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Last Updated: 04/24/2012
 

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Article of Interest - Research

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Central Michigan University (CMU) Research Study Team Looking for Michigan Students With Autism

Participants must be between the ages of 12 and 18 and must be on the "Spectrum" which may include those with: Autism, Asperger's Syndrome, Rett Syndrome, PDD or PDD-NOS; may include students with Nonverbal Learning Disorder or Hyperlexia.

Central Michigan University, September 2003

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This letter is an invitation for you and your child to participate in an important study about the educational aspirations of a special population of Michigan's youth. The following information is to tell you a little about our project and to help you decide whether you would like to participate or not.

The problem
The number of youth in Michigan that have been diagnosed with autism spectrum and related neurobehavioral disorders impacting social communication and functioning has increased at an alarming rate over the last decade. Many of the youth with these "special needs" are quite intelligent and very academically able but may still have a difficult time being successful in the school environment. Although we continue to learn more about how to meet these students' needs at the primary level and are starting to develop guidelines for helping these students at the secondary level, we know very little about the academic potential of these students beyond high school. In order to better meet the needs of these students and their families, we need to learn a great deal more about their educational goals beyond high school and identify the supports that might ensure the success of these students at higher levels of education.

The Project
Promoting the Life Aspirations of Central Michigan's Exceptional Students (PLACES) is a joint effort of professionals at Central Michigan University to understand the educational aspirations and needs of high functioning, academically "bright" adolescents with social-communication related disorders. The long-range goal of the overall project is to offer guidance to families and to help education professionals at both the secondary (high school) and post- secondary (college) levels better meet the needs of these exceptional youth.

The Study
As one step in this process, I am looking to make contact with the families of students that meet the following criteria:

  • Student aged 12 - 18

  • Student is eligible for special education services

  • Student exhibits a significant social deficit especially as linked to pragmatic communication abilities

  • Student has average or above average intelligences as indicated by IQ scores, standardized tests, or school performance

  • Additional indicators suggest that social deficit is linked to identified autism spectrum or neurobehavioral disorders

Although the official diagnoses may vary (e.g., Aspergers, High Functioning Autism, PDD-NOS, Non-Verbal Learning Disability, Hyperlexia) these are students with academic potential but with significant social communication challenges.

Our goal is to interview both the target child and a parent (the one that takes the "most" responsibility for supporting the needs of the child) about their experience and how they think about and are planning for the future - especially with regard to educational goals beyond the high school years. These 60 minute interviews can be completed in your home, at CMU, or any other appropriate setting where we can have a private conversation with both you and your child. I am sorry that we cannot provide any payment of compensation for your time. This would be purely on a volunteer basis because you and your child appreciate the value of sharing your experience with others to help ensure that the needs of these exceptional students can be better understood and supported.

The Process
If this project sounds interesting, please discuss it with your child and let me know that you would like additional information or to work on scheduling an interview time. After I have had the chance to answer any additional questions, we would schedule a formal interview time at your convenience. Two interviewers would arrive at the scheduled time and place to complete the interviews at the same time in separate rooms.

Thank You
I know this is a pretty long letter and a lot of information to digest all at once. I want to thank you, in advance, for taking the time to read this and consider whether you would like to be a part of this study. Do know that all of us working on this project share some of the same concerns as you and are very interested in learning and doing more to help.

I look forward to hearing from you soon!

Sincerely,
Phame Camarena, Ph.D.
Professor of Human Development & PLACES Coordinator
Central Michigan University
Phone: (989) 774-5600
E-mail: camar1pm@cmich.edu  

   

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