News

Ekaterina Ivanova and Rachael Bedford have been awarded a grant from the QMUL CIRCLE Fund to run a pilot study to identify the Sensory-Motor Patterns of Autism. It runs until the end of 2026, and is worth £7,873.16

The main objective of the project is to investigate differences in interaction motion patterns between neurotypical and autistic adults. Haptic communication (HC), the exchange of task-relevant information through touch and forces, is fundamental to human motor interaction and supports motor performance and learning, yet its characteristics in autistic adults remain unexplored. Autism affects social and motor coordination, potentially altering haptic communication patterns.

This pilot study will systematically compare Haptic communication in autistic and neurotypical adults, generating proof-of-concept data on measurable visuomotor differences. Findings will establish the feasibility of this approach and provide preliminary evidence to inform larger-scale studies, ultimately aiming to develop objective, motion-based biomarkers for earlier, more efficient autism diagnosis.

The project team includes Dr Ekaterina Ivanova (EECS, QMUL), with expertise in Haptic communication and human-robot interaction, physiological data analysis, and computational modelling, and Prof Rachael Bedford (SBBS, QMUL), whose research focuses on transdiagnostic mechanisms in developmental conditions and identifying modifiable factors for personalised interventions. Their combined expertise ensures rigorous pilot testing and assessment of feasibility.