From the 'Daily Mail' for less specialised readers:
With 1 one scientifically accredited source, as being from the scientific journal 'Nature' ~ for more specialised readers:
https://www.nature.com/articles/nrg.2017.4
With 177 scientifically accredited reference sources.
[Updated with the second source at approximately 18:07 ~ on Friday the 30th March, 2018.]
That approach also takes away a lot of the stigma. Part of the entire human condition involves a little autism, it is just that in some people it is more noticeable than in others.
Definitely.
Another word for social masking, and when you think about it, it is the workplace where masks run supreme, is 'alienation.' As is you do not 'own' yourceork, you are a cogbin the machine and are infinitely dispensible.
'Alienation' is definitely the case by way of 'disassociation'. Be otherwise and elsewhere than is actually the case sort of thing.
That approach also takes away a lot of the stigma. Part of the entire human condition involves a little autism, it is just that in some people it is more noticeable than in others.
Well put... we all mask and cope with a myriad of different circumstances and challenges with varying amounts of adeptness, awkwardness, or a desire to run to hills stimming and melting down with each step!
Our genetic makeup, environment and upbringing giving us our own unique toolkit to manage it all with... some of us, if lucky, get an instruction manual...but most seem to make it up as they go along or doggedly try to force their own square peg of learned behaviour into each situational round hole as they go..
On the herd mentality front I could make a when lot more naughty observations bout being easily lead by fake news spread by the likes of Cambridge Analytica. But then, political affiliations may have nothing to do with this particular spectrum necessarily. Not so difficult to see where that might go with psychopathy spectrums of course. And the psychopaths are very happy to explain how their special neurology might confer many a social benefit.
The most important thing about everyone being in at least a small way autistic, it gives people the opportunity to relate that has not until now been evidentially possible. Also the problem of using social masking as society has been, needs to change, as it has proven economically ~ in energetic and financial terms etc ~ to be a complete and utter false economy. Psychologists and sociologists have been warning of this for a hundred years now, and one of the means to resolve that is the subject of this thread.
That approach also takes away a lot of the stigma. Part of the entire human condition involves a little autism, it is just that in some people it is more noticeable than in others.
Another word for social masking, and when you think about it, it is the workplace where masks run supreme, is 'alienation.' As is you do not 'own' yourceork, you are a cogbin the machine and are infinitely dispensible.
There was also this one by Laura Tisconcik:
“Neurotypical syndrome is a neurobiological disorder characterized by preoccupation with social concerns, delusions of superiority, and obsession with conformity, There is no known cure.”
From Steve Silberman's book NeuroTribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity.
The following “parady” is a useful guide to those who may find themselves categorised as having Neurotypical Spectrum Disorder. Not meant to cause offence...
The Signs of Neurotypical Spectrum Disorder – A Parody
The following “red flags” may indicate your child is in danger of having Neurotypical Spectrum Disorder (NSD). If your child displays any of the following, take them immediately to an allistic or non- neurotypical pediatrician or family doctor for evaluation. Caught early enough many children have shown dramatic improvement. Studies show that intensive early behavioral interventions can and do help these children flourish giving them the opportunity to become honest, creative, non compliant thinkers who will not be overly concerned with amassing wealth by any means necessary or driven by self-serving desires and wants.
Emoting and peculiar noises when confronted with adults who make ridiculous faces and sounds at them by six months
Excessive self involvement by nine months
Excessive “babbling” seemingly to gain attention by 12 months
Pronounced back and forth gestures such as pointing at random objects, reaching, and waving at anyone who smiles by 12 months
Difficulty occupying themselves, requires others to “entertain” them almost constantly
Tremendous number of words, particularly farm animals, the noises those animals make, peculiar songs about spiders crawling up drain pipes, and the various ways in which a bus and it’s parts work by 18 months
An abundance of ego based two-word phrases such as “I want”, “I need”, “I go” or phrases using “me” by 24 months
Peculiar and inappropriate play with representational objects, such as pretending to feed a plastic doll air, or make the doll “drink” from miniature tea cups by 36 month
Fascination with fairy tales about people falling into endless stupor, only to be woken by a complete stranger’s kiss or meeting someone on a horse and riding off with them, without getting to know them first
Overly concerned with what others think otherwise known as having a “herd mentality”
Overly compliant and especially eager to please any adult, even if the adult is a complete stranger
Rote and often dishonest answers to questions such as “how are you?”
Generalized dishonesty often used to get one’s way by 36 months
Inability to remove emotion from disagreements
Uses language to deceive by 50 months
Mob mentality – tendency to become influenced by those they believe to be in power by 50 months
“Group think” does not question, but follows what is considered to be the majority thinking
Making fun of, laughing at or showing fear toward any who appear different than themselves (this can include those with a different neurology, skin color or even nationality)
Difficultly staying present. Constantly thinking about the future or past.
Easily “bored”
It is imperative that you seek help for your child if you suspect they are at risk. Though Neurotypical Spectrum Disorder can be mildly to severely disabling, NT Speaks has numerous resources for families whose children may be suffering and afflicted. You will be relieved to know NT Speaks employs not a single neurotypical and no Neurotypicals are on their advisory boards. In fact we do not consult, listen to, or speak with any who are on the neurotypical spectrum as we have learned they have a tendency to be dishonest, will do anything to be “liked” and are almost always self-serving. We are a non-profit whose goal is to cure neurotypicals. All our research dollars go toward funding pre-natal testing and cures for this terrible crisis our world is currently facing. Do not let your child become a burden on an already beleaguered society. Let us help you. Call us at 999-9999-9999 (en Espanol 999-9999-9990) or email saveusfromtheapocolypse@neurotypicalspeaks.org
From: https://emmashopebook.com/2013/02/11/the-signs-of-neurotypical-spectrum-disorder/
People will never truly understand my experiences or perspective, nor will I truly understand there’s. However, it is important to recognise and appreciate that we belong to the same species and can learn at least to acknowledge and accept others
Exceedingly well put ElephantInTheRoom, quote factor ten! :-)
No slight was taken at all, I gave the information relative to the nature of the information as being the subject matter of this thread.
Glad to hear it
One of the comments that was pretty unreasonable was......
"Autism has nothing to do with genetics. Autism is caused by a combination of mercury aluminium, aborted human foetal tissue and glyphosate."
To which someone aptly replied......
"The aluminium comes from wearing your tinfoil hat too often......"
I'm sorry if you took my comment as a slight on your post.
No slight was taken at all, I gave the information relative to the nature of the information as being the subject matter of this thread.
In terms of the relevance of the 75 posts on the article, roughly 50 of them seemed to be quite reasonable. The one that made me smile, was:
"Isn't it obvious as it's called the Autism 'spectrum'?"
Daily mail again seeing a bit of research coming to a conclusion.
Rather the Daily Mail reporting about a lot of research regarding scientific evidence.
Just because someone reads reads the daily mail everyday, a compulsive habit for some, doesn't put them on the autistic spectrum. Just because someone can't read newsprint at 10 feet does not put them on the blind spectrum.
There is a process of genetic and linguistic development called Crystallisation, and a compulsive reading of one source of information, is of the fixed variety, as in the sense of being a narrow or singular range of interests, which is a diagnosable characteristic or trait recognised as being part of the autistic spectrum.
When it comes to someone not being able to read newsprint at 10 feet, and the Blind Spectrum, it has no baring with the Autistic Spectrum as being an evolutional development. The Blind Spectrum is a range of visual disability, and Autism is not in itself a disability, as you have to have lost some functional aspect of ability to be disabled.
One or two difficulties at times here and there does not an autistic make, someone autistic has real profound difficulties in different areas. While people keep thinking 'everyone is on the autistic spectrum ' people won't understand about autism.
But a particularly complex and specialised range of abilities does an autistic make, and someone who does have profound difficulties with social interactions, imagination and communication can be medically diagnosed as being Autistic. Being on the Autistic Spectrum as everybody is, and being diagnosed as being Autistic as some are, allows people not only to better understand their experience of things, but also to comprehend ours and other people's differing ranges of experience.
We have a long way to go.
Most certainly we have a long way to go, and we now have an easier way to go about it too.
In a sense it is like telling people how many seconds and minutes make an hour ~ with the number of seconds to minutes being analogous of autistic traits in social terms, and the number of minutes to an hour being analogous to being Autistic in diagnosable terms.
To a larger extent people prefer similarity, so being on the autistic spectrum and being diagnosed as autistic are descriptively inclusive of all people sociologically ~ rather than just a few exclusively. :-)
I can't argue with that. The information is presented correctly and without agenda. I'm sorry if you took my comment as a slight on your post. It wasn't. The Daily Mail's comment section is where the "rats piss" was. I should have been clearer.
Great contrast in sources BTW! It's like comparing rats piss to Premiere Voyage!
The reason for choosing the Daily Mail was that: the 'information' itself was correct, it correlated with the publishing in the scientific journal Nature, it was amenable to readers of lower or higher reading capacities, and it was there at the time.
Basically, it matters little to me who reports any information ~ as long as that information is accurately reported.
It's more like there is a neurodiversity spectrum, with autism on one end and conditions such as psychopathy on the other. People on either end have trouble with social interactions, but for very different reasons. It's not just one line though. There are many different dimensions to it, but it is true that if a person has some traits of autism at a significant level, they also tend to have the other traits to some degree.
I wish they wouldn't tout it as a "genetic risk" on the same lines as the gene for cancer or Huntingtons. Those are both very negative conditions and cannot be positive, whereas there are very positive things that could come out of being on the spectrum.
I think it useful to keep in mind that knowing "genetic risk" factors are present allows parents or potential parents, doctors, teachers and so fourth to know what they might have to deal with, or how to lesson or even prevent difficulties from arising.
Incidentally, the genetic system is in part a record of previous generations interactions in the environment, and therefore in not receiving the most compatible means and influences from the environment physically 'and' socially, certain deficiencies and extremities of behaviour or functioning can and do result.
Also recall that the research mentioned in the article is medical or therapeutic information, regarding the treatment of the most "severe" aspects of Autism, and the only health conditions mentioned were complex neuro-developmental and psychiatric disorders, high blood pressure and cholesterol, and schizophrenia, respectively.
Rather than focusing so much upon your addition of Huntingdon's disease and cancer to the discussion of autism, the more positive aspects of including everyone on the Autistic spectrum, with non-autistic people being as such by degree, and autistic people by extent, the article as such by means of scientific evidence, lays common ground to consider and discuss all aspects of Autism, for anyone so inclined to do so.
Also, the claim about "disturbed" biological processes in children puts a very negative slant on it.
When Dr Beate St Pourcain from University of Bristol and the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics gave their medical opinion that:
"Based on the genetic link between population-based social-communication difficulties and clinical ASD, we may now gain further insight into a defined set of genetically-influenced ASD symptoms. This may help us to identify and investigate biological processes in typically-developing children, which are disturbed in children with ASD."
The only "claim" then involved the potential direction for new and old research, whereas hormonal and bacterial irregularities do cause disturbed biological processes in children, and adults, with ASD and otherwise, and these do involve some extremely negative experiences.
Certainly, the biological processes in the brain of a child on the autistic spectrum are different from those in other brains, but it would be a very different news report if 99%, instead of 1%, of humans were on the spectrum.
The article does though state that to various degrees all humans are in fact on the spectrum, and the only difference is how far along the spectrum that is in diagnostic terms ~ so being on the spectrum or not in terms of percentile is beside the point, or outdated thinking.
Basically then the article is about a very positive scientific step forward in terms of treating the negative aspects of Autism. :-)
I shall hope onto that sentiment with a degree of hope. People will never truly understand my experiences or perspective, nor will I truly understand there’s. However, it is important to recognise and appreciate that we belong to the same species and can learn at least to acknowledge and accept others
The most important thing about everyone being in at least a small way autistic, it gives people the opportunity to relate that has not until now been evidentially possible
My goodness! That's a pretty thorough dissection.
I try and keep the information I provide as simple as I can, as I do meta-analysis, in the sense of comparing multiple sources, from multiple levels and perspectives.
The most important factor though is that Baron-Cohen's ASQ or AQ50 Test involving trait numerations from 16-32 as being less to more autistic, and 32 to 50 traits as being more autistic in terms diagnostic assessment criteria ~ is supported by and verifies the Bristol Uni, Harvard and MIT research findings.
Cohen's work is based upon the masculine traits, hence more males get diagnosed, and the Bristol, Harvard and MIT research involves all people diagnosed in each area of the study and the various research fields, whatever their gender type ~ which is one of the massive aspects of this research.
Some facets of ASD are indeed treatable but not, as far as any research I've read recently indicates, curable. The Daily Mail article was phrased in such a way as to imply that ASD itself is curable. It also used the same reference sources as the other article but only cherry-picked those parts that backed up their attention grabbing headline.
The facets of ASD are not as such curable, as that would be like curing a cube of its square sides. Curing ASD is an oxymoron.
Curing as in 'alleviating' the diseases that are associated with Autism though, that is totally reasonable, just as working on culturally specific diseases and illnesses are as well.
I think if I had to wait until death to outgrow something I'd be justified in considering it 'lifelong' as I don't hold out any hope of a life after the one in which I inhabit this body.
Well I was told, by the medical types, that if I did not sort myself out (?) and fit in (?) with the programme, quick smart, I would be dead by certain ages ~ such news really cheered me up, alot. Not quite what the medical types wanted of course, but I really needed that reassurance, as did my family who where terrified of and for me too.
I'm sorry to hear about your experiences re. seizures, that must have been (and still be, I would imagine!) quite frightening.
Frightening for others certainly, but going non-body into the geometrics and into the luminescence ~ absolute beauty and complete serenity. Half the problem is resisting them, and the other half is dealing with the infernal hangover afterwards.
Fortunately with practice and shed loads of meditation work, I do not go all incredible hulk strength and destroy stuff as my body whams around any more. I had to teach the specialist ambulance crews some martial art techniques to deal with me, as I seriously injured them, and standard crews would not go anywhere near me. Once though I got the ambulance types all swift in marshalling me during the seizures, the beast within calmed down, so that was a major bonus :-)
Research into the side effects of drug treatments on ASD patients is long overdue and it's encouraging to hear that this is being done! More general drug research is heading towards developing drug treatments tailored to the individual instead of the generic way we now prescribe but I don't know if these will become widely available in my lifetime.
Fortunately the treatments are in most cases available, in the post-code lottery sense internationally, which is why this new research is so important in terms of getting it collated.
The old pharmacological approach to things is giving way now, albeit begrudgingly, to the wholistic approach, as taking the most active ingredient out of the natural recipe removes the safeguarding of the medicine. There will always though be a requirement for pharmacological medicines, always.
The basic finding so far is that restoring the friendly bacteria levels in the body, back to the appropriate levels, solves alot of health problems. I have been taking gut-flora capsules for about a year now, and doing so has taken the edge off of my sufferings. In the full on scientific front it has been found by using gut flora transplants in young children, the more difficult behaviourisms of autism disappear. The thing is that getting in there early stops issues developing, so we are in sense a dying breed in terms of having social difficulties.
The most important thing about everyone being in at least a small way autistic, it gives people the opportunity to relate that has not until now been evidentially possible. Also the problem of using social masking as society has been, needs to change, as it has proven economically ~ in energetic and financial terms etc ~ to be a complete and utter false economy. Psychologists and sociologists have been warning of this for a hundred years now, and one of the means to resolve that is the subject of this thread.
Not Naive... just a thing which is slightly Off-Topic for this Thread yet completely not mentioned, by everything, from Media to Casual Conversation...
MONEY.
