The more I become absorbed by the theory of what it is and how it works, from a purely Autistic view, the more I am convinced that the basic underlying framework is quite simple and fits together well.
That is taking the evidence of what works and what the experiences and personal triumphs, of those who break-the-mould by achieving communication through the barrier of non-verbalism, show.
The brains of those with Autism develop more white connective tissue. Our brains have areas that work like a higher power processor. We think differently because we can process patterns, visualizations, and complexities beyond the range of other people.
Depending on where this extra connectivity exists the effects can be very varied.
In some it comes at the expense of over stimulation and the inability to dampen that overload, leading to difficulties in communication, muscle control etc.
While at the other extreme the difficulties are more subtle, yet just can be extremely debilitating too. We seem to be able to process the world and to make our way in it, able to achieve a university education and good careers, make scientific discoveries or build business empires; but don’t be fooled, for we too experience over sensitivity in an intense world where we can have too much to process in personal communication where we can be flooded with information we have to tune out.
At one end of the scale the problem is how to enable those who struggle to communicate at all; yet it seems they have much to teach us from their experiences and the practicalities of how it works for them.
Then, for those called higher functioning or Aspergers, there is a whole new set of problems many of which come from the fact that at first sight we don’t appear to be disadvantaged by our Autism. The unseen toll for some trying to function as automatons where every interaction is a learned performance. When so much information is received that we don’t know how to sort it or so it seems, when the stresses mount up until meltdown comes except for those few that seem to have come to terms with being different and who make that work for them – for the most part. For there seem to be a few (or is it the majority who we never see or know about – secret Autistics) who can find or build an environment in which they can be accepted for who they are.
Our difficulties in communication is trying to determine what is meant when we are bombarded with so much information, tone of voice, body language, facial expressions, hidden meanings in the words used. We tend to shut out what we cannot process and resort to taking the words at face value – taking everything too literally and being unable to look at faces or make eye contact.
Short term memory and the ability to multitask are often compromised by the intensity of focus that can be a real advantage at times but also be a real barrier to associating with others, as it can so often lead to our becoming lost in our thoughts, bringing all our power to focus and finding that when we are ready to speak, the conversation has moved on.
Is it surprising that we find that when we do have someone’s attention we have so much to say that they can’t get a word in?
We are not more or less intelligent any more than any other section of the population, only with a different way of thinking and addressing issues.
Learning to connect to those disadvantaged by non-verbalism, by building on the interests, obsessions, activities and strengths they show, building on what they can do, is what we learn from those whose experiences are open to us; rather than trying to fix them into a rigid framework, teaching them to perform like trained seals; building up has to be a better way forward than tying them down with chains of ABA.
We have to realize that inside there are intelligent and often quite brilliant minds that only need a way to connect, to demonstrate it. Just consider how many ‘non-verbal’ children teach themselves to read so that when the opportunity to connect arrives they are able to grasp it)
Then there are the repeated claims of ‘cures’ of the one who ‘grow out of it’. What should we make of such claims when we know that once the brain has developed it cannot be taken apart and rebuilt?
This is, unfortunately only to be expected with the basically useless approach of the DSM and its authors. With diagnoses made purely on the numbers of symptoms from a list is only to be expected.
Why?
Consider, a diagnosis is not made on any underlying molecular, cellular or developmental differences, but on symptoms alone. And not measurable symptoms but subjective evaluations of them. It is hardly surprising therefore, if one day a subject is deemed to meet the criteria, while on another they fail to be judged sufficient and a ‘cure’ is declared! (When they have perhaps learned to better manage their symptoms or just because they are not so much in evidence, when retested).
Add to that the number of cases that will inevitably occur when symptoms arising from another cause are matched and a diagnosis is given when the underlying condition, disease or trauma is not Autistic brain development.
For such cases a cure or remission may occur but it is not Autism that is being cured despite any pontifications by medical professionals, particularly those trying to make a name for themselves.
I for one do not feel there is any reason why a complicated theory is needed, when a fairly basic set of principles explain everything.
It is particularly interesting to discover that Kamila and Hanry Markram’s Intense World Theory gives a well fitting explanation of how such processes work in a simple and all inclusive theory.
Bits and bats and thingumybobs 