Open Society

In this month’s research roundup Ann picks out some of the current big debates on Autistic lives, and showcases new and important research from teams and academics working within the field.

www.thesensoryprojects.co.uk The Sensory Projects run on the principle that with the right knowledge, and a little creativity, inexpensive items can become effective sensory tools for inclusion.

Including motivational variables such as interest in the cognitive load framework is an ongoing process. Of particular interest is the question of how motivational variables influence the investment of mental effort. In this study, we investigated how topic interest affects the investment of mental effort in simple tasks. A total of 1543 students’ judgments regarding invested mental effort, perceived task difficulty, and topic interest for 32 tasks of a chemistry test were analyzed at the task level based on item response theory parameters. Additionally, objective task difficulty was calculated. The Rasch parameters were used for correlation and moderated regression analyses. The results indicated that when perceived task difficulty was low, students invested more mental effort in solving tasks of low topic interest compared to tasks of high topic interest. With increasing perceived task difficulty, the amount of invested mental effort rose for tasks of low as well as high topic interest. However, the difference between tasks of low and high topic interest in the amount of invested mental effort decreased as perceived task difficulty increased and even vanished when perceived task difficulty roughly corresponded to students’ performance capability. These results are in line with flow theory and the expectancy-value-cost model of motivation. When solving tasks that match their performance capability, students can experience a flow situation. However, when solving rather easy tasks of low interest, students can experience motivational costs in terms of additional effort, such as an increased need for motivational self-regulation. The results of this study provide a basis for systematically investigating and better understanding the relationship between interest, task difficulty, invested mental effort, flow experience, and emotional costs.

Research ethic application processes aim to ensure that researchers maintain high ethical standards, integrity, and confidentiality. Despite the importance of ethics applications and the practices they uphold, the process of obtaining a favourable opinion is not...

Interest in the mental health landscape of young people is widespread. This paper focuses in on the emotional wellbeing of students with profound intellectual disabilities and those who work with t...

The purpose of this paper is to examine the prevalence of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) in adults and children who were exposed to applied behavior analysis (ABA) autism early childhood intervention. Using an online questionnaire to survey autistic adults and caregivers of autistic children, the author collected data from 460 respondents on demographics, intervention types, and current pathological behaviors with symptom severity scales. This study noted PTSS in nearly half of ABA-exposed participants, while non-exposed controls had a 72 percent chance of being asymptomatic. ABA satisfaction ratings for caregivers averaged neutral or mild satisfaction. In contrast, adult satisfaction with ABA was lower on average and also tended to take on either extremely low or extremely high ratings. Exposure to ABA predicted a higher rate and more severe PTSS in participants, but the duration of exposure did not affect satisfaction with the intervention in caregivers.,Participants were recruited for an online survey through social media networks, adult gatherings, social skills groups, and autism support groups nationwide. Adult inclusion criteria consisted of autism – diagnosed or self-diagnosed – and an age of 18 or older. A total of 460 respondents, consisting of autistic adults and caregivers of autistic children, completed an online survey. The caregiver entries (n=217) concerned 79 percent male children, 21 percent female children (male to female 3.80:1), and one MtF transgender child, ages 1-38, with an average age at diagnosis of 4.69 years. The adult entries (n=243) concerned 30 percent males, 55 percent females (male to female 0.55:1), and 14 percent other gender, ages 18-73, with an average age at diagnosis of 25.38 years.,Nearly half (46 percent) of the ABA-exposed respondents met the diagnostic threshold for PTSD, and extreme levels of severity were recorded in 47 percent of the affected subgroup. Respondents of all ages who were exposed to ABA were 86 percent more likely to meet the PTSD criteria than respondents who were not exposed to ABA. Adults and children both had increased chances (41 and 130 percent, respectively) of meeting the PTSD criteria if they were exposed to ABA. Both adults and children without ABA exposure had a 72 percent chance of reporting no PTSS (see Figure 1). At the time of the study, 41 percent of the caregivers reported using ABA-based interventions.,The majority of adult respondents were female, raising questions about the population of online autistic survey respondents. Further, the high numbers of reported gender other than male or female in the adult respondents, as well as at least on MtF child from the caregiver respondents indicates that future studies should consider these intersections. These accompanied significant discrepancies in reporting bias between caregivers and ABA-exposed individuals, which highlight the need for the inclusion of the adult autistic voice in future intervention design. Based on the findings, the author predicts that nearly half of ABA-exposed autistic children will be expected to meet the PTSD criteria four weeks after commencing the intervention; if ABA intervention persists, there will tend to be an increase in parent satisfaction despite no decrease in PTSS severity.

Nothing about us without us applies here too you know!! Unreal the risks will impact us profoundly… — Caroline Keep (@Ka81)

A groundbreaking study has provided experimental evidence suggesting a quantum basis for consciousness. By demonstrating that drugs affecting microtubules within neurons delay the onset of unconsciousness caused by anesthetic gases, the study supports the quantum model over traditional classical

Controversies regarding the neurodiversity movement may be exacerbated by confusion over its meaning. For example, some suggest neurodiversity entails acceptanc...

A new study says 48 percent of K-12 educators feel their decline in mental health has impacted their ability to teach.

For decades, education reformers have proposed academic performance, measured by standardized testing, as the solution to inequality. It doesn’t work, and it’s losing Democrats votes. But most important, it’s costing kids the opportunity to learn through play.

In this article, we engage in a critical conversation with scholars of neurodiversity. We emphasize the transformative role neurodiversity has in creating a cru...

Tech companies have been obfuscating the emissions of their AI data centers by using dodgy energy certificates in their calculations.

Michael Tyre offers some insights into how architects and administrators can work together to create better learning environments for everyone.

Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) - Autistic advocates are extremely vocal about abolishing ABA and see it as a human rights issue, due to the medical model which perpetuates the wrong narrative that autistic people need to be treated and fixed, and the number of people it has historically harmed. Learn about why ABA dehumanises autistic people here.

Welcome to the Network Welcome to the Social Determinants of Health Network, a dedicated 501(c)(3) non-profit Foundation committed to promoting health and health care in people with mental illnesses. Our mission is to enhance the well-being of individuals with mental illness by addressing the profound social factors that influence both mental and physical

The five insights that change everything

Let this workbook guide you toward your authentic, autistic self. You don’t have to hide anymore. If you grew up before the neurodiversity movement, chances are you were taught at an early age that your autistic traits were “wrong” or “bad.” Whether it was stimming, difficulties with making small talk, avoiding eye contact, sensitivities to loud sounds or certain textures, or even talking passionately about the things you care about—somewhere along the way you learned to mask these aspects of yourself to better fit in, avoid bullying from other kids, and in some cases to even gain the love of your own parents. The problem is that, over time, masking can lead to higher levels of stress, burnout, emotional dysregulation, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and depression. So how can you be your authentic self and still succeed and thrive in a neurotypical world? Written by a therapist who is actually autistic, this neurodiversity-affirming workbook offers skills to help you cultivate self-acceptance, manage intense emotions, and be your own advocate when needed. You’ll take a good look at the situations or people that caused you to mask in the first place. You’ll also discover: How to set and achieve your own authentic goals—with a clear view of who you are and what you care about Why self-love and self-acceptance is so important for autistic folks How to live your life on your own terms, while self-advocating for accommodations How to let go of old, hurtful messages about autistic people that you’ve internalized How autism can be both a strength and a disability Strategies to cope with burnout or meltdowns How to be assertive and set boundaries with others   You don’t have to mask, hide, or camouflage any longer. Let this workbook guide you on a journey of self-discovery and acceptance. You are worthy of it. And you deserve it.

Through an autobiographical film production program for high school students, CANDLE researchers explore a new kind of developmental science in education