Eleanore Coulthard, a psychology student at Middlesex University, Dubai, is conducting research on joint attention abilities in children with autism, and is looking for participants from the ages of 7-12.
The study will be measuring a child’s ability to spot the differences between two images on a computer screen and point out what is missing. This study is approved by the London Ethics Committee, with the approval of the British Psychological Society, and under the umbrella of Middlesex University, Dubai.
The study can be concluded in three sessions of thirty minutes each, and may be conducted in the participant’s home or learning/therapy center, in any of the emirates.
Guidelines for the children’s abilities are as follows. Parents who are interested, or who have further questions may contact:
Eleanore Coulthard
Psychology Department – Middlesex University Dubai
+971 50 655 2753 EC507@mdx.ac.uk
At this stage, Eleanore is in the process of identifying a large enough sample of Autistic children to make her study viable.
1. Aged between 7-12 years old
2. Diagnosed with Autism based on established criteria (DSM-IV)
3. No co-morbid conditions – e.g. Epilepsy
4. Normal vision (or corrected with glasses/ lenses)
5. Familiar and not-averse to working with Computers
- Able to sit down in front of a computer for ~30 minutes
- Able to use buttons on a keyboard to express whether they have noticed a change in the visual scene, i.e press the space bar when they notice a change in the picture
- Able to verbally or non verbally express where the change occurred, i.e. point to the part of the screen that has changed.
6. Familiar with working with Computers
