Sound Impairment Effect on Cognitive Skill Performance

Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC) is a life-long diagnosis, which has a subset of individualized characteristics consisting of hyper-, seeking- and/or hypo-reactivity to sensory inputs or unusual interests (APA, 2013). These sensitivities are evident in both environmental (e.g. apparent response to specific sounds, visual fascination with lights or movements) and physiological domains (e.g. anxiety, respiration or euthermia). As part of a larger PhD Research Project (SensorAble), this pilot study proposes that autistic individuals who exhibit greater distractibility and reduced focus/attention resulting stimuli may benefit from interventions that alter, redirect and/or attenuate stimuli. In particular, Irrelevant-Sound Effect (ISE) consisting of un-targeted and/or modulated sonics cause greater disruption of performance of simultaneous and visual simple tasks compared to baseline ISE that are merely directed. Using gold-standard Stroop experiments, data collected among neurotypical (NT) and ASC individuals at baseline and at various ISE modes result in greater reaction time (RT) improvements among ASC than NT participants. In this study, which focuses on aural distractibility only, data supports that signal processing may provide a gateway to enhancing focus and attention while reduce distractibility and anxiety in other domains.

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PPI Questionnaire on Adaptive Wearable Appropriateness as an Autistic Intervention

10.31219/osf.io/a3jbz ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

DAVID RUTTENBERG ◽

Kaśka Porayska-Pomsta ◽

Sarah White ◽

Joni Holmes

Keyword(s):

Public Involvement ◽

Real Data ◽

Randomised Clinical Trial ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Post Mortem ◽

Autism Spectrum Condition ◽

School Work ◽

Sensory Inputs ◽

Study Results ◽

Spectrum Condition

Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC) is a life-long diagnosis, which has a subset of features including hyper-, seeking- and/or hypo-reactivity to sensory inputs or unusual interests (APA, 2013). These qualities are evident across environmental (e.g. response to specific sounds, visual fascination with lights or movements) and physiological domains (e.g. anxiety, respiration or euthermia). Scholars report that ninety (90%) of autistic adults experience sensory issues causing significant barriers at school/work (Leekam et al., 2007). As part of a larger PhD Research Project, this pilot study establishes designs, processes and measures that may establish if autistic individuals find value utilising adaptive/wearable interventions that possibly alter, redirect and/or attenuate disruptive stimuli. This study incorporates benign information not yet containing practical data, other than to provision and trial space where real data is nominally present. This pilot loads systems functionality for future use (e.g. consent, demographic collection, measures, post-mortem/survey feedback, storage, sorting, query, statistical analyses and reporting). Finally, this pilot provisions a follow-on and full-fledge Participant Public Involvement (PPI) designed to exploit data from focus group and co-produced surveys/designs. In turn, these may be used to inform an as-yet-to-be developed interventional prototype. Hence, the forthcoming PPI—by leveraging this pilot—aims to describe what degree sensory distractions occur among adolescent and adult ASC participants. Both pilot and PPI aspire to whether focus, anxiety and attentional concerns are perceived as negative issues and if individuals prefer assistance (vis à vis assistive wearables) to reduce anxiety, distractions and increase focus at school and at work (Bagley et al., 2016). This study results yield promise; in that, a subsequent PPI can be leveraged to obtain co-designed autistic data leading to a randomised clinical trial.

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Developmental Differences in the Irrelevant Sound Effect

PsycEXTRA Dataset ◽

10.1037/e520602012-504 ◽

2011 ◽

Author(s):

Emily M. Elliott ◽

Kenneth Barideaux ◽

Alicia M. Briganti

Keyword(s):

Developmental Differences ◽

Sound Effect ◽

Irrelevant Sound ◽

Irrelevant Sound Effect

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Noise-Vocoded Speech Contexts Produce the Irrelevant Sound Effect

PsycEXTRA Dataset ◽

10.1037/e633262013-438 ◽

2013 ◽

Keyword(s):

Sound Effect ◽

Irrelevant Sound ◽

Irrelevant Sound Effect ◽

Vocoded Speech

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Supplemental Material for Visual-Tactile Selective Attention in Autism Spectrum Condition: An Increased Influence of Visual Distractors

Journal of Experimental Psychology General ◽

10.1037/xge0000425.supp ◽

2018 ◽

Keyword(s):

Selective Attention ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Autism Spectrum Condition ◽

Spectrum Condition ◽

Visual Distractors

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‘You don’t look autistic’: A qualitative exploration of women’s experiences of being the ‘autistic other’

Autism ◽

10.1177/1362361321993722 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 136236132199372

Author(s):

Kate Seers ◽

Rachel C Hogg

Keyword(s):

Lived Experiences ◽

Well Being ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Social Expectations ◽

Autism Spectrum Condition ◽

Women’S Experiences ◽

Women's Experiences ◽

Spectrum Condition ◽

The Impact ◽

Experiences Of Women

There is currently a paucity of literature exploring the experiences of women on the autism spectrum. It is imperative research is conducted to capture the experiences of women on the autism spectrum and ensure appropriate support is provided to this cohort. Drawing upon a social constructionist framework, this qualitative research study sought to understand how psychological and socio-cultural constructions of autism spectrum condition and gender influence the well-being of women on the autism spectrum. Eight participants engaged in a semi-structured interview, with thematic analysis conducted to demonstrate the impact of gender roles and social expectations on the women’s identity and autism spectrum condition expression. The research highlighted the changing understandings of autism spectrum condition across a woman’s lifespan and the process and impact of resisting hegemonic autism spectrum condition categorisation. The findings demonstrate that social constructions of gender and stereotypical understandings of autism spectrum condition, which prioritise a deficit, medical model, have significant consequences for women’s well-being and subjectivity. The women experienced challenging formative years, but with diagnosis and the evolution and acceptance of their identities, they were able to resist negative narratives of autism spectrum condition, embrace their strengths and develop adaptive coping strategies. It is hoped this article generates insights for societal and clinical recognition to better support women on the autism spectrum. Lay abstract Most autism spectrum condition research addresses the neurological and biological causes of autism spectrum condition, focusing upon deficits associated with autism spectrum condition and behavioural interventions designed to minimise these deficits. Little is known about the lived experiences of adult women on the autism spectrum and how they navigate social expectations around gender, autism spectrum condition and gendered understandings of autism spectrum condition. The lived experiences of eight women on the AS will be shared here, with attention to how gendered expectations influence women’s experiences of autism spectrum condition, their sense of self and well-being. Findings showed these women struggled to reconcile the expectations of others, particularly early in life. The women had difficultly conforming to stereotypical ideals of femininity, yet as they aged, they felt less need to conform, valuing their unique style and behaviours. The women also rejected deficit-oriented descriptions of autism spectrum condition generated by the medical community, preferring to focus on their strengths and unique characteristics. It is hoped this article helps psychologists and the wider community to understand and meet the needs of women on the AS.

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