From Puzzle to Progress: How Engaging With Neurodiversity Can Improve Cognitive Science

Decolonizing theory reveals psycholinguistic injustice in the field of speech/language pathology

Subfields of speech/language pathology (S/LP) in the Philippines and around the world are undermined by social notions of normality. Language ideologies of normality undermine developmental language assessment contexts that concern the diagnosis of Developmental Language Disorder relative to developmental language norms. Using my decolonizing theory that is in coalition with Dis/ability Critical Race Studies (DisCrit; Annamma et al., 2013a) and Crip Linguistics (Henner & Robinson, 2023), I reveal how these ideologies facilitate ableist and racist social processes that lead to psycholinguistic injustice. Psycholinguistic injustice can manifest as monolingualism, monomodalism, and oppressive notions of language disorder. Confronting psycholinguistic injustice entails honoring indigenous roots and reclaiming the languaging that was erased by colonization. By confronting psycholinguistic injustice, speech/language pathologists can figure out how to support the legitimacy of multilingual and multimodal languaging development. By resisting psycholinguistic injustice in the field of S/LP, humanizing theories, research, and practices that fundamentally place racial and disability justice can be developed. I conclude with my hopes for what psycholinguistic justice can be.

Oxytocin in autism: Rethinking treatment and research through a neurodivergent perspective

This perspective piece addresses critical challenges in oxytocin-based interventions for autism, drawing on neurodivergent perspectives to highlight key issues in research relevance and inclusivity. Although oxytocin has been posited to modulate social and routinized behaviors in autistic individuals, empirical findings on its efficacy remain inconsistent. We argue that these behavioral targets may reflect neurotypical biases, often disregarding autistic individuals' perspectives, thereby limiting intervention acceptability and efficacy. Past research has frequently excluded marginalized autistic populations, including individuals with intellectual disabilities or gender-diverse identities, exacerbating generalizability issues. This piece advocates for a reorientation of research objectives in autism, proposing a shift from modifying core autistic behaviors towards enhancing quality of life through participatory research. By integrating autistic perspectives into study design and outcome selection, researchers move away from deficit-oriented frameworks and instead prioritize socially valid outcomes, such as reducing anxiety and improving adaptive functioning. Further, the perspective piece critiques the reliance on animal models, which often lack translational validity due to autism's complex social and communicative dimensions. In closing, we underscore the importance of inclusive, reproducible autism research practices that align with the lived experiences and priorities of autistic individuals. Embracing participatory research, alongside rigorous methodological adjustments, can foster advancements that effectively support the well-being of the autistic community.

An annotated introductory reading list for neurodiversity

Since its inception, the concept of neurodiversity has been defined in a number of different ways, which can cause confusion among those hoping to educate themselves about the topic. Learning about neurodiversity can also be challenging because there is a lack of well-curated, appropriately contextualized information on the topic. To address such barriers, we present an annotated reading list that was developed collaboratively by a neurodiverse group of researchers. The nine themes covered in the reading list are: the history of neurodiversity; ways of thinking about neurodiversity; the importance of lived experience; a neurodiversity paradigm for autism science; beyond deficit views of ADHD; expanding the scope of neurodiversity; anti-ableism; the need for robust theory and methods; and integration with open and participatory work. We hope this resource can support readers in understanding some of the key ideas and topics within neurodiversity, and that it can further orient researchers towards more rigorous, destigmatizing, accessible, and inclusive scientific practices.

Autistic Traits, Communicative Efficiency, and Social Biases Shape Language Learning in Autistic and Allistic Learners

There is ample evidence that individual-level cognitive mechanisms active during language learning and use can contribute to the evolution of language. For example, experimental work suggests that learners will reduce case marking in a language where grammatical roles are reliably indicated by fixed word order, a correlation found robustly in the languages of the world. However, such research often assumes homogeneity among language learners and users, or at least does not dig into individual differences in behavior. Yet, it is increasingly clear that language users vary in a large number of ways: in culture, in demographics, and-critically for present purposes-in terms of cognitive diversity. Here, we explore how neurodiversity impacts behavior in an experimental task similar to the one summarized above, and how this behavior interacts with social pressures. We find both similarities and differences between autistic and nonautistic English-speaking individuals, suggesting that neurodiversity can impact language change in the lab. This, in turn, highlights the potential for future research on the role of neurodivergent populations in language evolution more generally.

Neurodiversity in the Minds of Students: From Perception to Campus Programming

Neurodiversity is a social justice movement at the nexus of neuroscience, academia, and public policy. A contemporary view of neurodiversity is one that embraces neurological differences, encompassing all "neurotypes," including more specific identifiers like autistic or dyslexic. The goal of this study was to investigate student awareness and perception of neurodiversity since they are the next generation of public policy makers. Students enrolled in Introduction to Behavioral Neuroscience (N=146) were exposed to different information sources (popular, academic, TED talk, or choose/find their own) on the topic of neurodiversity. They then wrote a paper where they summarized: a) the information source used, b) their ideas to better support a neurodiverse society, and c) their opinions on aspects of neurodiversity. Several important findings emerged. First, 64% of the sample had never heard of the term neurodiversity; this class was their first exposure to it. Second, students conducting their own searches on neurodiversity had the highest level of optimism (p < 0.05) that society was ready to accept neurodiversity. Students identified even higher rates of receptivity (85%) amongst their friends. Third, student ideas to advance neurodiversity were organized into more salient categories for campuses to consider. Our findings challenge neuroscience programs to consider their role in providing "first exposure" opportunities to students in the diversity, equity, and inclusion realm, especially in areas directly related to our field. We also discuss the growing relevance of neurodiversity in research and academia and offer programming possibilities to enhance neurodiversity awareness and support on college campuses.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD; also known as hyperkinetic disorder) is a common neurodevelopmental condition that affects children and adults worldwide. ADHD has a predominantly genetic aetiology that involves common and rare genetic variants. Some environmental correlates of the disorder have been discovered but causation has been difficult to establish. The heterogeneity of the condition is evident in the diverse presentation of symptoms and levels of impairment, the numerous co-occurring mental and physical conditions, the various domains of neurocognitive impairment, and extensive minor structural and functional brain differences. The diagnosis of ADHD is reliable and valid when evaluated with standard diagnostic criteria. Curative treatments for ADHD do not exist but evidence-based treatments substantially reduce symptoms and/or functional impairment. Medications are effective for core symptoms and are usually well tolerated. Some non-pharmacological treatments are valuable, especially for improving adaptive functioning. Clinical and neurobiological research is ongoing and could lead to the creation of personalized diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for this disorder.

Elevated and accelerated: Locus coeruleus activity and visual search abilities in autistic children

BACKGROUND

Autistic individuals excel at visual search, however, the neural mechanism(s) underlying this advantage remain unclear. The locus coeruleus-norepinephrine (LC-NE) system, which plays a critical role in sensory perception and selective attention, has been shown to function in a persistently elevated state in individuals on the spectrum. However, the relationship between elevated tonic LC-NE activity and accelerated search in autism has not been explored.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the relationship between visual search abilities and resting pupil diameter (an indirect measure of tonic LC-NE activation) in autistic and neurotypical children.

METHODS

Participants were 24 school-aged autistic children and 24 age- and IQ-matched neurotypical children aged 8-15 years. Children completed two tasks: a resting eye-tracking task and a visual search paradigm. For the resting eye-tracking task, pupil diameter was monitored while participants fixated a central crosshair. For the visual search paradigm, participants were instructed to find the target (vertical line) embedded within an array of tilted (10°) distractor lines. The target was present on 50% of trials, and displayed within set sizes of 18, 24, and 36 items.

RESULTS

Consistent with previous studies, autistic children had significantly larger resting pupil size and searched faster and more efficiently compared to their neurotypical peers. Eye-tracking findings revealed that accelerated search was associated with fewer, not shorter, fixations in the autism group. Autistic children also showed reduced leftward search bias. Larger resting pupil size, indicative of increased tonic activation of the LC-NE system, was associated with greater search efficiency, longer fixation durations, and reduced leftward bias. Finally, within both groups reduced leftward bias was associated with increased autism symptomatology.

DISCUSSION

Together, these findings add to the existing body of research highlighting superior search in autism, suggest that elevated tonic LC-NE activity may contribute to more efficient search, and link non-social visual-spatial processing strengths to autism symptoms.

What can neurodiversity tell us about inner speech, and vice versa? A theoretical perspective

Inner speech refers to the experience of talking to oneself in one's head. While notoriously challenging to investigate, it has also been central to a range of questions concerning mind, brain, and behaviour. Posited as a key component in executive function and self-regulation, inner speech has been claimed to be crucial in higher cognitive operations, self-knowledge and self-awareness. Such arguments have traditionally been supported with examples of atypical development. But variations in inner speech - and in some cases, significant diversity - in fact pose several key challenges to such claims, and raises many more questions for, language, thought and mental health more generally. In this review, we will summarise evidence on the experience and operation of inner speech in child and adult neurotypical populations, autistic people and other neurodivergent groups, and people with diverse experiences of linguistic and sensory development, including deafness. We will demonstrate that the relationship between inner speech and cognitive operations may be more complex than first assumed when explored through the lens of cognitive and neurological diversity, and the implications of that for understanding the developing brain in all populations. We discuss why and how the experience of inner speech in neurodivergent groups has often been assumed rather than investigated, making it an important opportunity for researchers to develop innovative future work that integrates participatory insights with cognitive methodology. Finally, we will outline why variations in inner speech - in neurotypical and neurodivergent populations alike - nevertheless have a range of important implications for mental health vulnerability and unmet need. In this sense, the example of inner speech offers us both a way of looking back at the logic of developmental psychology and neuropsychology, and a clue to its future in a neurodiverse world.

Teaching open and reproducible scholarship: a critical review of the evidence base for current pedagogical methods and their outcomes

In recent years, the scientific community has called for improvements in the credibility, robustness and reproducibility of research, characterized by increased interest and promotion of open and transparent research practices. While progress has been positive, there is a lack of consideration about how this approach can be embedded into undergraduate and postgraduate research training. Specifically, a critical overview of the literature which investigates how integrating open and reproducible science may influence student outcomes is needed. In this paper, we provide the first critical review of literature surrounding the integration of open and reproducible scholarship into teaching and learning and its associated outcomes in students. Our review highlighted how embedding open and reproducible scholarship appears to be associated with (i) students' scientific literacies (i.e. students' understanding of open research, consumption of science and the development of transferable skills); (ii) student engagement (i.e. motivation and engagement with learning, collaboration and engagement in open research) and (iii) students' attitudes towards science (i.e. trust in science and confidence in research findings). However, our review also identified a need for more robust and rigorous methods within pedagogical research, including more interventional and experimental evaluations of teaching practice. We discuss implications for teaching and learning scholarship.