Creating New Questionnaire on Characteristics of Autistic People

[TiredMom]

Hi all,
I'm posting this on behalf of my husband, who is a psychology professor and is looking for autistic and other neurodiverse collaborators for his research. If you are interested, please do not reply here. Instead, send an email to him at: [email protected]. Thanks.

"I would like to collaborate with people who are not neurotypical on a project to develop a new questionnaire intended to measure a wide variety of characteristics associated with the autism spectrum. Existing questionnaires are, in my opinion, rather narrow in scope and focus exclusively on deficits. They do not measure things that may be important, such as sensory sensitivities, vestibular/proprioceptive difficulties, and mechanical/computer aptitude.

I would especially welcome collaboration from non-neurotypical people who are scientists (especially behavioral scientists), but anyone who is interested in this project who has lived experience as a non-neurotypical person would be very welcome.

The root of this new project is a recently completed project that has just been published (Zhu, Yiqin, Wenting Mu, Marianne G. Chirica, and Howard Berenbaum. 2022. "Testing a theory‐driven Factor Structure of the autism‐spectrum Quotient." Autism Research (Jun 04). doi:https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.2763)."

 

[Tom]

...vestibular/proprioceptive difficulties...

Oh yes lots of those. Tons. But could you jar my memory about what those are again?

 

[Thinx]

Presumably the 6 areas proposed for the redesign are based on the Diagnostic criteria, but even just looking at those 6 areas reminds me of the shortcomings of the diagnostic criteria. For example our alleged needs for predictability/routine. And if we dont have them, simples, we're not Autistic... Seems like research could be stuck in a loop, trying to expand something that isn't fit for purpose.

 

[Au Naturel]

Oh yes lots of those. Tons. But could you jar my memory about what those are again?

Proprioception is the sense of where a body part is without having to think about or look at it. Without it, you are a large male bovine in a retail establishment specializing in ceramic dishes. In other words, something I am completely lacking.

 

[tree]

I think the professor would have more luck recruiting volunteers from this site if
A. he made an account himself and posted a thread seeking collaborators
B. been around the site long enough to see that few people here
feel comfortable with emailing people they don't know

 

[TiredMom]

I think the professor would have more luck recruiting volunteers from this site if
A. he made an account himself and posted a thread seeking collaborators
B. been around the site long enough to see that few people here
feel comfortable with emailing people they don't know

Thanks for this. I have passed the message along.

 

[Alexej]

Thanks for this. I have passed the message along.

People in here are often up for helping out with research and similar