Past Projects

This page contains a sample of some recent projects. Although these are now complete, the ARC remains interested in these topics and would be pleased to consider applications from prospective postdoctoral scientists, PhD and Masters students to conduct research in related areas.

• Event-related potential (ERP) and autism

  Programme:

  Neuroscience

  Event related potentials (ERP) are a low-cost method of brain imaging which can be used while the person does a task or test. This study looks at how the autistic brain differs when carrying out tasks.

  

• Learning, uncertainty and autism

  Programme:

  Perception and Cognition

  This study aims to understand how autistic people perceive, learn, and process information differently, in particular in a world of more or less predictable changes.

  

• Lego therapy and autism

  Programme:

  Interventions

  Lego, being a highly systematic toy, is a particularly rewarding toy for autistic children and has been shown to improve social skills. We have summarised our work evaluating Lego Therapy in a new manual.

  

• MRI multicentre study and autism: MRC-AIMS, EU-AIMS

  Programme:

  Neuroscience

  The MRC Autism Imaging Multicentre Study (AIMS) was the first multi-centre MRI study of autism in the UK, using Magnetic Resonance Imaging to research differences in brain and cognition in autistic people.

  

• The CAST: determining autism prevalence in UK primary schools

  Programme:

  Screening and Diagnosis

  The Childhood Autism Spectrum Test (CAST), was developed to as a screening measure in a population prevalence study of autism in UK primary schools.

  

• The Eindhoven study: STEM regions and autism

  Programme:

  Epidemiology, Screening and Diagnosis

  It has been suggested that rates of autism are higher in areas with lots of jobs in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM). This study aimed to determine the prevalence of autism among children in three regions in the Netherlands.

  

• Oxytocin and autism

  Programme:

  Mental Health

  Oxytocin (a hormone) plays a key role in social behaviour and social understanding. We studied the effects of inhaling it on the brains of autistic people.