, staying in some stages of development (like communication) longer while developing much more quickly in other areas, and sometimes developing in ways that that are unheard of in NTs.
I plan on majoring in psychology in college and then going into a career doing autism research. Some of the studies I have planned will address the following:
1. Is autism really more prevalent in males? Personally I believe that it isn't, or is but by much less than is currently estimated. Current gender difference estimates are based on diagnosis rates, which are inherently flawed. I want to address this from several different angles, starting with bias against females during the diagnosis process and also covering the possibility that autism presents differently in females than in males.
2. Is "regression" really just an expression of depression and/or stress? Does reducing stress levels help prevent regression or reverse it?
3. Related to the previous: Do autistics express stress differently from NTs? How many so-called autistic traits are actually the "autistic way" of responding to stress? What methods can be used to reduce stress levels and thereby improve the autistic's quality of life and coping ability? If one approaches autistic difficulties as if they were stress disorders, is it easier to improve them?
4. What is the prevalence of eating disorders among autistics? How do they vary from eating disorders among NTs? How can we help people overcome them?
These are all aimed at having a direct and immediate impact on the world of autism treatment and the lives of autistic people. My goal in doing all of this research is first and foremost to address issues that are ruining peoples lives, so that my work can lead to more effective ways to help them. (that's why most of these focus on the negative aspects of autism)
I also think it would be good to have some surveys done to answer the following:
1. What are employer attitudes towards autistics?
2. How many diagnosed autistics want a cure, and how many don't?
3. How many autistics self-report good math or science ability? How many report good art or music ability?
4. Do parents' perceptions of their child's abilities and quality of life match their children's perceptions of those same things?