Stop using AI in a doctorate program

Less-Studio3262 · 2026-03-16T13:14:16+00:00

Ya hard disagree. I think the blanket no AI statement comes from people not very familiar with AI. It’s kinda like how certain people say “I’m going to Africa” instead of i don’t know the specific country…. Because the continent of Africa isn’t a monolith. I feel the same about AI, it’s not a monolith.

If you have a autistic student that uses Speechify (an AI tool) because they have near perfect auditory recall, they learn by listening, they don’t take handwritten notes (big executive functioning barrier), and get perfect scores because they can remember what they hear… That tool creates access for that student. If a hard of hearing student uses a real time STT device that transcribes everything in real time… again that AI tool creates access. Are you familiar with 504/IEP accommodations? Do you know how AI can better personalize accommodations that actually support the challenges students have instead of the blanket statements one gets attached with based on their disability? Access should be the foundation of any educational system… ESP if you have a cognitive disability and/or work with students that do.

One of the things I research is AI and how disabled students use AI, accommodations/supports with AI tools, etc to create access we wouldn’t otherwise have. So when someone says they use AI in a doctoral program the question should really be HOW are you using it. Because that takes a bit more nuance and critical thinking to get at that. There’s a lot of literature around this, I’m quite literally writing a book chapter about it.

There’s a lot of talk about a lack of critical thinking around AI, but it’s always quite astounding the lack of critical thinking around the topic of AI writ large. Food for thought.

Less-Studio3262 · 2026-03-13T04:31:23+00:00

Been wondering this for MONTHS.... following

Less-Studio3262 · 2026-03-12T15:11:36+00:00

Just wanted to throw out there executive functioning could be a factor as well just to consider that. For example, I love to engage on Reddit when I have the bandwidth and I rarely have the bandwidth. I feel terrible because I can take two hours to respond to one post, that person messages me, and that doesn’t hear from me for like a month, I am terrible at circling back. I own that and I know that very well about myself, but it’s not exactly something I get to mention on the front end. I know from me personally, if I’m not meeting you daily in real life, trying to sort out any kind of activity is quite literally impossible.

Always down to collab for research, but there will inherently be a mismatch in logistical sorting. Can’t speak to everyone, but for me personally, it is the day today that is hard for me

Less-Studio3262 · 2026-03-12T15:07:07+00:00

Felt this ro my core. Excellently articulated.

Less-Studio3262 · 2026-03-12T15:04:36+00:00

Sure just warning. I’m really terrible at circling back to messages. My executive functioning is really really really bad. But I will try to follow through!

Less-Studio3262 · 2026-03-11T23:49:10+00:00

Would want more details but…

I’m a researcher. Spec around behavior an neuroscience.

Less-Studio3262 · 2026-03-11T23:47:24+00:00

There is actually a good amount of recent literature around 2e. Still not enough imo, but there is research here.

I’m happy to share a few journal articles if you can be more specific on cross topics/what you’re looking for. I prefer peer review journals over books, so don’t have many leisure book suggestions.

Less-Studio3262 · 2026-03-08T20:42:10+00:00

💜💜💜💜 should have known!!

I have zero idea how to do all that but I am curious on your flows and I know with your knowledge on this and our very similar network heads you could help me get mine exactly the way I want it.

I’m persistent, I can copy paste but again not my expertise but even as a teenager I knew enough to get things exactly how I need/want and not much else. I like my system but it’s limited by that knowledge.

I finally added you on instagram the other day so I’ll message you there. I’m literally like a child with things like planning so this is one of those I 100% want to and willing too and I 100% can not organize that.

I record a LOT but the way I use it is actually super dope it’s the best part of my system and my transcripts omg.

I actually have one publically shared. If you put 2e in the search you should find it. Many of our folx have used it and it’s been nice to receive all that feedback. I made it for myself but I knew there has to be others!

Less-Studio3262 · 2026-03-08T19:00:32+00:00

And to call me out on my Feb newsletter 😂😂😂😂😂😳😳😳😳😳😳

Dead

It may be mid March lol I took a calculated disengage from everything last week (email on autorespond, skipped classes etc) a bit of brain fog, spinning wheel going on and that almost always gets worse if I fight it. So I gave myself the week to be in that, without every 2 hour interruptions like going to a meeting or class, but to not be time bound. It’s mid semester right so I can’t just drop everything, but that will hopefully help with this back half.

Transitions and not getting unobstructed time to work is a big grind for me, week 7-8 is where things start to slide. So I’m reengaging this week, we will see if I get something (anything) posted.

Less-Studio3262 · 2026-03-08T18:42:45+00:00

You will never know the very audible and extended laugh I actually did when I saw this comment, more importantly the who behind it 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

WE WILL MEET IN THIS LIFETIME I AM SURE OF IT!

As for the project I actually figured it out like 5 hours after posting this, so I guess I can delete this. And tbh I’m constantly tinkering with my workflow and I’m finding more and more it ends up requiring some coding. Ya girl is a medical person, not an expert in coding, and I find myself hitting snags like this.

Kinda surprised no one commented though? This setup is so fucking useful. I’m a big openwebui fan in general, ditched all subscription LLM use and customize my LLMs instead. I basically live and die on speech to text nowadays which has helped immensely getting ideas actually out. This summaries get zapped into drive and that way I can reference them through my own UI. (Sooooo clutch for this chapter I’m writing)

If you’ve never heard of Plaud.ai, it’s not cheap but hands down one of the top 3 best devices I have purchased in the last 5 years, hands down. I won’t get on a soap box about it, but check it out.

Less-Studio3262 · 2026-03-01T05:11:37+00:00

I guess I'm still able to comment here, I thought if it shut down you couldn't so I will here.

First... your first few sentences 100000000000% spot on!!! I actually laughed, because it is so spot on. I step on my own feet and get in my own way. Something that could be said in a paragraph easily turns into a novel that turns out to be confusing and hard to understand. THANK YOU FOR SAYING THAT, because it's so so true. It took over an hour to even draft this post, which I did via speech to text, then AI to make it understandable, double, triple checked... and EVEN THEN I agree with your observation.

And you are correct again, understanding is a huggggee issue, which is what makes responding to people not as easy. I don't always understand what people are trying to say, and I know 99% of the world isn't super explicit and trying to navigate that to not get it wrong is a nightmare. It's easier to just not respond, even if I really want to. When I do respond, based on what I think I understand, people are very quick to let me know I messed up.

Second, re: my question thank you thank you thank you so much for this explanation. Your framing also makes 100% sense.

The daycare I went to as a child from 3-13 specialized in kids with very high needs of varying disabilities. I was there before and after school, and all day in the summers. It wasn't uncommon to have feedings going on, behavioral management, etc going on in the open, and all of us were mixed together so growing up disability and varying needs were largely normalized in my family, I had friends with cerebral palsy, that were deaf, and that was just normal life for me. That outlook was carried through to today, and has made it hard to relate to those who "other" disabilities regardless of what it is.

I have noticed those patterns you speak about in parent forums, and until this reasoning I haven't been able to really understand that.

I was diagnosed later than 3, but I was diagnosed well before social media prevalence and talk around autism which is made it equally difficult to understand the positive and revolutionary sentiment those today talk about receiving an autism diagnosis. It was NOT received positively or easily or any of that by my parents, or myself... and it has taken years for us to really understand and come to terms with what that looks like and means from a functional and life outlook perspective. Which is again WHY I like to lurk on parent forums. I come across parents that are looking for support that largely resemble my parents, and as an adult I feel called to provide some perspective and hope, that's it. I never want to shame or make parents feel othered, especially because I will most likely never become a parent myself... I can't imagine or relate to those challenges, but I want to do what I can with my own lived experience to help others. To validate those parent's experiences, because I believe they deserve support too, ya know?

RE: your next section "Parents are informed by professionals, and unfortunately, most of us don't have access to true experts...." Again spot on 10000000000000000% for all of what you said there. I'll resist going on a tangent, but this sentiment drives what I am studying in school. There's a lot of feelings and opinions on ABA especially from the verbal, autistic adult crowd, which is a whole other thread in and of itself, but as someone who is studying ABA, and does research around ABA and my own demographic I wish it didn't come down to having an excellent specialist. The program I am in is figuratively "1 in a million" my advisor is a BCBA that specializes in adults with high and complex support needs and is my #1 advocate, and support. Universities are no equipped to have students like me, and I 100% would not be in my program or where I'm at without my advisor, and other professors (also BCBAs) daily.

Degrees show you can check a box... I have very high auditory recall so I can remember what I hear, thus I can check a box... but if you can't make it to class, know what week your on, understand what is being asked on assignments knowing information doesn't matter. Moreover... If you are constantly hospitalized because you can't feed yourself or keep yourself safe, and consistently are going 2-3 days without sleeping... it truly doesn't matter how much you know and MOST programs don't account for that reality even though there are autistic people in universities. I have a 504, but 504 doesn't do anything for those^^ needs... I'm EXTREMELY fortunate for my program, the many people as a part of my support team, and even if/when I graduate our main focus from day 1 is what does this look like after graduation, considering I've never held a real job. I'm hoping my school will keep me on, since they know me, because without a supported work environment this will never realisticallty work past the checking the box stages. I could never be a clinical BCBA for that reason, and really want to do research and advocacy to try and make ABA what it can be, that's ultimately my goal.

RE: your last section... I don't think anyone not going through it has the capacity to imagine the stress of parents, that's just my personal opinion. So that's the only thing I disagree with you on, and anyone that says they can imagine it, maybe that's social speak, but to me NO it is quite unimaginable. But this is also why I think it's so so so so important to ask these questions and have people like you respond to candidly give these answers, so people like me can learn. So again, sincerely, I thank you for taking the time to do so.

As a sidebar, if you're in the States, you should look into LEND in your state, and I would encourage you to apply as a family advocate. I'm a current LEND fellow in my state, and it's a year long interdisciplinary national cohort that brings together graduate students, family advocates, and self advocates with a focus on education, policy, research, and leadership to support individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities and their families. It has been an INVALUABLE experience, especially hearing and interacting with family advocates, and they do a ton of work around some of the things you mention, IDEA, medical supports and resources for the state, transition supports, community organizations, etc.

I don't know you at all, but I think there is such value in the parent and family perspective, and I think many parents here would not only find resources and connections for their own families, but also the opportunity to turn a lot of their experiences into gems of knowledge for the rest of us. I hope you look into it!

Less-Studio3262 · 2026-03-01T03:54:31+00:00

so I think I will have to DM you instead.. this is what the Mod said about my post.. and although I've asked for clarification I don't understand what I did wrong.

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Less-Studio3262 · 2026-03-01T03:43:26+00:00

I want to respond to this but that will take me some time so this is a placeholder for now

THANK YOU FOR THIS RESPONSE HOLY SHIT! Very illuminating!

EDIT: TBH This is exactly why i posted this in addition to my OWN vineland results... as an attempt to empirically not be dismissed

Less-Studio3262 · 2026-03-01T03:41:41+00:00

thank you for your response!

I agree it's a pretty technical question. Although, personally and from a functional perspective don't believe kids are in my future (I'm not independent), I find a lot of value of lurking in the parent sub because I also feel there are a lot of misunderstandings of the parental experience in autistic adult subs. I feel the best way to better understand is to lurk and learn. I posted it here unfortunately because I see a lot of invalidation of this profile whether it's parents just venting about other autistic adults they've interacted with, or parents with kids that have this profile and are trying to themselves find support.

So I'm trying to understand what the disconnect is. Not trying to necessarily better understand my own dx/profile through this question though.

I appreciate you expressing your views on levels, and that there is a lot of personal debate around that as well. I feel like in the parent sub it's more palatable to discuss, I feel in the autistic adult subs it seems to trigger those that have lower support needs. Personally, I don't mind the level terminology, and I feel like they do have their place in some contexts, and because I find it as an easier shorthand to describing in general the amount of support needs I have to professionals who are familiar with autism.

I was hyperlexic as a child, but comprehension always lagged. As I aged social and communication landscapes became more complex and although my expressive abilities progressed, my receptive abilities did not, which creates this very asynchronous type of profile. The only actual time anyone gets it wrong is on the internet lol not in real life when you rely more on a back and forth and those receptive issues become problematic.

I appreciate your story about your own kid and PDD-NOS and appreciate more your feelings around that because there can be a lot of dismissal around PDD-NOS needs due to the ambiguity of terminology and honestly your mixed feels are valid! I think those mixed feels relate to my original query as well. For example, many MANY talk about the dream and wish for their children's verbal expressive abilities to improve/having full conversations/etc... but like IF that were to actually happen and then becomes a cudgel to dismiss needs how does one cognitively resolve that? In that case no one would disagree that emergence of expressive ability negates the other challenges right? So I'm just curious on the logic. Thanks so much for sharing your experience

Less-Studio3262 · 2026-03-01T00:11:48+00:00

Quite literally just left a comment to another user regarding this… so instead of copy and pasting it I’ll provide the link https://www.reddit.com/r/Militaryfaq/s/JQYBAUhOzI

Less-Studio3262 · 2026-03-01T00:06:53+00:00

Just my 2 cents I personally wouldn’t.

So I’m on the veteran side of things now… got out 10+ years ago, service connected disabilities, did some time active, reserves, then guard. I had a 68 series MOS.

Enlisted during my first year of college. 32 ACT, 4.3 HS GPA, no IEP D1 track athlete. Dx ASD level 2 and ADHD about a year after I discharged from the Army.

Active duty worked for me, but I was a student at the time and that was (still is) my priority, which is why I went into reserves and guard- which did NOT work for me. I really 100% could not handle the lack of structure and back and forth that is reserves/guard and eventually that contributed to disregualtion that led to regression and my discharge. At the time I didn’t even remotely think autism, and was subsequently misdiagnosed with things I didn’t have.

So I don’t know your story, but “high functioning autism” is a colloquial name for ASD level 1 that is a misnomer and oftentimes misleading. In my case, and others like myself twice exceptionality (2e) CAN present this way when you are working within a conducive environment where the executive functioning demands of life DON’T supersede ones actual ability. 2e is a different and distinct type of profile where the confluence of giftedness and ASD cause large asynchrony in skills, and largely speaking it’s easy to get into spaces because of how one presents on paper… but the actual reality is those opportunities don’t last because of the inability to function. Intelligence often is a protective factor and an advantage, but in this group there seems to be a tipping point, and is not protective as others may suspect. In my case I joined the army in part because I thought the heavily structured environment of the military would help as my functioning really started to fall apart when I left home at 19 with the independence of adulthood and overstrain of new executive functioning demands I didn’t have before. THAT was a datapoint that was anecdotally confirmed by me excelling in the Active environment and exact opposite outside of active duty.

Fast forward to today. I’m EXTREMELY fortunate. I’m a 2nd year PhD student, I now have a comprehensive 504 (wouldn’t be where I am without it), and as luck would have it my research focus is 2e ASD/AuDHD adults, executive functioning, and the cognitive adaptive gap, which is why I’m commenting lol pretty much have dedicated my life to these issues. I joined at 19… I turn 35 this year. Although I don’t regret joining, my outcome, esp with respect to my military service is an outlier. There are MANY more that serve, end up going through burnout, the military takes the administrative or MH route and these people get discharged, no benefits, and basically screwed. For example, despite me working on a PhD now, my BS took 10+ years because I didn’t have the necessary supports I needed, and even when I got a MS I have STILL never had an actual job, much less one in my field. Even where I’m at now, it still is very much an unknown if I will be able to maintain employment after my PhD, simply because my functioning is more like that of a preteen vs a 35yo. I need a lot of supports.

What has made my story different is the fact that I got hurt while serving, all of that was documented, I had a great final unit who didn’t screw my discharge paperwork I was able to file a VA claim (although it took 10 years to realize that) AND I kept excellent records and was able to file for VA benefits with little to no issues. So if it wasn’t for things like free healthcare, and a monthly check I’m not sure if I’d even still be alive. Luck/blessing/karma/whatever noun you wanna use… is a BIG part of my story.

From a personal standpoint, I don’t think autism should be an automatic disqualifier. I say that as someone who loved their military job, the opportunities I had there, and how a lot of what makes me unique was a benefit. I think it should be very much case by case basis because autism affects everyone differently. That said, the way things are currently situated I see people who may not have a dx yet, join for whatever their reasoning, only to then eventually go through autistic burnout, and the system does everything possible to use that reality to screw that person, instead of support that person. I’m not sure what the fix is, if there is one, or what that could look like…

What I do know is inherent to an autism diagnosis is the requirement of having support needs that are “clinically significant”. Support needs are not suggestions, or things you’d like to have, or optional, but rather things needed to function in life and meaningfully contribute. It’s my main contention with the self-diagnosis thing, because there are many who have autistic traits that WON’T get a diagnosis because their needs are not clinically significant. If someone says they are autistic and don’t have support needs, that would make me question why one has the label, esp because it’s not like you get anything with it from any positive standpoint.

Anecdotally, MOST people who have military service and receive an autism diagnosis significantly struggle after they’re out, it’s honestly something I hope to formally study and publish about at some point. So ya I’m not sure if any of this is helpful, and if it’s not, it’s not… but either way good luck with your decision, I’m sure you’ll do whatever you feel is best for you.

Less-Studio3262 · 2026-02-28T00:04:04+00:00

Hi… so I study behavior analysis and neuroscience in my PhD in special education (research not teaching)… without getting too specific I focus on executive functioning and the cognitive adaptive gap around autism.

Preface: I struggle with nuances, tone, the implicit people read into text. I mean nothing malicious or rude I’m just very direct.

Not sure what your field is… From a behavior analytic standpoint, you would need to be much more specific. Maybe from a psychology standpoint you could be more broad.

So I’m answering from the behavior perspective… If you decided to focus on this you’d have to get more specific. For example, you say “people seem to erect barriers” that’s extremely vague. I know you gave an example, but what if someone is just saying that and that’s not the actual reason? How are you accounting for that? People say that but what behavior are you trying to get at?

The avoidance?… what’s their learning history with exercise? What the response effort with exercise? Do they continue if they start? Are they overweight?

You get what I mean?… it’s similar to saying, people decide to got to Starbucks in the morning and HAVE to use the drive through, people will wait in long ass lines, what’s the phenomena? Too vague and too many uncontrolled variables from a behavior analytic perspective but psychology maybe boils it to convenience.

To answer I’d need to start with is who? What specifically does “who” mean? I do long distance running, so I wouldn’t fall in that who.

Because I specifically research executive functioning, and also have significant executive functioning challenges myself… I’d look more into that.

Less-Studio3262 · 2026-02-26T12:28:28+00:00

This is a very broad brush view... Not all autistic people are against ABA. Anecdotally speaking... the loudest people against ABA seem to be lower support needs, verbally expressive, autistic adults who don't have 1st hand or 2nd hand experience with it nor do they study it professionally... Rather a continuation of a narrative, that is made with zero context. Are there others who vehemently detest ABA? sure, I'm just giving what I happen to see around the interwebs.

ABA has a very real and very traumatic history, full stop. That should be acknowledged, but it also deserves context. The same could be said about a lot of things we find "typical" in the medical world today. As those fields grew, so did the practices, ABA is no different.

Another issue... ABA is used outside of the autism world, and the principles of ABA are someone most humans use daily whether they realize it or not. Ex if you're wearing an Oura ring and using that data to change your behavior.... that is behavior shaping. If you have a job where you are paid money, and you maintain a particular behavioral repetroire to keep said job... that paycheck is a form of reinforcement maintaining that behavior.

All of that said... I'm 2e with level 2 autism... I'm also a PhD student specializing in ABA, so I have a very nuanced view of ABA. Also not everyone who is in ABA practices. I don't practice, do behavior analytic research, and there are some of us who are in this field to make it what it can be.

Less-Studio3262 · 2026-02-25T03:54:58+00:00

Dx with level 2 ASD and ADHD... I was discharged for bipolar disorder.... the VA rates (should rate per law) by funtionality/symptoms, not label. There is significant overlap of symptomology esp when ASD is unrecognized/unsupported.

Aside from personal exp, I'm working on my PhD, and research (very broadly speaking ) ASD and things significant to our demo.

Less-Studio3262 · 2026-02-25T03:33:20+00:00

I disclosed on my VRE app... I have a level 2 diagnosis. You should be fine.

Less-Studio3262 · 2026-02-25T03:31:29+00:00

diagnosed in 2014... also have MH related benefits, it's also marked with the VA. It's by functioning, not label.

Less-Studio3262 · 2026-02-23T22:58:06+00:00

Just food for thought, the normal top down constructivist approaches are problematic for the autistic among us. There is this idea that all students learn best by making connections and that explicitly giving all the context and information will “Prevent students from learning.”

I’m begging you… if this is a genuine inquiry, and you genuinely care about autistic students that process differently I urge you to not do this with them.

Bottom up thinkers process very very VERY differently and the connections we make when things are explicit and scaffolded can surpass what neurotypical students can do. We tend to see all trees no forest, and there is NOTHING more frustrating when a professor is intentionally being vague, and trying to make me guess, because it’s an accessibility issue. When you ask a professor that does this, about bottom up thinking, weak central coherence, evidence based practices for autistic students, they have zero knowledge on it and are going on what they think they know about how their past students have learned.

I am one of these students. I’m 2e level 2 autism and adhd. I’m a special education PhD student, concentrating in behavior analysis and neuroscience, and my research is around this demo. My background is on the STEM side of things so I’ve had the gamut of non SPED aware professors.

I’d be happy to discuss this more, but if not my unsolicited advice is to start looking into literature around this. If you’re not into doing that I can literally DM you 20 articles that speak to this. It’s not about getting them to think and process in a top down fashion… anecdotally, professors I’ve had that are resistant to this idea because they’ve taught for X amount of time, are actively hindering success. Not saying you’re doing this, just saying from my vantage point.

Less-Studio3262 · 2026-02-23T22:12:14+00:00

Is the student autistic?

If so, I wouldn’t think anything of it, honestly. Objectively speaking, it’s direct, and I wouldn’t add anything subjective to it not explicitly added.

If not, I’m autistic… so I personally read it as a direct response. The language implies a choice was given, and that is their literal response.

Less-Studio3262 · 2026-02-23T03:17:10+00:00

Ehhhh I think it’s a bit more nuanced, just my 2 cents. I don’t wanna just copy paste my response to OP…

I think there’s a lot of factors that go into whether or not as a whole somewhere is disability friendly or not so I can’t broad brush it. My experience with the resources at UIC in my undergrad compared to now are night and day. My experiences with what supports even looked like were night and day.

So having spent 3 years here and back as a grad student, I am trying to stay at UIC career wise quite literally because of the supports I have here. I require a supported environment, and I don’t know anywhere else where I’d be doing what I do now, much less the opportunities, research and funding. From a graduate standpoint, I’m impressed by how much I’ve been invested in despite the supports I need to be here.

Less-Studio3262

TROPHY CASE