What type of research is most important to you?

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Hello friends. Recently I began a topic about possible research interests that I may be pursuing in the near future in a clinical psychology phd program. I asked what research topic would be of most help to the autism community and I received a wonderful amount of responses. Through the responses I received, I noticed an interesting trend that I thought I would ask about in the form of a poll. Most of the research topics that were suggested to me were behaviors associated with ASD and less about the roots of Autism itself. Because of these results, it caused me to wonder whether people with ASD are more interested in understanding the behaviors that result from ASD rather than the root causes of them. The way I see it, my research could take two broad directions:

1. I could perform the research with the intent of understanding and potentially explaining the specific behavior for the benefit of the autistic as well as the NT community.

2. Or I could use the specific behaviors as a method of researching the cause of Autism. Very commonly research is performed in such a way so as to use a certain behavior or symptom to trace back to its source and therefore define the cause of it.

I realize that an abundance of research is being performed on the cause of Autism, but I wonder if the Autistic community would rather simply understand the behaviors rather than focus everything on the cause? If finding the cause is the most important to the community then I would rather focus there. If understanding the behaviors is more important, then I would go that direction instead.

I have very much appreciated your input and hope to receive some more input through this poll. Thanks!

Research with the sole intent of understanding and explaining Autistic behaviors.

I guess I'd also like to add that if you would like to explain your choice you are more than free to do so. It would be helpful later on for explaining the purpose of my research if I understand the reasoning that the Autism community holds.

I imagine your answers are generally going to vary depending on if the voter's experience with autism is on the mild side (many with Asperger's) which may just be a variation of normal vs. someone who is or who knows someone who is profoundly affected by autism and who was more likely to of suffered some sort of environmental insult or hereditary gene mutation. There's likely many autisms and many causes.

I really don't have all that much interest in figuring out "overall causes" of neuropsychiatric disorders at this point in time. I'd much rather research causes of the behaviors themselves. In my opinion, fMRI research is the key to unlocking so many mysteries of the brain. In one study, you can look at both a control/neurotypical's brain and the brain of a neuropsychiatric patient. It's killing two birds with one stone. We barely know how "normal" brains work, let alone "abnormal" brains, and looking at how individual processes of cognition and behavior differ among neurotypicals and neuropsychiatric patients has the potential to teach us so much about the enigma that is the brain. As far as genetic studies, I think those should be reserved at this point in time for looking at potential diagnostic markers. We need to find a TRUE way to diagnose conditions, so we can stop relying on the flawed system that is the DSM. We also need to find a way to correctly predict which medication(s) will benefit an individual, rather than continuing the trial-and-error crapshoot psychiatry currently employs.

That's exactly what I would like to see. I would like to see broad interests before I narrow them down to specific interests and perhaps specific groups. I have my estimations as to which groups would vote which way, but the explanations for votes would help in proving those estimations either correct or incorrect.

I do also realize that there may be very many causes to ASD (I stay very much up to date on the most recent research findings involving autism) but that's not the purpose of this poll. I am simply curious as to whether or not the autism community would rather see research performed on the more visible and surface effects of autism or if interest lies more towards finding the cause(s) of autism.

Your missing an option

Research to help mitigate autistic behaviors.

I appreciate all the comments and the poll participation everyone! I am not surprised that option #1 has gathered the most votes. As I've gone through my education I have been a bit disappointed at the various outlook a lot of professors or other scientific minds have looked at things such as Autism. Maybe it is simply the people I have studied with thus far but it has seemed that a lot of focus in these past few years has been looking at the molecular level of things and finding the root causes of every disorder or disease imaginable. As a result, less focus has been placed on relief and understanding. I definitely appreciate your opinions on this since it helps me to see that people are still interested in help with living with whatever their difficulties might be.

Rascal77: I will dig up some research I have found on that before. I do remember reading about that at one point but I will have to get on campus to get access to the article I'm pretty sure.

Slave: That blog idea doesn't sound like a bad idea! My personal research won't be starting for another year or so but for now it could be a place where I could consolidate some of the most interesting things I read. I also do support fMRI and have seen what it can do. A renown professor at my university uses fMRI and I will be trying and do some work with him but he's in understandably high demand haha.

I vote research into a cause, especially genes involved. But that is probably because I work in science and I really appreciate quantitative over qualitative data. I think working towards finding the cause would be fascinating and, once someone is successful in doing so, would really change up the status quo. I feel like we are in the dark ages with ASD. We know there are genetic and environmental components, but we are still searching for what those are. I would love to live to see what causes ASD, even if it is just to satisfy curiosity.

I've objected to finding out the "cause" of homosexuality, because I think doing so is just a step towards trying to make all human beings alike, which is to say, of course, straight. I think it's something you arrive as, not something you become, but that's as far as I'll go. I'll even say that it doesn't matter why someone is gay and when that comes about, as far as whether or not it's okay is concerned.

Now, I know that issues over the difficulties of being gay have to do with social acceptance, while only some spectrum difficulties do. Most of the troubles associated with an ASD have to do with the individual in question being able to manage things such as sensory input. But I'm very wary of mucking around with the brain. I think adaptation is a much better course, both for spectrumites and for others encountering spectrumites. We need to work together, with everybody doing their part. The best idea is to meet people where they are, not make everyone squish together into the same space.

Let's be careful about trying to make everyone alike. The world's problems will not be solved by making certain ideals into reality, even if it were possible. Prejudice will not be eradicated from the planet by having everyone wake up some morning to discover we're all the same shade of medium brown. Making everyone straight or exact center bisexual will not cause us all to get along. And please consider the risk to any species that is too genetically similar. A single disease can wipe out the whole population. Uniform thinking could, potentially, put the human race at risk in a similar manner. We need our diversity. Difference is not the cause of oppression. Refusal to value it is.

I'm so glad you're respecting people with ASD enough to ask this question and be directed by what you find, anberre. Thank you. One tip, though: Since you're wondering how someone's place on the spectrum might affect their opinion, perhaps a future poll could include options that allow respondents to make the distinction when they provide their answer. In other words, offer the answers in different pairings, in order to provide enough options.

Thanks again!