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.

I haven't found this information yet. If it has not yet been researched, perhaps you would add it to your list...? If it has been researched, would you please re-direct me to a more appropriate place on-line? (pm me, I guess)

- If the Autistic Spectrum is a broad range of neurological disorders, what area(-s) of the brain is affected? If it IS a range of neurological disorders, can it be detected by any of the currently available medical scanning techniques? If not, why not? Is the difference too fine, or too deep, to be detected by existing devices? (To have a scanning device sensitive enough for this would be enormously useful, because it would- theoretically- reduce the need for the hit-or-miss psychological diagnoses and intelligence testing we seem to be limitted to at this time...)
(Note: Correct me if I'm wrong, but genetic testing could only detect the presence of the GENE that transfers Autistic Spectrum disorders; it does not tell you whether you are, in fact, on the Spectrum [does it?], because you can have the genes for any given charactistic, but not present it either objectively or subjectively. In such a case, the gene is called RECESSIVE, right? A 'sleeper,' if you will...)

-Why do people on the Autistic Spectrum in particular tend to have the comorbid conditions which are commonly associated with them? What biological or neurological function determines the presence or absence of these comorbids in any individual on the Autistic Spectrum?

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?

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?

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

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.

The only specific part of the brain that I have found mentioned is the Amygdala. This has been shown in some scanning techniques such as MRI.

More than one gene must be involved but the 'problem' is believed to be in the Y chromosome (four times more males than females).

We are more likely to be born to older fathers, and our mothers are more likely to have A- (Rhesus negative) blood.

We seem to be affected by gluten (thus the glutenfree diet), casein (dairyfree diet), sucrose (no cane or corn sugars) and aspartame (no diet soda).

We can develop metabolic disorders as a consequence of our diets.
We may have problems processing protein and eradicating heavy metals, related to an insufficiency in Metallothionein. This is related to a deficiency in Zinc (best taken in combination with Magnesium and calcium), although excess Zinc can cause problems too. We may have a deficiency in Folate, usually taken with Iron as FeFol. These deficiencies affect the taste of the food we eat, so some of us limit our food to those we trust; sometimes to white carbohydrates such as bread and potatoes. This causes further undernutrition and may even lead to malnurition such as Kwashiorkor. We usually have a deficiency in B6, and I have found that I am better with regular B1, B12 and B7 (sometimes called Vitamin H).

There is a relationship with the uptake of Seratonin (thus the potential for depression).

We may be subject to sensory overload from lights and noise and smells, thus the irritability. We may have disturbances in our peripheral vision (not sight). Our reluctance to be in the sun may lead to a Vitamin D deficiency.

We ignore what we can't deal with, and NTs (neurotypicals) seem offended by that. If we ignore the overload or stim, we are treated as 'problems' or as retarded, thus the frustration.

I am not a doctor, so this is information gathered from the Internet and experimentation in a family that has been affected to a greater or lesser degree for several generations.

I am dramatically more capable than I was even twelve months ago.I But, in addition to being careful with my diet and taking supplements, I take two different antidepressants and an antipsychotic.

I work fulltime and am studying Management Information Technologies at postgraduate level on a part-time basis. I find that I can write semilegible notes while I lip-read the lecturer. This way I seem to be able to understand what he is saying and it is easier to make sense of my notes later. If I just take notes, I usually only last ten minutes before I give up and wander off into virtual reality. I did have to ask the guy to stop talking to the whiteboard and turn to face me when he was talking and he has been really supportive (when he remembers ).

Zed

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.

Another idea (feel free to delete if it is stupid.)

Special interests.

Does a person's physiology / brain activity change when thinking about obsessions as opposed to other interesting or even boring things? -- This could be especially in reference to issues of reward / punishment. ie, The nature of physical reward resulting from obsession interests or is there a more adverse effect from punishing special interest than there is from punishing other day to day behaviour?

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?

" Is depression considered a "comorbitidy" of abuse?  Is anxiety considered a "comorbitity" of abuse?  Is lashing out considered a "comorbidity" of abuse? "

That's quiet an interesting question you ask. Because not everybody who is abused gets depression or anxiety. When they do, it's considered adjustment disorder, or reactive depression. Also, after a trauma, not everybody will develop post traumatic stress disorder. What makes some people get it, and anothers not? Some depression/anxiety are thought not to be linked to any stress at all. I personally think depression and anxiety disorders have different etiologies.

Though it's a good question to ask, is any of the depression/anxiety a result of abuse? This study could be done by comparing autistics who have depression/axniety to neurotypicals who have depression/anxiety. Perhaps compare autistics to neurotypicals who have been abused the same amount, perhaps they may have something that makes them the target of prejudice, and see if the number of depression/anxiety sufferers are about the same. Though it would be hard to systematically define and control 'amount of abuse'.

I don't know if this is the right place to post this suggestion for a research topic, or whether anyone is really interested in my crackpot idea, but here you go:

Is partial syndactyly (partially webbed toes, especially the second and third toes of each foot) more common in people with Autistic Spectrum Disorders than it is in the general population?

You can see the beginnings of this idea in the thread called 'Syndacyly (webbed toes)?' on the General forum.