Exercising with Autism- product

Filled it out!

Nice and short, but I think the last question should be continued with 'Have you ever been a gym member / visited a gym regularly?' You could get more information out of your research project. Because I have but due to my autism it caused me too much stress.

Now the questionnaire stops when answering 'no'.

If you read the first line: Product Design Engineering student

This project goes towards my degree, all of this information is written on the survey if you are interested.

Thank you, I believe I have sent it via a request! Let me know if there is any problem. As a heads up, it has been ethically approved by my University, which you will see written before you start the survey.

cleversweet1 said:

Firstly, this isn't for marketing at all, as it is a university design project

Oh, what happened to.

cleversweet1 said:

My brother has autism, which has inspired me to develop a home product to help individuals on the Autism Spectrum with exercising.

Products are marketed. Products are also researched. Usually the marketing research process involves surveys.

cleversweet1 said:

I know one size doesn't fit all, but as long as it helps and works for some individuals, that would make me happy.

Money usually makes people happy, or am I to assume this is going to be free? Something as vague as "exercise", with I'd assume a pretty small survey group, will only provide a vague product result. Not being rude, but you might as well buy a load of heavy bags, exercise bikes, and kettle bells from Argos and print something like "Autisgym" on them. Gullible people will purchase them because the association with autism will play into their afforementioned cognitive bias. If you tell someone a product is "designed for them" they will buy into it. Autism is a pretty new revenue stream that has started to be exploited by snake oil salesmen, I'm not suggesting you are, you might be naive. Either naive or pretty cynical.

BTW if you use "Autisgym", I want my cut! I'll buy lots of Autisgym products "designed for me" then........

If you like, send me the link. I don't particularly care whether the NAS approves or not. I'll take the survey.

Thank you, I have emailed them now.

Firstly, this isn't for marketing at all, as it is a university design project, my aim is to help others. Certain exercises I believe are more difficult with ASD, from the results i've gathered so far and with personal experience , I believe there things I could do to make life easier for those with ASD. I know one size doesn't fit all, but as long as it helps and works for some individuals, that would make me happy.

I can't imagine how variation in exercise is any different for people with autism than anyone else. We are all different in shape, physical prowess, and preferences. It would be highly cynical to make such a claim to market such a product. It would be like saying "I'm making swimming trunks for the blind, because my brother is blind". Cognitive bias can make for a great marketing tool. You seem to have grasped that.

Hi Rhea

It's great that you are interested in developing a product to help autistic people but survey requests have to be sent to the NAS research team. This is mentioned in the rules on the Community page:

'8. Requests for research study subjects and surveys need to be directed to research@nas.org.uk for data protection and research ethics reasons. Further information can be found on our research pages. Please be advised that any requests for research subjects or surveys posted on the Community will be deleted without warning.'