Apraxia, dyspraxia, oral-motor apraxia, Aphasia

[Concepts in Sensorimotor Research]

Pretty much every SLP I've been to over the years, has mentioned these terms. So what exactly are they. 

Apraxia, dyspraxia, and oral-motor apraxia are all related to deficits in motor planning and execution, but they differ in their specific manifestations and underlying neural mechanisms.

ADI - Autism Diagnostic Interview

Lexicon [Measures]- ADI

 The Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) is a semi-structured, and standardized interview designed for caregivers of autistics to gather information about the individual's behavior and development in key areas related to autism. The ADI-R is typically used for diagnostic purposes and for aiding in the assessment and treatment planning for autistics. [See posts on other Screening/Diagnostic Measures]

Limitations

• Limited applicability for nonspeaking individuals: The ADI-R is primarily designed for individuals with some level of spoken language skills.. Alternative assessment tools, may be necessary to complement the ADI-R in evaluating these individuals.
• The test is designed for a mental age of 18 months. [See post why Mental Age is problematic]
• Lack of emphasis on strengths and abilities: The ADI-R primarily focuses on identifying deficits and autism symptoms. A comprehensive assessment should also consider strengths and positive attributes that can contribute to a more holistic understanding of the individual.
• Does not factor in co-occuring condition and other complex health issues. 
• Limited assessment of current functioning: The ADI-R primarily focuses on gathering retrospective information about the individual's behavior and development. While it provides valuable insights into early childhood behaviors, it may not capture the individual's current functioning or changes in behavior over time. Assessing current symptoms and adaptive functioning requires additional measures or observations.
• Reliance on informant report: The accuracy and reliability of the information collected depend on the informant's memory, observations, and interpretation. There may be instances where informants may not have complete or accurate knowledge of the individual's behavior, especially in cases where the informant is not the primary caregiver or when there are multiple caregivers with different levels of involvement.
• Subjectivity and biases: The ADI-R is susceptible to subjective biases, both from the interviewer and the informant which can influence reliability of results.
• Language and cultural factors: The ADI-R was developed primarily in English-speaking populations and may not fully capture cultural and linguistic variations. Cultural and language factors can influence the interpretation and reporting of behaviors, potentially leading to variations in the assessment outcomes for individuals from different cultural backgrounds or those with limited language abilities.
  

Joy is the courage that comes with facing our fears and overcoming them

Contemplation, one line a day. #MentalHealth

 

Congratulations Keivan Staussun

Congratulations Keivan Stassun,
A leader in astronomy and physics,
Your work brings insight and precision.
Appointed to the National Science Board with distinction,
By the President of the United States, none other!!

Founder of the Frist Center for autism and innovation,
You strive for inclusion and recognition,
Your dedication and passion, a true inspiration,
Your contribution will leave a legacy of innovation.

https://news.vanderbilt.edu/2023/01/26/keivan-stassun-appointed-to-national-science-board-by-president-joe-biden/

Possibility-Mindset

Possibility has always been a big driving force of the more positive aspects of my life (Hari-As-Possibility), so it had inspired a series of poems written over the years. Here is one. 

Possibility Mindset

A possibility-mindset is key

Unlocking doors, sight unseen

A fuel that drives us to believe

Anything is possible

We conceive not just perceive

…. travel those possibilities into doors of opportunity

Possibility Mindset…

….the spark that ignites our passion

… the fire that burns within

It's the courage to 

…  take a stand

…  strength to begin

…..chase our dreams

And find success in the things we seek

With a possibility mindset, there's nothing

That we can't achieve it seems

Joy is the peace that comes from forgiveness and letting go of grudges

Contemplation, one line a day. #MentalHealth

 

Snow Flurry

Ice from the clouds, in a frozen rain
A snow flurry falls, with a icy refrain
Pebbles of spray, scatter with a sound
On the ground, they patter all around.

To college I must still go
LASR lab awaits me, with experiments to unfold
EEG and sMRI, knowledge to behold

Joy is the curiosity that comes with learning and growth

Contemplation, one line a day. #MentalHealth

 

Joy is the feeling of contentment that comes with living a purposeful life

Contemplation, one line a day. #MentalHealth

 

AI and Speech-Communication in Autism

AI and speech in autistics.
Hari Srinivasan

These are thoughts I've been mulling over for a while now and have been slowly writing up. 

Overriding consideration: Cost, Accessibility, Portable, User-friendly and helps our communication & functioning in society. 

How can AI help? Some thoughts.

Stimulus Value Gates Multisensory Integration

[Concepts in Sensorimotor Research]

Application to Autism. 

The advantage of a good filtering system is less getting overwhelmed by your sensory environment in the real world, but the disadvantage was that you could lose out on critical information. This almost automatic value-based filtering ability is, I think, an issue many autistics like me struggle with. But even with extensive experience, value-based filters could vary around task domain, context-specific or even things like predictability.  Which is still, i think, why we still face challenges in trying to understand what exactly is going on in the non-neurotypical populations. 

Bean, N. L., Stein, B. E., & Rowland, B. A. (2021). Stimulus value gates multisensory integration. European Journal of Neuroscience, 53(9), 3142-3159.

Summary of the paper we discussed in my Multisensory Integration seminar this week. 

Joy is the comfort that comes with being surrounded by loved ones

Contemplation, one line a day. #MentalHealth

 

Historic gains in disabled employment during the pandemic.

"The increase in work-from-home arrangements and greater flexibility in work hours seen during the height of the pandemic may have permanently opened new employment opportunities for people with disabilities"

The question is how do we sustain the gain in employment seen during the pandemic due to hybrid work.