I came to the University of Minnesota because the Department of Rhetoric was not within English and was not a “college composition” department. I wanted to study the relationship between technology and writing. I wasn’t focused on autism or disabilities in general. I wanted to study online writing spaces, work…
Tag: research
I’m definitely leaving any and all cognitive research related to autism behind after 2010. I’m shifting back towards creative writing and, hopefully, new media rhetoric. I’m hoping to find a university where I can work on my poetry, scripts, and novels. Research is interesting, but the public conflict isn’t. (If…
I’ve written many times that the diagnostic rate for any condition is not the same as the actual prevalence. Examples of sudden “explosions” in diagnoses, abound, from various cancers to mental health conditions. In some cases, diagnoses were impossible. In others, conditions were clarified and reclassified by improved science. Anyway……
The “look at me” approach to reading humans is painful, literally, for me — and I know I am not alone. Considering many cultures dissuade direct eye contact, it must be assumed individuals in those cultures concentrate on intonation, gesture, and other non-verbal signals. Even personal space varies culture to…
For those not familiar with my research focus, I currently study the communications skills of teens and adults with autism. My particular interest is original compositions by those diagnosed with autism. This research leads me to study language, neurology, psychology, and more. Neurolinguistics are important, for example, but I never…
I am currently analyzing online spaces dedicated to issues of autism spectrum disorders. I am also including spaces created by and/or for individuals with ASDs. This is a funded project, sponsored by my university, to help determine how we might design online courses to better accommodate students with special needs.…
This is from an interview About.com conducted May 1, 2009, with researcher Hakon Hakonarson, the lead researcher on an autism genetic database analysis conducted by Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Question: Could any of these genetic differences be identified in utero? Response: Yes, all of them could be tested in utero;…
Apparently, contrary to urban legends, the unvaccinated Amish do get seizure disorders and autism: http://www.medpagetoday.com/Neurology/Autism/tb/2954 Of course, why trust the New England Journal of Medicine when there are so many “experts” pushing their theories on the Web? I am now accustomed to the anti-vaccination crowd claiming that any research that…
Today the media are reporting an analysis of autism rates in California since the removal of thimerosal from most vaccines. The autism rate, or more accurately the rate of diagnoses, is still climbing in the state. Study challenges drug’s role in autism By Jia-Rui Chong, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer…