Qualifying Exams

Qual Exams

Testing under a spotlight
Qual committee faculty eyes
A ocean of neuroscience to dissect
Luck of the draw, may their queries be kind
May I excel in the knowledge they seek

Seeking E-I balance in my autism boat
GABA calm, steadying its float
Excitatory neurotransmitters of knowledge shine bright.
Balance, focus, 3 hours in sight.

Sensory systems, keep external distractions beat.
Stimming and anxiety, please take a backseat.
Motor systems must be well-oiled, ready to move.
All systems aligned, in perfect groove.


Internal systems, heed my call.
Cooperate and align, one and all.
On this day, let knowledge and calm prevail.
A positive outcome, I must entail.

Externally, pray
lots of positive energy flows my way.

Diagnostic Overshadowing

In PlainSpeak for the Lay Reader

Diagnostic overshadowing happens when doctors or healthcare workers focus so much on a person's autism that they miss other health problems the person might have. This can mean that other illnesses or conditions are not noticed or treated properly.

Key Points:

1. Mixing Up Symptoms: Sometimes, signs of other health problems are mistaken as just part of autism. For example, if an autistic person feels very anxious or has stomach pain, it might be seen as just them acting up due to autism instead of a separate issue.

2. Communication Barriers: Many autistic people find it hard to explain their feelings or symptoms and may have other communication challenges. This can make it harder for doctors to understand what's really going on.

3. Assumptions: Doctors might assume all problems are because of autism and not look for other causes. This can lead to missed diagnoses. Usually any acting up behaviors is redirected back to behavior therapy, when they actually needed different solutions.

4. Lack of Training: Not all doctors know how to spot other health problems in autistic people. They might need more training to do this well.

5. Poor Treatment: If other health issues are not found, the person might not get the right treatment. This can affect their immediate and long term health and well-being.

Examples:

• Mental Health: If an autistic person is feeling very sad or has depression, it might be ignored because it's thought to be just part of their autism.

• Physical Health: If an autistic person has pain in their stomach, it might be seen as just a behavior issue rather than a real medical problem.

How to Fix This:

1. Thorough Check-Ups: Doctors should look at the whole person and not just their autism. They should check for other health issues and underlying issues too.

2. Better Training: Doctors should learn more about how to spot other health problems in autistic people.

3. Clear Communication: Finding better ways for autistic people to share how they feel can help doctors understand their symptoms better.

4. Awareness: Helping everyone, including caregivers and educators, and professionals understand that autistic people can have other health problems too.

Versions of this post

Link Academic/Scientific Reader

Link PlainSpeak for the Lay Reader

 Link More Posts on this topic

ADA is 34 years old

Celebrating the 34th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act

On July 26, 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) into law, marking a historic milestone for disability rights. The ADA has been instrumental in prohibiting discrimination against the disabled in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and public and private places open to the general public.

The journey to the ADA's signing was fueled by the relentless efforts of dedicated disability rights activists. One pivotal moment in this movement was the televised and widely viewed Capitol Crawl on March 12, 1990. Hundreds of disability rights activists gathered in Washington, D.C., to urge Congress to pass the ADA. As part of the protest, dozens of individuals with disabilities left their wheelchairs and crawled up the 83 stone steps of the U.S. Capitol building, dramatically demonstrating the barriers they faced in everyday life. Among them was an 8-year-old girl named Jennifer Keelan, whose participation powerfully symbolized the need for change. Her determination and courage, along with that of others, highlighted the urgent need for comprehensive legislation to protect the rights of people with disabilities.

Key figures in the disability rights movement played crucial roles in advocating for the ADA. The late Judith Heumann (we miss you Judy), a lifelong advocate for the rights of people with disabilities, was instrumental in the fight for the ADA. Her leadership and tireless advocacy helped bring disability rights to the forefront of national consciousness. Ed Roberts, known as the father of the independent living movement, also significantly influenced the disability rights movement, emphasizing the importance of self-determination and community-based support. There were countless others whose contributions were vital in making the ADA a reality, reflecting a broad and united effort toward equality and inclusion.

The ADA consists of five titles, each addressing different aspects of public life:

1. Title I – Employment: Prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in employment and requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations.
2. Title II – Public Services: Ensures that people with disabilities have equal access to public services, programs, and activities, including public transportation.
3. Title III – Public Accommodations: Prohibits discrimination in public accommodations such as restaurants, hotels, and stores, and requires accessible facilities.
4. Title IV – Telecommunications: Mandates accessible telecommunications services, including relay services for individuals with hearing and speech impairments.
5. Title V – Miscellaneous Provisions: Contains various provisions, including protections against retaliation and coercion, and guidelines for the implementation of the ADA.

It's humbling that laws like the ADA enable disabled individuals like me to avail of opportunities such as getting into college or even embarking on a PhD journey. Such a thing would have been unimaginable earlier. The ADA's passage represents the collective effort and resilience of countless individuals who fought for equality and accessibility. As we commemorate the 34th anniversary of the ADA, we honor the legacy of those activists and reaffirm our commitment to advancing the rights and inclusion of people with disabilities. 

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2024/07/25/a-proclamation-on-the-anniversary-of-the-americans-with-disabilities-act-2024/

Related Posts: [Disability Legislation], [Disability Rights], [Disability History] [Autism Cares], [ADA], [Capitol Crawl] [Olmstead Act], [Section 504], 

Disability Pride Month

 

https://www.dailycal.org/2018/04/05/access-ramp-volunteering

 

Breaking Free from Popular Opinion

Opinions can guide us gently like a tranquil sea or be as destructive as a tsunami. Our ability to discriminate between beneficial and harmful opinions is crucial. By staying open to new possibilities instead of blindly following popular opinions, we pave the way for a more productive and satisfying life. 

In today's world, we are inundated with opinions from all sides. However, it is crucial that we do not allow these opinions to unduly influence our thinking. Often, opinions reflect the views of influential individuals or groups, but influence does not equate to correctness. It takes courage and conviction to think independently and not simply follow the crowd.

In the autism space, well-meaning professionals continue to adhere to misconceptions.  For example, just over two decades ago, it was believed that children diagnosed with autism would inevitably end up institutionalized. Parents were advised to send their children away before they grew attached, under the misguided belief that autistic children could not reciprocate affection, show emotions, think rationally, or learn meaningfully. Even now, the autism space is flooded with misconceptions. And the more impacted an autistic is, the more entrenched is the misconception about their capability and inclusion. 

But the fact of the matter is that NO ONE is an expert on autism, even those who may have extensive credentials or degrees. Else we would have seen many autism solutions by now, instead of just more 'experts' with degrees.

This does not mean that all opinions are harmful. Like the sea, they can be tranquil and beneficial or destructive like a tsunami. The human mind has the capacity to discern between constructive and destructive opinions. By being open to new possibilities rather than blindly following prevailing opinions, we can navigate our way to a more productive and fulfilling life

History is full of examples where prevailing opinions were challenged. Gandhi’s unique non-violent approach not only led to India's independence but also inspired leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela. Galileo's heliocentric views were condemned yet, Stephen Hawking says of him, “Galileo, perhaps more than any other single person, was responsible for the birth of modern science.” Consider Hippasus, who discovered irrational numbers and faced death for challenging the belief that all numbers could be expressed as ratios of integers. His discovery was so shocking to the Pythagoreans of his time, that they allegedly drowned him. This tragic story illustrates the resistance that change can face when they challenge deeply held beliefs.

The people we admire and respect—those who have changed the world—often chose to defy conventional wisdom. The Wright Brothers did not accept the belief that man could not fly, and Thomas Edison persisted with his inventions despite skepticism. A mind free from the constraints of prevailing opinions is more open to possibilities, leading to creativity and discovery.

Weak Central Coherence Theory of Autism

Caveat: There is no single theory that can fully explain autism. 

The Weak Central Coherence Theory posits that autistics exhibit a cognitive processing style characterized by a propensity for local over global information processing. This theory suggests that autistics have a heightened focus on fine details at the expense of integrating these details into a coherent whole. 

The Weak Central Coherence Theory provides a framework for understanding the distinct cognitive processing style in autism, characterized by a bias toward local over global processing. Neurobiological evidence supports this theory, showing enhanced local processing capabilities and impaired global integration due to altered neural connectivity. This theory helps explain the strengths and challenges faced by individuals with autism in various cognitive and social domains.

Key Concepts

1. Detail-Focused Processing:

   • Cognitive Tendency: Autistics demonstrate superior performance on tasks requiring attention to fine details, suggesting an enhanced local processing bias.
   • Neurobiological Basis: Neuroimaging studies indicate increased activation in primary and secondary sensory cortices, particularly the visual cortex, which may underlie this enhanced local processing.

2. Reduced Global Integration:

   • Cognitive Deficit: There is a relative impairment in synthesizing details into a unified, overarching context, which affects higher-order cognitive tasks.
   • Neurobiological Basis: This deficit is associated with reduced long-range connectivity and synchronization between frontal and posterior brain regions, impairing the integration of information across neural networks.

3. Neuroanatomical Correlates:

   • Prefrontal Cortex: Involvement in executive functions and global processing is diminished, contributing to difficulties in integrating complex information.
   • Posterior Regions: Including the occipital and parietal lobes, these regions exhibit enhanced local processing but reduced integration with other cortical areas.

Examples and Implications

1. Perceptual Tasks:

   • Enhanced Performance: Autistic individuals often excel at visual search tasks, identifying small differences in stimuli more quickly and accurately than neurotypical individuals.
   • Impaired Performance: They may struggle with tasks that require understanding the overall context, such as interpreting ambiguous figures or scenes.

2. Cognitive Tasks:

   • Strengths: Detail-oriented tasks like pattern recognition or mechanical assembly are areas of strength.
   • Weaknesses: Tasks requiring abstract thinking, such as comprehending proverbs or making inferences, present challenges due to impaired global processing.

3. Social Interaction:

   • Implications: Social difficulties can arise from an inability to integrate social cues into a cohesive understanding of social interactions. This can lead to literal interpretations of language and difficulties with nonverbal communication.

Neuroimaging Evidence

1. Functional MRI (fMRI):
   • Findings: fMRI studies show atypical activation patterns in the frontal and parietal regions during tasks requiring global processing.
2. Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI):
   • Findings: DTI studies indicate atypical white matter integrity, suggesting disrupted long-range connectivity essential for global information integration.
3. EEG/MEG:
• Findings: EEG and MEG studies reveal reduced coherence and synchronization across distant brain regions, supporting the notion of impaired global processing.

Two Versions of this post

For the Academic/Scientific Audience

PlainSpeak Plain Language for the Lay Reader

Who Autism Research Leaves Out

Read at https://time.com/6299599/autism-research-limited-essay/

"It’s time for researchers and technologists to rethink their methodologies and technologies, and explore other innovative approaches to give all members of the autistic community the care we need."

-Hari Srinivasan, Time

 

Vanderbilt Brain Institute Travel Grant

 

I got awarded the Vanderbilt Brain Institute Travel Grant

Funds towards travel expenses for the SfN Conference in October

https://www.dailycal.org/2018/04/12/compulsion-complexity

 

 https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/giving-voice/202402/the-spectrum-of-loss-grief-through-the-autistic-lens

Congratulations, Hari, from the entire Frist Center Family. We are excited to see the results of your research!

https://www.vanderbilt.edu/autismandinnovation/2024/07/11/nise-fellow-hari-srinivasan-wins-research-award/

FCAI Neurodiversity Inspired Science and Engineering Fellow Hari Srinivasan has been awarded the 2024 Autistic and Neurodivergent Scholars Working for Equity in Research (ANSWER) Scholars Program Award for his project “Navigating the Near: Virtual Reality Investigations of Peripersonal Space in Autism.” Srinivasan will receive a $10,000 award next academic year to work toward this research.

Hari’s continued outstanding achievements never fail to impress us! Congratulations, Hari, from the entire Frist Center Family. We are excited to see the results of your research!

Backyard Visitors

A deer family (mom and 2 baby deer) frequenting our backyard this summer. The young deer  frolicking, chasing each other and running around is a delight to watch. 

Here is a children's short story I wrote sometime ago.

How Two Mischievous Deer and a Fawn took over a backyard!