Cyborg Meltdown Alert Device?

Published April 11, 2009 @ 01:02PM PT

Autism invention: Chicago youths devise technology in effort to help people cope from the Chicago Tribune (IL) describes a science fair project by three 10-year-olds. The idea was to create a device that could predict when an autistic person was about to have a meltdown based on biofeedback (brain activity, blood pressure) analysis, and initiate some sort of calming routine like playing a favorite song from an audio device on a wristband. This device would be a microchip implanted in the brain.

As weird and scifi as this is (alien implants whee!), I've often wished that there was a button that would flash or something to warn others that I've reached an intolerable level of stress so people could remove me from the bad situation; the more stressed I am the less able I become to communicate about it, and a vicious cycle is created. The "soothing audio" idea not so much (what about autistic people who aren't soothed by audio or who are deaf?) but as a means of communication, now that I could get into.

As someone who already could be called a "cyborg" from wearing glasses to relying computer devices for most of my "executive function" and communication capabilities, the idea of an implant to take over communication when I falter sounds slightly more appealing than disturbing...I think... or does it?

As with any new technology, particularly technology applied to living things (and especially brains!), ethical considerations need to be addressed prior to implementation. Just because we can do something, doesn't always mean we should. Many ethical questions in science and medicine remain currently unanswered.

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Comments (9)

No more disturbing than the idea of a person that is well-familiar with my ideas and wants taking over communication when I falter: how well can you trust that they will really communicate what you wanted to communicate? Even if they really want to say what I want to say they might get it wrong, and technology isn't perfect either. A person might have less positive intentions and deliberately misrepresent me, but technology can be messed with too. The chip might be a bit more reliable here, but I think its biggest advantage would be the size :D. Taking a person with you everywhere is definitely more difficult :P. Though of course the chip might have more health risks.

Posted by Norah vd Stel on 04/11/2009 @ 02:20PM PT
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What bothers me the most about this is the assumption that autistic people just randomly have meltdowns and need to be monitored and controlled. This is not a helpful stereotype. Granted, the structure of today's society tends to be more stressful for autistics, which in turn causes more anxiety; but I've known plenty of non-autistic people who had sudden outbursts or got overwhelmed by their environment in various ways, and I also know some autistics who are extremely calm.

Setting aside, for the moment, the question of whether something like this is ethically appropriate to develop for anyone, I think it's important to point out that the problem it is meant to address is not exclusive to autistics. Also, to the extent that it might be useful for autistics, perhaps a more understanding and accommodating social environment would be even more useful...

Posted by Meg Evans on 04/11/2009 @ 04:25PM PT
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Prevention is preferred, by accommodations and understanding, but I wouldn't mind something to handle it when it sets in either. It might also enable me to enter situations that are now too overloading and meltdown inducing, because then I'd see it coming and we'd be able to leave early ON TIME or go somewhere quiet temporarily and then come back or something.

I've long looked for something that can stop a meltdown when it's appraoching or just starting, actually. People, if they notice it, have a chance, but noticing for others is quite possibly even harder than for me (and I'd appreciate something that could reliably let ME know that I'm approaching meltdown too), and then they still have to react in the right way (because by then there is no way that I am able to communicate effectively or handle it to stop it myself, I can only do that very very early if I even notice it).

And they're not random of course, but it can be hard to see it coming for others AND me, and I'd rather be able to do more stuff and have something to both warn me and help me stop it, than being much more limited in where I can go and what I can do, because I have to avoid those situations entirely because I know they are overloading and I have a hard time telling when it's too much and leaving again in time and such.

Posted by Norah vd Stel on 04/12/2009 @ 02:27AM PT
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One wonders if there might be a less invasive means to the same end. For instance, some service animals are trained to spot oncoming seizures in people with epilepsy. It isn't a huge leap from a "seizure dog" (or cat!) to a meltdown one.

Posted by Mark Romoser on 04/13/2009 @ 12:52PM PT
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I really like that idea--one gets a new friend in addition to the alert.

Posted by Dora Raymaker on 04/13/2009 @ 01:06PM PT
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Except for those of us with allergies :D

Posted by Norah vd Stel on 04/13/2009 @ 01:43PM PT
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@Norah: They're already on it. People here in the States are training miniature *horses* for use as service animals, for that very reason!

Posted by Mark Romoser on 04/13/2009 @ 01:47PM PT
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And addendum: that would be invasive in the sense of an animal comingto live in your home, you'd need to be able to take care of it in terms of skills (or get help with that too) and money, and for me I think the home needs to be suitable for an animal too, or it's just cruel (living on the third floor I wouldn't keep any pets except maybe fish, even if I wasn't allergic and had issues taking care of them).

Posted by Norah vd Stel on 04/13/2009 @ 01:46PM PT
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Perhaps what's best is a bunch of options--different solutions so people can pick what works best for them as individuals.

Posted by Dora Raymaker on 04/13/2009 @ 02:02PM PT
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Dora is committed to improving quality of life for individuals on the autistic spectrum--including herself! She is Co-director of the Academic Autistic Spectrum Partnership in Research and Education and a member of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network's Board of Directors.