"We might have autism backwards"

I don’t think this information is new, but the article has making the rounds over the past few days:

We might have autism backwards: What “broken mirror” and “broken mentalizing” theories could have wrong

Part of the appeal of the broken mirror theory is that it accounts for high-level social deficits in terms of a basic neural mechanism that covers much cognitive ground. Mirror neurons support language, imitation, theory of mind, empathy, intention or goal understanding, and the ability to read others’ emotions. All of these are impaired in autism, therefore autism can be traced back to a deficit in the mirror neuron system. Of course, if mirror neurons don’t support any of these functions, as I’ve argued at length in this book, then the inferential chain that leads to the broken mirror hypothesis falls apart. Based on the arguments put forward in earlier chapters, it follows that the broken mirror theory of autism is itself totally untenable.

As an autistic, I think the Intense World Theory explains it best.

As an Aspie (someone with asperger’s) I quite agree with Graham. The intense world theory explains my experiences best.

Though I must admit, I’m not sure if my empathy is neurologic in nature through mirror neurons or cognitive (because it is socially expected). I do think there is nothing wrong with my mirror neurons though, as I am a great learner through imitation and my brain often seems to copy the feelings of others. When I come somewhere, I also literally and automatically take over the behavior of others to blend in. But then again, that might be just some sort of coping mechanism which I learned over time.

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It’s hard to see autistic traits through internet, but I can’t see any in you: You seem to be more talkative than me. Practise a job that is based on psychology. Have a daughter. Only thing I did spot is “Concentrating on details” - that could be the drive to collect and number virtual journeys, but it’s something to be expected and more to boast about in in this community.

So, Maya, how’s it possible? (sorry, if offending or anything, but I just have a very different picture of an autist). As you are interested in psychology, and have autism, it must have been a challenge for you to overcome it (I relate because I’m interested in gastroenterology and medicine, because I have had to fight my food problems)?

It's hard to see autistic traits through internet, but I can't see any in you: You seem to be more talkative than me. Practise a job that is based on psychology. Have a daughter. Only thing I did spot is "Concentrating on details" - that could be the drive to collect and number virtual journeys, but it's something to be expected and more to boast about in in this community.

So, Maya, how’s it possible? (sorry, if offending or anything, but I just have a very different picture of an autist). As you are interested in psychology, and have autism, it must have been a challenge for you to overcome it (I relate because I’m interested in gastroenterology and medicine, because I have had to fight my food problems)?

No offence taken at all! I am familiar with the reaction :stuck_out_tongue:

I believe most people with autism have problems with conversations because of the many amounds of data their brain has to process. How do I convert this thought into words? How will the other respond? Will I offend anyone? Would my response be appropriate in this situation? Will the other understand my used terminology? What is their current body language? Was their question meant seriously or was it sarcasm? There is so much information that has to be processed in a conversation, that it is very tough. Also, most people with autism I’ve met (mainly those with aspergers) want to talk to other people, they honestly want to have conversations. But there is no subject… There is nothing, there is a void, an emptyness in which a subject has to be found. And don’t even let me get started on small talk… long story short on that: small talk has to be brainless, and just try to stop your brain from thinking when it is in its “GRAB ALL DATA!!!”-mode.

Now, Graham and I don’t talk much here, we type much here. In the context of this forum it would not be entirely correct to say we are talkative, we are typative (can’t judge on Graham outside of the forum, of course). With me, that is because I want to help people. Many people with autism love typing. You can erase your words if you don’t like them, you can think an hour on what to say, if needed. There is a lot of room for thinking, re-thinking and re-re-thinking. That is also my main reason for loving to type.

My interest in psychology is a long story, but I’ll try to make it short. Basically I had no one while growing up. No one to help me, no one to guide me. There was no one to teach me how to live, how to talk, how to find a job that fits me. At school I was scared of social contact, because at primary school I was literally physically abused for being different. Also, I got fired from two jobs and I was not being hired at many others, all because of my autism. I want no one else to have to through that. I want to help people with psychiatric disorders to have someone to go to when they have questions or problems, someone who has been through what they have been through, rather than someone who has read it in a book.

To me, it all is a challenge. But my husband helps me through it whenever it gets too tough for me. He is the opposite of me socially, whoever he meets becomes his friend. So whenever I was stuck in my psychology education, he’d come with an anecdote about someone he met, which gave me an image to work with. Also, there is a poem that has pulled me through a lot of obstacles in life, one that is on youtube and I often put it on repeat to give me strength and courage to do things that are a big obstacle to me, things that I am afraid to try because I’m afraid to fail. It’s called ‘Dear Hard Work’ by Adam Ali.

I want to be an example for people, I want people to look at me and say “She did it, so that means I must be able to do it too!”, because as Confucius said: “He who who says he can and he who says he can’t, are both usually right”. I hate to hear someone saying “I can’t do X because I have Y”, because the main reason why they can’t do X isn’t because of a disorder, it’s because they believe they can’t do it.

I’m social because I know what it’s like to be lonely.