Begimai Kaparova: “Don’t miss the chance if you really need it”

May 11, 2016

The Student Intellectual Life Committee (SILC) supports student-initiated projects, professional development opportunities, and student research. It awards small grants every month to AUCA students.

Begimai Kaparova, a senior in the psychology department at the American University of Central Asia (AUCA), got a SILC grant for her senior thesis. She shares how AUCA students can get SILC grants.

Why did you decide to apply for the SILC?

I needed money for conducting research for my senior thesis. I applied for SILC in November and got the money in December. The aim of my thesis is adapting autism diagnostic tools to Kyrgyzstan by establishing its cross-cultural validity and reliability since currently there is no single validated and reliable instrument for diagnosing autism in Kyrgyzstan. I conducted thirty interviews using Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) with parents who have children with autism and other mental disorders. Each interview took two to three hours. The SILC money was used to compensate the parents for their time. I have finished all the interviews and am now establishing psychometrical properties of the tool. This was a great experience to train my interviewing skills with parents of children with disabilities. I also deepened my understanding of autism and its symptoms, experienced the difficulties of diagnosing autism in practice, and identified its implications in Kyrgyzstan.

How was getting the grant from SILC?

I got grant on first half of December. I got an answer from SILC little bit later than it is indicated on web page. On the web page of SILC it is written that the notification of successful applicant will be announced by the 30th of each month. However I got the notification on December 9, so at the beginning I was anxious about the results. Nevertheless, it came through. I had heard about SILC from friend who applied last year for attending conference. It was the first time applying for SILC.

Do you have any advice for students who want to apply for an SILC grant?

Don’t miss the chance if you really need it. It’s a great opportunity for students.

Words of gratitude to SILC and donors of SILC grants.

I am very thankful to SILC and all the donors to my SILC grant for making my research possible. I hope that with the help of this research diagnosing autism, a big issue for families with such children, will be easier. Early intervention more effectively corrects behaviors and adapts children to society--early diagnosis is critical to making this possible.

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