This week, the CRI research seminar was given by the Dr. Kirstie Whitaker the’Alan Turing Institute in London. The seminar presents his work with Autistica on the building a participative, citizen-based scientific platform to gather data on how sensory processing affects the navigation of people with autism around the world.
Numerous studies have confirmed that people with autism have differences in sensory processing, and that this can have a significant impact on their lives. One aspect that is not yet fully understood is how these differences affect the way people with autism navigate in different environments. The seminar outlines the team's process for developing a participatory project from the outset, and how they ensure that all aspects of the project are designed and developed in collaboration with members of the autistic community, through focus groups and usability testing during the design phase.
In close collaboration with Bastian Greshake Tzovaras, CRI researcher, and the community Open Humans, They are developing a platform whose software, design, process and governance documentation are all open source: they give individual contributors control over the use of their data on the platform. By turning traditional scientific study on its head, their aim is to give a voice to autistic citizen scientists and educate neurotypical people.
