The World Seen from the Perspective of Autism Spectrum Disorder

Since I spent my high school years in a provincial Canadian city, the number of Japanese universities I could apply to by returning to Japan during my summer vacation was limited. The Canadian high school math curriculum was insufficient for the entrance exams of Japanese science faculties, so my choice of departments was also restricted. However, I was hopeful that at SFC, with its interdisciplinary approach to the arts and sciences, I might be able to study the science subjects I had given up on. I decided to apply to SFC after learning that I would have the freedom to choose from a wide range of research fields and could study mental health and psychiatry, subjects I had long been interested in.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is an important topic for me, and I had always wanted to gain a deeper understanding of it. However, since I am not very skilled at interacting with people, providing on-site support or conducting group research would be difficult. I hoped to find a field where I could conduct research independently. During the summer vacation of my first year, I learned about the Masaki Mori Research Group and discovered that it was possible to quantitatively study the symptoms of people with developmental disabilities at the perceptual and cognitive levels. I was intrigued by the process of collecting numerical data through psychological experiments to identify common cognitive characteristics and tendencies. Professor Mori encouraged me, saying, "Why don't you actually create a research plan and try it out?" and I have been conducting psychological experiments ever since.

My research theme is the elucidation of face recognition mechanisms and visual information processing in individuals with high autistic traits. I myself have difficulty remembering people's faces. My starting point was the hypothesis that this might be related to the fact that people with ASD tend to focus on details and have difficulty processing visual information holistically.

Using psychological experimental methods, I am exploring the individual differences in face recognition. I recruit experiment participants through social media, and they are mainly Keio University students who cooperate out of motivations such as wanting to visit the lab or wanting to measure themselves.

If it weren't for SFC, where students can join research groups from their first year, I wouldn't have been able to delve this deeply into my interests. We receive enthusiastic guidance from professors and graduate students, and we can actively exchange discussions and advice with other students. It's an environment where you can take on any challenge regardless of your academic year, and the more you strive, the more support you receive.

I wanted to research developmental disabilities, but when I enrolled, I didn't know whether the right approach was through policy, education, biology, neuroscience, or psychology. There is great value in being able to find the method that suits me best through my studies at SFC and advance toward my goals.

Furthermore, SFC's research grant system, which is open to undergraduate students, is a welcome system for us, as we cannot apply for external research funding. Without this kind of support, it would have been difficult to continue my experiments and participate in academic conferences.

Currently, I am preparing to submit my research paper and analyzing a new experiment I have started. I am also creating a research plan for my future studies in the master's program.

There is still much that remains unknown about the cognitive characteristics of people with developmental disabilities. My contribution can be to increase knowledge from the perspective of experimental psychology. I also find it rewarding to draw inspiration from my own struggles. I would be happy if my research findings could advance ASD research in other fields, such as neuroscience, and provide feedback to clinical settings. I hope to help, even in a small way, those who face difficulties due to developmental disabilities and those involved with them, and to contribute to society.