Interface of Engineering with Autism and Neurodiversity
摘要
Many children are diagnosed with neurodiverse conditions like dyslexia, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism. Biomedical engineering intersects with a number of dimensions of neurodiversity including research, diagnosis, and intervention. This chapter will first explore these conditions and then look at the impact of engineering on each of them. Autism will be a major focus, given its increasing numbers and the variety of ways in which engineering products can benefit this population. Throughout this chapter, several specific points will be emphasized. For one, engineering projects designed for select populations often benefit everyone. Moreover, biomedical research has played a role in identifying these conditions on a physical level, elucidating their nature and decreasing misinterpretations of unexpected manifestations of behavior and performance. For example, brain scans have illuminated brain-based differences in individuals with dyslexia, which helps explain students who are smart, yet not learning as expected. Further, advances in engineering can modify the environment, with the understanding that sometimes the mismatch between the surroundings and the individual is the primary impediment to success.