CASD Chat: January 2023 - How to Read Research Like a Psychologist

Of course, even when we pull them from reputable sources, not all research is going to be of the same quality. Red flags are used to warn us about problems. For research, red flags refer to problems to think about regarding the accuracy of the findings. (Bonus: These “red flags” apply to articles you read in any source, so keep them in mind when you are scrolling on your tablet or phone.) The first thing I look for to determine how much stock to put in the findings is the number of participants and the diversity of the participants.

I talked a bit about this in the piece I wrote about the Gluten and Casein free diets but typically studies with smaller groups of people run a higher risk of getting results that don’t apply to most other people, and a higher risk of results just being a “fluke” or coincidence. The same goes for when the study is only white people, only males, only middle-class, etc.

Red flags to keep an eye out for are:

• When there are very few participants in a study
• When the sample is limited to one particular group of people (unless you’re looking for info specifically on that group)
• When an article makes a big sweeping claim

Scientists know that it takes a lot of data and a lot of doing the same study over and over again (this is called replication of findings) to be reasonably sure about something. Be VERY wary of broad, sweeping claims such as phrases like “totally eliminate difficult behaviors,” “cure” anything autism related, “we are sure that X causes Y” etc.

Real science is slow and cautious, and if something sounds too good to be true — IT PROBABLY IS. If you notice these statements, put the article down and move on. What you’re looking for are phrases like, “given the findings, we think it’s likely that X impacts/is related to Y, but more research should be done on ABC to see if it supports these findings.” This shows that the person is aware of the complexity of the issue and respectful of the cautious nature of the scientific process.

Whenever you’re selecting a journal or article to browse, you’ll want to look for something indicating that it is “peer-reviewed” meaning that other scientists have read it and approved it.

I also highly recommend Google Scholar which is a database run by Google that includes both open-access and paywall-limited articles. You’ll have to sort through more results, but you’ll get the most results for your efforts.

Which brings us to: How do I search a database? Answer: with ‘keywords.’ Keywords are a combination of two or three words that are related to the information you’re looking for. For example, if I want to know more about the latest in neurodiversity research I might type in the words: “Autism AND Neurodiversity AND Joy” like so:

And here’s an example of what I get:

To make sure you’re getting the most up-to-date results, you can select a recent publication year on the left-hand side (for example, “Since 2021”). If you’re not getting the results you want, switch up your keywords.

Let’s see what I get when I use the words “ADHD AND Neurodiversity AND Joy” instead:

Psychologists have a lot of different ways to find articles on the latest research. Typically, we search on research databases which are search engines specifically for scientific research. Some are broader (i.e., PubMed) and some are specific to the field of psychology (i.e., APA PsycArticles).

The problem with using these databases as a non-psychologist is that you have to pay for most of the articles and it can be expensive. In order to get around this requirement (a paywall), you’re going to want to look for what’s called “Open Access Journal.” Although there can be great articles in these journals, they also tend to accept lower quality pieces than the journals that are behind a paywall. You’re going to want to pay special attention to the “red flags” section below so you can evaluate the quality of the article you’re looking at.

Some well-known, reputable journals with a focus on neurodevelopmental conditions include:

• Autism
• Research in Developmental Disabilities
• Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
• Frontiers in Psychology (Open access!)

Science and knowledge are for everyone and part of our mission here at CASD is to make that knowledge as accessible as possible to the families that we serve. Although we hope it’s helpful, this is obviously a very brief overview of a complicated topic! Next month, we will review the different sections of articles and suggest strategies to make it easier to get the most information from what you read.

For those who want a more in-depth look, the Organization for Autism Research (OAR) has a free guide written for families and self-advocates who want to dive into the research, and it is much more detailed.

Also, if you have worked with a professional – such as the clinician who evaluated someone in your family or current therapist- ask for a consultation to discuss if a therapeutic approach you’ve learned about is right for you or your family.

This article was developed by Ashley Muskett, Ph.D., CASD clinical psychologist with the assistance of Andrea Lopez, B.S., CASD research assistant. Scroll down for a list of resources (including tools you can download), announcements of community programs, and research opportunities. Our goal is to help families and providers so please use the QR code at the end of the CHAT (in the CASD Chat PDF) to give us feedback.

Arc Maryland, "Together We're Better"

The Arc Maryland, with its statewide partners, provides a school inclusion program called “Together We’re Better” (TWB). The objective of the program is to raise awareness of the value and importance of inclusion of students with disabilities. The program involves a 4-way partnership with the Maryland State Department of Education, the Maryland Developmental Disabilities Council, the Maryland Department of Disabilities, and The Arc Maryland. Visit the website here to see the different components to the program, broken up for elementary, middle and high school students.

DC Autism Collaborative

The DC Autism Collaborative (DC-AC) has developed several resources for parents of young children and professionals (including health providers, early childhood educators, and community leaders) on topics related to autism spectrum disorder (ASD). All materials have been, or are in the processes of being, translated into both Spanish and Amharic. These resources can be downloaded as PDFs, though we encourage you to visit the website here as we plan to update these regularly.

Free Webinars Hosted by Social Thinking

Enjoy these information-packed free webinars on your own or make them a powerful group learning event with your colleagues, friends, and family members. Topics include:

• Working/learning in groups
• Face-to-face communication
• Social anxiety
• Executive functions
• Children’s stress
• Self-regulation
• Individual webinars on ten core Social Thinking vocabulary

Parent-Child Journey Webinars

Dan Shapiro, M.D., is offering new courses for parents of different age groups. To learn more about these courses, please visit his website.

Pathfinders for Autism

Pathfinders provides a list of programs for all ages including video group for spouses/partners of adults with Asperger's; Transitioning services and Job skills; Baby and Family Navigator programs, and new this month, Autism from the Autistic Perspective and free Pediatric Occupational Therapy Screening and more.

Supporting Mental Well-being

Yetta Myrick, executive director/president of DC Autism Parents (DCAP) and CDC's Act Early Ambassador to the District of Columbia has multiple resources to share with families to support mental well-being.

The Talk – Black, Autistic and Male: One Family's Experience

We would like to share an interview with a family of a college-bound autistic young adult and an accompanying reflection by Tawara Goode, director of the National Center for Cultural Competence and director of the Georgetown University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities.

Watch the video.

Unstuck & On Target Resources

The Unstuck author team has created short videos to help parents of children with executive functioning difficulties. Please click the playlists below to view the videos in both English and Spanish.

We have added new videos to address feedback from parents. Please click on our playlist to view our new 3-part video series on "troubleshooting."

ASD Research Study

George Washington University and George Mason University are study brain development in autism. As part of the study, participants play child-friendly computer games while we track their gaze and brain function. Families can early up to $90 for participating.

We are recruiting 5-17 year olds with an autism diagnosis.

If you are interested in participating, please contact Chelsea Armour at [email protected] or [email protected].

RDoC Executive Function Research Project

Georgetown University Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory and Children’s National Hospital are studying executive function skills like attention, memory, and learning using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Using MRI technology, we expect to pinpoint the parts of the brain that are responsible for these cognitive functions and hope to determine the potential of using MRI as a tool to help clinicians personalize treatment. We are recruiting 8-13 year olds with a clinical psychological diagnosis (of any kind), no genetic conditions, no metal in their bodies, and no neurological conditions.

If you are interested, please contact Laura Campos at 301-765-5478 or by email.

Advocacy Resources

• Autistic Self Advocacy Network – Navigating College: A Handbook on Self Advocacy

Resources on Anti-Racism

• Spectrum Support's Social Stories on Racism
• ASAN's What is Police Violence?: A Plain Language Booklet
• @TheMorganCruise Worksheets for Black Children

COVID-19 Safety Resources

• Behavioral Directions LLC's Safety Teaching Protocol
• Visit Children's National Hospital's COVID-19 Resources

COVID-19 National and Local Government Resources

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• World Health Organization
• D.C. Department of Health
• Maryland Department of Health
• Virginia Department of Health
• U.S Department of Education's Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part B Dispute Resolution Procedures
• U.S Department of Education's Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part C Dispute Resolution Procedures