Missions

Moving around town is a multi-sensory experience: our senses are stimulated by a wide range of visual information (vehicle movements, illuminated signs, etc.), auditory information (vehicle noise, chatter, etc.) and olfactory information (plant smells, food smells, etc.). The multisensory integration of all this information is necessary for our understanding of the environment, for adapting our behaviour and actions, and more generally, for our mobilitý and our interactions with urban space. However, in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), there are particularities in sensory processing and integration that affect not only the way people with autism interpret and integrate their environment, but also their functional abilities and autonomy within that environment. The development of a methodology for analysing the effects of the urban environment on the walking behaviour of people with autism will provide a better understanding of the impact of the environment on their quality of life and autonomy, as well as helping to identify public space developments adapted to their specific needs (neuro-urbanism).
AutiSenCité is funded by the Agence Nationale de la Recherche.

Activities

To successfully complete this project, the post-doctoral student will be required to:
- Develop a behavioural analysis that will make it possible to measure the behaviour of people with autism when moving around in an urban environment, in order to assess the impact of environmental variations and particularities on their behaviour.
- Participate in the preparation, implementation and acquisition of data during sensory walks in facilities for autistic people
- Coding the behaviours expressed in videos of autistic people acquired during sensory walks, and analysing the behavioural data. For this task, she will be co-supervising 2 trainees with Marine Grandgeorge (Ethos laboratory, University of Rennes) and Nicolas Dollion (C2S laboratory, University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne).
- To develop an index for adapting the urban environment to people with autism, based on behavioural analysis, physical measurements (sound level meter, luxmeter) and gathering the feelings of people with autism using a sensory evaluation scale for the urban environment developed as part of the Autisencité project.
- Presenting the results in the form of scientific articles, seminars, participation in international conferences and in initiatives to disseminate scientific culture.

Skills

The candidate must hold a PhD in behavioural or cognitive neuroscience or a related field. Motivation, creativity, the ability to work independently, an interest in transdisciplinarity and the ability to interact well with colleagues, people with autism and professionals in the medico-social sector are the most important criteria.
Experience in one or more of the following areas is highly desirable:
- Behavioural analysis
- Autism spectrum disorder
- Participatory research
A good command of spoken and written English is required, and French is necessary to interact with organisations working with people with autism.

Work Context

The post-doctoral student will benefit from the contribution of the AutiSenCité consortium made up of researchers in neuroscience, psychology, urban planning, geography, clinicians, autistic people and local authorities. The candidate will be based at the Integrative Neuroscience and Cognition Centre (INCC) at the Université Paris Cité in Paris. He or she will be required to work closely with other members of the consortium and to travel within France as part of the research. Some of her work may be carried out from home.

Constraints and risks

No constraints or risks identified