…not completely and freely yield fully to their special interest obsessions. So again, here we see where variant neurology is not necessarily negative. The research shows that autistics do not resist their obsessions and compulsions[9]Children’s Yale–Brown obsessive–compulsive scale in autism spectrum disorder: component structure and correlates of symptom checklist (Scahill et al., 2014) —in fact,…
In this article, we explore the main focuses of autism research today, where they originate from, and how different research practices help or harm the autistic community. We also highlight the positive directions in which autism research is headed. Traditional trends in autism research Deficit-based narratives The vast majority of research on autism aims to…
…to the neurotypical norm? Aligned with the double empathy problem and theory of mind, these communication struggles go both ways. Autistics struggle to communicate with neurotypicals, and neurotypicals struggle to communicate with autistics. The meaning behind nonverbal communication In neurotypical social interactions, nonverbal communication is highly valued. It is considered an important source of information…
…not just focusing on either of the three components of self-compassion, but to properly combine all three. Benefits of self-compassion People who are self-compassionate do not berate themselves when they fail, which promotes a nurturing internal environment in which you are more able to:[21]The Role of Self-Compassion in Development: A Healthier Way to Relate to…
…to medical professionals to read the non-clinical version as well, since it offers personal accounts of autistic burnout. File format & layouts The e-book consists of around 227 pages (plus or minus a few pages depending on the format), and is currently available in PDF format, in two layout versions: Spread layout — Two pages…
…both communities. To illustrate this, I will examine a recently published research study comparing the camouflaging experiences of ADHD-ers and autistics. A Dutch research study from 2023 explored how frequently ADHD-ers reported camouflaging compared to autistics and people without either diagnosis.[7]Is camouflaging unique for autism? A comparison of camouflaging between adults with autism and ADHD…
…himself even when elicited by examination. By ignoring these data failure is courted, of which scores of examples could be adduced. The reason of this derision of the subjective is largely a confusion on the part of the examiner between the actual subjective feelings of the patient and a very different phenomenon, viz., the interpretation…
…autism spectrum disorder in adults: An international validation study (Ritvo et al., 2011) 6↑ The Ritvo Autism Asperger Diagnostic Scale-Revised (RAADS–R) 7↑ Psychometric exploration of the RAADS-R with autistic adults: Implications for research and clinical practice (Sturm et al., 2024) 8↑ Examining the Diagnostic Validity of Autism Measures Among Adults in an Outpatient Clinic Sample…
…some big differences between how autistics and NTs engage in social creativity and imagination. Having an imaginary friend in childhood is a common example of IP. Past research has suggested imaginary friends were not common among autistic children.[11]Imaginary companions in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (Davis et al., 2018) However, a recent study has seen…
…Communicational accommodations For autistic people, some communication-based accommodations could be helpful, including: Avoiding subtext and figurative speech; say exactly what you mean Offer exact and comprehensive explanations, so the task is clear and nothing is left open to interpretation Use written communication, either instead of or in addition to verbal communication of tasks and responsibilities…
…have led researchers to describe autism as a disorder of high intelligence. [10]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4927579/ [+] References 1↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3679259/ 2↑ https://www.researchgate.net/publication/329534344_The_transformation_of_social_life_and_the_transformation_of_autism_in_the_1960s 3↑ https://embrace-autism.com/local-and-global-processing-in-autism/ 4↑ Here’s Waldo: Computing the optimal search strategy for finding Waldo (Olson, 2015) | Randal Olson 5↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3976471/ 6↑ Local & global processing in autism 7↑ https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0896627305008846 8↑ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9690940/ 9↑ http://jtoomim.org/brain-training/oddman%20out%20and%20intelligence.pdf 10↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4927579/…
…of biodiversity. This means that autistic traits are simply a form of natural variation. Everyone, neurotypicals included, has behavioural traits that are advantageous in some situations and disadvantageous in others. With this mindset, autism-affirming therapists typically embrace autistic traits without judging them or comparing them against neurotypical norms and standards. In the same way that…
…if you are cheating. But, when you are writing your exam through the official accessibility services at your university, this is a very common accommodation. Use scrap paper during exams: Ask your professor if it’s okay to have some scrap/blank paper with you during exams. This can be helpful when we have trouble processing exam…
…and get in touch with autistic freelancers. If you regularly hire freelancers, go ahead and give Spectroomz a try by hiring a great freelancer there. If you are an autistic or aspie freelancer, please join us! If you don’t need freelancers now (great timing COVID! 😷), please Bookmark/Pocket Spectroomz. I’m here for any questions, feedback,…
…him! Such a kissable little face! Although of course it takes some effort and responsibility to take care of an animal, they can offer companionship and substitute people as a compensatory mechanism for social contact.[2]‘They ask no questions and pass no criticism’: A mixed-methods study exploring pet ownership in autism (Atherton et al., 2022) Also,…
…by their peers. While this is one example, I believe more research is needed in this area to understand how the combination of autism and ADHD uniquely affects anxiety and depression. Additionally, much of this research does not reflect undiagnosed populations. I find this quite alarming, as that suggests these already high numbers are vastly…
…(2021) Other studies have identified that the original findings are also not reliable. For example, studies find that autistics do show ToM in other types of tasks or in real world examples.[5]Conceptual issues in autism spectrum disorders, Gallagher & Varga (2015) Yet, even after pointing out issues with the original study and with ToM research…
…I go a lane to the right, that lane is going slower than we are now. He takes advantage of a short hole in the lane to the right of us, goes roaring by, barely squeezes between my car and the car ahead of me, and then hits his brakes. I get being in a…
…interactions. yes 2 Deficits in nonverbal communicative behaviors used for social interaction, ranging, for example, from poorly integrated verbal and nonverbal communication; to abnormalities in eye contact and body language or deficits in understanding and use of gestures; to a total lack of facial expressions and nonverbal communication. yes 3 Deficits in developing, maintaining, and…
…are required to do Emotionally Exhausted – A complete depletion of emotional energy to the point of not receiving joy from anything For example: Everything may feel like an obligation, tasks may require a heightened effort than previously, and there may be no desire to complete essential tasks. A loss of passion characterizes emotional exhaustion…
…to incorporate into our logo and brand. In the PDF below, you can see some of our research, how it informed our design decisions, and part of the logo design process. If the plugin above does not load, you can download the PDF document by right-click on the link below and Save Link As… Autism…
…the individual, is one framework we can use to understand the differences in national cultures across the world, according to social scientist Geert Hofstede’s cultural dimensions theory. To learn more about the differences between countries and their cultures, check out this cultural comparison tool created using Hofstede’s research.[5]Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions Theory & Examples (Nickerson, 2023)…
…most commonly thought of as auditory hallucinations, such as hearing voices. Delusions: These refer to beliefs that an individual is unwilling to change in the face of contradictory evidence and that are considered incorrect/false by an outsider. One common example is the belief that someone is out to harm you. Disorganized speech: This is characterized…
…symptoms of PTSD. In fact, many BPD traits mirror the symptoms of PTSD, especially those related to complex PTSD (cPTSD). For example, both the diagnostic criteria for BPD and cPTSD include dissociation, emotional dysregulation, and high levels of anger[39]Complex PTSD and borderline personality disorder (Ford & Courtois, 2021) Since clinicians can overlook our autistic traits…
…of empirical evidence for the effectiveness of these diets[22]Gluten-free and casein-free diets in the treatment of autism spectrum disorders: A systematic review —as did a systematic review from 2014,[23]Evidence of the Gluten-Free and Casein-Free Diet in Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Systematic Review as well as one from 2017.[24]Gluten- and casein-free diet and autism spectrum disorders…
…groups per se, you are also welcome in our Facebook group, the Embrace Autism Community. Many of our members have reported feeling a lot better after experiencing our autistic community. Suicidal ideation Let’s first look at what the research shows about suicidal thoughts, also known as suicidal ideation. Research from 2014 by Sarah Cassidy et…
…of existing research and my own perspectives about AuDHD and relationships. We are always sourcing more community perspectives so if you have thoughts, please let us know in the comments! Combining ADHD and autistic traits In a previous article, we talked about how typical autistic and typical ADHD traits get combined together in AuDHD. When…
…compared to autistic traits![23]Individual differences, ADHD, adult pathological demand avoidance, and delinquency (Egan et al., 2020) Here are some notable examples of the overlaps in characteristics: Task initiation/completion and attention ADHDers often struggle to initiate and complete tasks. On the outside, this executive functioning challenge can look very similar to how PDAers avoid tasks. One…
…and the feelings that come up, and to show self-compassion in general, so you may learn and grow, rather than putting yourself down based on perceived deficits. To read more about mindfulness and self-compassion, have a look at the following post: Self-compassion & self-criticism [+] References 1↑ The fear of being laughed at: Individual and…
…notion of coming to acceptance only comes up with people that we think of in terms of ‘other’, unusual etc. I guess there really is no word for that state of intrinsic acceptance or not needing to go through the process of coming to accept, likely because it is a non-issue, and so we never…
…skill set puts me in the top 20% of therapists who do get 80% of the results. So how does this relate to autism? Research-based practice To be a good therapist, you must have a passion for research. Research comes at a steady rate, and without a drive for learning, it is hard to stay…
…somatoform disorder (Koelen et al., 2015) [82]Alexithymia: Advances in research, theory, and clinical practice (Bagby, & Taylor, 2018) — Social-emotional Intimacy Avoidant people experienced less intimacy than secure people, but more commitment than ambivalent people in their relationships.[83]Attachment style and the structure of romantic love (Mikulincer & Erec, 1991) Avoidant people were also found to…
…more updated than the AQ or RAADS–R There are four more questions than results, because Ekblad included four control questions to ensure that people were answering truthfully The scoring shows possible comorbidities, which is helpful because it opens other avenues of investigation related to neurodiversity. For example, I saw that a low neurotypical talent score…
…and communicate that in a way that might appeal to… well, some autistic people at least. And of course, good/nourishing information could use a zany image to capture people’s attention, and some images that complement the text. That’s why we take pride in presenting our content as nicely and comprehensively as possible. Business Beyond that,…
…three subcategories: Compensation — Strategies used to actively compensate for difficulties in social situations. Examples: copying body language and facial expressions, learning social cues from movies and books (see Autism & movie talk). Masking — Strategies used to hide autistic characteristics or portray a non-autistic persona. Examples: adjusting face and body to appear confident and/or…
…mind her own business and not get involved with anyone in the neighborhood, and now I come along and we are part of a community. And don’t get me wrong—I’m all for the community spirit (it’s not for nothing that we came to call our Facebook group the Embrace Autism Community). But the horrible side-effect…
Eye contact & neurotypical social norms Many non-autistics are “obsessed” with eye contact. In fact, some even consider it to be the most important aspect of social communication.[1]Gaze and eye contact: A research review (Kleinke, 1986) Based on research and anecdotes, here are some reasons why reciprocal eye contact is meaningful to allistics: It shows…
The image below—our own rendition of an image entitled ‘Asperger/Autism’ by Fuchskind—gives a pretty good overview of how autistic people are seen by various people and institutions: Image: copyright © 2018 Martin Silvertant (EmbraceASD.com) Different communication What I have seen as an autistic woman who can pass very well as neurotypical is that people think…
…is based on comparing against neurotypical norms and expectations, autistics will always look “deficient” and neurotypicals will always look “capable”. Thankfully, more and more research has recognized the biases involved in conducting cross-neurotype research and have made adjustments. For example, researchers are finally asking the autistic community about what types of studies would be beneficial.[6]Research…
…and autism, she would have been able to understand me better, and perhaps respond with compassion rather than judgment. When I found out I’m autistic, my negative experiences were no longer personal failures, but simply challenges that I had in common with many other people with similar neurological wiring. Challenges that I could overcome in…
…synaptic pruning or excessive synaptic growth. This intrinsic potential of increased communication between neurons and particular pathways can lead to amazing abilities. Synesthesia, for example, is quite common in brains that show a lack of synaptic pruning[9]Synesthesia: Opening the Doors of Perception , causing anomalous patterns of connectivity.[10]The immune hypothesis of synesthesia Some forms of…
…emotional profiles and having observed quite a few gaps, none of the people rated here showed a complete absence of an entire branch. Below is an overview of all the graphs presented in this post. Neurotypicals Autism & ADHD Cluster B personalities Images unless otherwise specified: copyright © 2018 Martin Silvertant (EmbraceASD.com). All rights reserved….
…brain. Image source: Wikipedia – Tullamarine Freeway Autistics, on the other hand, have a 3-lane freeway during the height of rush hour. This makes us less likely to process information, which is in part what causes PTSD. Image attribution: AFP The guard Information coming into the brain goes to the guard of the brain first….
…[9]Gender variance in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder from the National Database for Autism Research (May, Pang, Williams, 2017) Taking back power We, autistic individuals, need to form our own research-based and clinical consortiums to address the underdiagnoses of natal females, transgender men, and people of color. Autistic clinicians should play a larger…
…made for incredible competition right in Zimmerman’s backyard. And, as expected for someone without prior tournament experience, he didn’t fare well against the competition. And further complicating things was his autism, which made socializing with other players difficult. People, really, I think, dismissed him if not outright disliked him because he didn’t really know how…
…trans until after she broke up with me. The breakup devastated me, but it also liberated me. I finally felt free to acknowledge who I’ve always been, and free to start exploring my femininity. I started crossdressing in private, and wore bras as I went to bed. It felt appropriate, and it felt amazing falling…
Alexithymia is very common among autistic people; research indicates that at least 49.93%[1]Investigating alexithymia in autism: A systematic review and meta-analysis (Kinnaird, Stewart, & Tchanturia, 2019) of us have alexithymia—or even as high as 85% with slight to severe alexithymia[2]Measuring the effects of alexithymia on perception of emotional vocalizations in autistic spectrum disorder and typical…
…and express themselves in ways we’ve learned other people have come to expect. As you can imagine, this is even more draining to maintain. And it’s a lot less superficial than compensation. Compensation is trying to keep up with others socially. But masking is hiding aspects of ourselves in order to fit in, or simply…
…or download my CV. Credentials | Curriculum Vitæ Anonymous: Your [Dr. Natalie Engelbrecht’s] compassion is genuine. I didn’t feel like you were pretending, or putting on a show. Your kindness and freedom from judgment make you the best healthcare professional I’ve ever met. You didn’t make me feel crazy like everyone else I’ve ever seen….
…how important self-advocacy and community are for those of us on the spectrum. The authors note When help was received, the interviewees reported that it often came from within the ASC [an abbreviation of autism spectrum condition, an alternative phrase to ASD] community and through online ASC support groups. It seems obvious that an understanding…
…expected of me Completely False Somewhat False Neither True nor False Somewhat True Completely True 11. My ideal relationship would not involve sexual activity Completely False Somewhat False Neither True nor False Somewhat True Completely True 12. Sex has no place in my life Completely False Somewhat False Neither True nor False Somewhat True Completely…
…The lack of support and research regarding autism with co-occurring eating disorders has resulted in poorer treatment outcomes. However, recent research showed that when eating disorders are caught early, a family-based approach’s success rate is as successful as for non-autistics.[22]Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder and Anorexia Nervosa Comorbidity: Common Features and Treatment Possibilities With Cognitive…
…to the narcissist or abuser have any idea there is more than one face. The abuser may utilize this schism to their advantage. Example 2 — Preparing for social occasions Gerald has quite a malicious routine when it comes to inviting guests over for dinner. He makes Sarah clean the house and yells at and…
I received an autism diagnosis. Now what? There are 3 questions that I get asked most commonly after a person receives an autism diagnosis: How do I process being autistic? Who should I tell about my autism? What can I do for my anxiety and depression? How do I process being autistic? After your autism…
…in other situations. Being unable to speak interferes with your life Your inability to speak in a specific context lasts at least a month (and it can’t be just from your first month at a new school or job, for example) Not speaking is unrelated to language barriers (for example going to school in a…
…executive functioning: dopamine and norepinephrine. They are considered the most effective way to support ADHDers with their executive functioning challenges. An ADHD vs. AuDHD example Many (but not all) people with ADHD report that stimulant medication completely changed their lives. For example, a friend of mine described the experience of taking stimulants as having an…
…sun was yellow, but I was so consumed with the colour purple that I just couldn’t bring myself to make the sun yellow. So what do these three stories have in common? They’re all examples of diagnostic criteria of autism. Hello, and thank you to the committee for this opportunity to address policy change on…
…what if autistic traits are being confused with a break from reality? In this article, we will go into how psychosis can be misattributed to autism. When a diagnosis of psychosis is actually autism While psychosis is a common experience for autistics, there are also frequent experiences within the autistic community of misdiagnoses. Research finds…
…maybe sending a message, how could they do so? Natalie: [00:12:30] Probably the best thing would be through my website, which is Natalie-Engelbrecht.com. Interviewer: [00:12:40] Alright, excellent. So that would be a www.natalie-nd—as in ‘naturopathic doctor’—.com. Natalie: Perfect. Interviewer: [00:12:55] Excellent. And we’re going to take a break at this point. You’re listening to MindBodyRadio…
…Brain Size in Autism Method: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) A study from 2001 found that autistic 2–3-year-olds had:[6]Unusual brain growth patterns in early life in patients with autistic disorder: an MRI study 18% more white matter in the cerebrum compared to controls. 39% more white matter in the cerebellum compared to controls. 12% more gray…
…autism 6↑ Beyond Depression: Ketamine and Glutamatergic Agents for PTSD, OCD, and Other Potential Applications 7↑ Augmentation strategies in obsessive–compulsive disorder 8↑ Effects of ketamine in treatment-refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder 9↑ Psychiatric disorders in children with autism spectrum disorders: prevalence, comorbidity, and associated factors in a population-derived sample 10↑ Comorbid Psychiatric Disorders in Children with Autism:…
…by emotional empathy and cry with your client. Instead, the client wants to be helped/advised/guided, and it’s compassionate empathy that drives this behavior. It may very well be the case that emotional empathy forms the basis for compassionate empathy, however. Without compassion, empathy can be too much, and one can get pulled in too deeply…
…requires rapid attentional shifts, there are also situations where monotropism is an asset. Due to our ability to focus, we may find ourselves able to complete complex tasks very quickly (which can benefit people who work in fast-paced environments). However, it also comes at the cost of being very exhausting to maintain. During this highly…
…the formal diagnostic criteria of autism compared to ADHD—as well as offer some insight into how these diagnoses may be experienced in combination. Comparing DSM-5-TR criteria Research shows that upwards of 50% of autistic people also have ADHD.[1]The comorbidity of ADHD in children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (Stevens, Peng, & Barnard-Brak, 2016) [2]Identifying comorbid…
…had listeners judge if the actors were interrupting or not. You can listen to a clip she used in her research and decide if you think it is interrupting or not.[9]Stanford researcher examines how people perceive interruptions in conversation (Shashkevich, 2018) | Stanford News https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sr2gkBzgCOM It will never be natural for me to take turns…
…you might expect the co-occurrence of the conditions to be 0.1% (10 in 10,000 people). However, synesthesia was diagnosed in an impressive 19% of autistic people, compared to 4% in the general population.[5]Is synaesthesia more common in autism? (Baron-Cohen et al., 2013) Sensory sensitivity Research has found significant phenotypic and genetic overlap between synesthesia and…
…one of the things that can cause us PTSD? Research from 2017 by N Haruvi-Lamdan, Danny Horesh, and Ofer Golan indicates the following: Abuse, sexual assault, violence, natural disasters and wartime combat are all common causes of PTSD in the general population. Among autistic people, though, less extreme experiences—fire alarms, paperwork, the loss of a…
…Social and communication differences Our social and communication differences make autistics easy targets for bullying. Autistics have even been described as “perfect victims” by some researchers.[15]Assessment Issues in Children and Adolescents with Asperger Syndrome, Klin et al. (2000) It is often found that because of these social communication differences, autistics are particularly easy for bullies…
…to experience stronger emotional reactions than non ADHDers.[4]Emotional lability, comorbidity and impairment in adults with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (Skirrow & Asherson, 2013) [5]Understanding deficient emotional self-regulation in adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: a controlled study (Surman et al., 2013) In Europe, the diagnostic criteria for ADHD recently recognized emotional dysregulation as a common trait.[6]Updated…
…how to think about relationship compatibility from an autistic perspective. Do autistics want to connect with others? I (Natalie) have always been interested in having friends and a partner. Contrary to mainstream belief, this is not unusual! A recent comprehensive analysis of existing research shows that autistics and non-austistics report similar levels of interest in…
…compensation se comporte de 9 éléments, alors que les deux autres catégories en comportent 8. Cela n’a-t-il pas pour conséquence de fausser les sous-échelles ? Quoi qu’il en soit, mes scores semblent intuitivement refléter mon comportement social et, après avoir fait le test deux fois, mes résultats sont assez cohérents. Total = 121; Compensation =…
…in children referred to gender clinics, compared to non-referred and clinic-referred children (clinic-referred means children referred based on the Teacher’s Report Form, which assesses problem behavior). A significant increase in compulsion was also reported in gender-referred children compared to non-referred children.[53]Do Children With Gender Dysphoria Have Intense/Obsessional Interests? (VanderLaan et al., 2014) [54]Intense/obsessional interests in…
…knowledge of other people. Affective empathy — Also called emotional empathy; the ability to infer about emotions felt by other people. Compassionate empathy — Also called empathetic concern; this is what moves you to help others. Motor empathy — The unconscious mirroring of body language or facial expressions of another person. For a more comprehensive…
…have myopia.[2]Autism As a Disorder of High Intelligence Read more: Autism & high intelligence A myopian advantage Research from 1975 also shows something interesting: Since there is convincing evidence from genetic studies that myopia is an inherited condition, probably transmitted as a recessive characteristic, it is concluded that the myopia gene has a stimulant action…
…(Hupfled et al., 2019) 2↑ The comorbidity of ADHD in children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders (Stevens et al., 2016) 3↑ Identifying comorbid ADHD in autism: Attending to the inattentive presentation. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders (Rau et al., 2020) 4↑ Lifetime co-occurring psychiatric disorders in newly diagnosed adults with…
…questions, but I have been thinking about these and related questions a lot lately, and thinking of conducting a research study on autism and typography at some point. But what I want to do in this post, is to offer more reactions from autistic people on Digestive. Why? For three related reasons: Intensity — This…
…give me an example where you lied? Eva: I’m not sure if I could count this as a lie—no, I guess it’s deception, but not exactly a lie. I was thinking about a party I went to for work back in 2017… I asked my colleagues questions that I didn’t care to know the answers…
…and perspectives. Research finds that autistics are more likely to produce unusually creative ideas and innovations which allows society to evolve and thrive.[23]Research examines relationship between autism and creativity | Science Daily [24]The Relationship Between Subthreshold Autistic Traits, Ambiguous Figure Perception and Divergent Thinking (Best et al., 2015) One example I give to people about…
…can I do for you, and what can you do for me? If people can consciously recognize the strengths and weaknesses in their ways of thinking, they can then seek out the right kinds of minds for the right reasons. And if they do that, then they’re going to recognize that sometimes the right mind…
…done. And you’re willing to solve complicated problems for a lesser reward compared to those lollygagging Earthlings.[17]Adults with autism spectrum disorders exhibit decreased sensitivity to reward parameters when making effort-based decisions Your work ethic is so awesome you are borderline unfit relationship material. But bosses love you! On the downside, they don’t know that yet…
…down before we can have productive communication. Ruth: Gareth is right; overstimulation causes him to come across as condescending and aggressive. There have been a few instances where he has been horrible and it has really upset me. At first, I didn’t understand what I had done to deserve this condescending tone of Gareth. I…
…are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. (Thomas Jefferson) It’s also important to note that the founders had ignored the rights of Indigenous Americans who occupied lands well before any Europeans visited North America. The founding of the U.S. is writ in…
…autistic disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder (McDougle, 1995) [23]Restricted, Repetitive Behaviors in Autism Spectrum Disorder and Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder: A Comparative Review (Jiujias, Kelley & Hall, 2017) as well as an increased amount of rumination,[24]Autobiographical memory in adults with autism spectrum disorder: The role of depressed mood, rumination, working memory and theory of mind (Crane, Goddard &…
…trillion lungs to pump enough air to make up the Earth’s atmosphere. Research from 2009 by Greg Holland et al. indicates that the atmosphere and oceans must have come from something other than volcanic gases as was previously thought, but possibly from a late bombardment of gas and water-rich materials similar to comets.[4]Earth’s atmosphere came…
…one that I know wants to be average, and research backs this up. Illusory superiority is a cognitive bias where a person overestimates their qualities as superior. Everyone thinks they are above 50%. Yet when it comes to research, the average becomes something desirable. Our hearing is above average, and despite researchers calling it a…
…compliments, and the compliments I did receive were sometimes spaced years apart. Whereas now, I can hardly go a week without receiving a compliment. Usually it’s on my makeup, sometimes on my coat, a dress, or my nail color. One time a girl complimented me on my hair as I walked into the women’s restroom…
…element, I excel. Debra: I find disabled communities, and in particular BIPOC and queer/trans disabled communities who advocate for disability justice, to be incredibly intersectional and inclusive. For me, embracing disability and being part of the disabled community is also being part of a social movement that empowers disabled individuals to recognize that we are…
…that others feel too afraid to cross you, or do what you want. Manipulation based on fear usually comes in the form of threats. Fear can also form the basis for many other emotions to take place. For example, one of my ex-partners would sometimes during conflict threaten to call my dad to complain about…
…commonality within the asexual community (Carrigan, 2011) [12]New Orientations: Asexuality and Its Implications for Theory and Practice (Cerankownski & Milks, 2010) [13]Coming to an Asexual Identity: Negotiating Identity, Negotiating Desire (Scherrer, 2008) While others define it as a sexual orientation[14]Toward a Conceptual Understanding of Asexuality (Bogaert, 2006) [15]Asexuality: What It Is and Why It Matters…
…with Autism Spectrum Disorder Without Intellectual Impairment (Kirchner, Ruch & Dziobek, 2016) Table credit: Kirchner, Ruch & Dziobek (2016) Research from 2017 confirmed that the signature strengths profile of the autistic group comprises mainly intellectual strengths.[13]Towards a resource-oriented approach in autism research: Strengths related to personality and special interests in high-functioning individuals on the autism-spectrum…
…the screening (first 6 questions) or the full test (18 questions), as the screening part was found to be more reliable.[7]The World Health Organization Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS): a short screening scale for use in the general population (Kessler et al., 2005) 6 questions 18 questions Measure Score Score Sensitivity 68.7% 56.3% Specificity 99.5%…
…alexithymia. I’ve created a list of self-reflection questions that you can use to practice becoming more self-aware about when burnout may be occurring. Each question asks us to reflect on a change in behaviour that is commonly associated with burnout in autism and ADHD. Integrating these questions into a weekly routine can help us learn…
…agency leaders, and autistic adults on improving community mental health services for autistic adults (Maddox et al., 2020) [4]Depression in independent young adults on the autism spectrum: Demographic characteristics, service use, and barriers (Zheng et al., 2021) [5]When Autism and Depression Come Together: What We Know, How to Manage, and Key Resources (Zheng et al.,…
…EQ comprises 60 statements, broken down into two types: 40 statements on empathy, and; 20 filler items Much of the confusion of the EQ comes from the 20 filler items that were designed to distract the participant from a relentless focus on empathy. So the filler questions serve as a palate cleanser, which allegedly improves…
…will have—however, this is not due to a lack of empathy but too much. Unmitigated communion Fritz & Helgeson (1998) developed a nine-item questionnaire to measure the personality trait unmitigated communion.[2]Distinctions of unmitigated communion from communion: Self-neglect and overinvolvement with others (Fritz & Helgeson, 1998) Unmitigated communion is focusing on others while excluding an individual’s…
…it no longer is a competition between who is right, but an exploration of ideas. You thus allow the other to change their mind, rather than to remain defensive and double-down. So if persuasion is the objective, you must respect and validate your opponent. Finally, if they do change their position, it is very important…
…radically depleted in us all. Covid has mediated human social interaction and communication via videoconferencing does not support communication through the sense of touch.[7]Social touch in human–computer interaction (van Erp & Toet, 2015) This is having far-reaching effects as touch is essential for our wellbeing. Much of my life did not alter due to COVID-19….
A common topic of discussion in autistic and ADHD communities is executive (dys)function (better described as executive challenges), and how it impacts our daily lives. Executive functions are cognitive processes that facilitate the achievement of our goals. For example, they help us solve problems, guide our decision-making, and control our actions. Executive functions are primarily…
The Cognitive Reflection Test (CRT) is described by some to be the world’s shortest intelligence test, consisting of only 3 questions. Due to its popularity and some people’s familiarity with the questions, other lesser-known items have been added to revised versions of the test. Basic information Questions: 3 Duration: 3–15 minutes Type: intelligence test Authors:…
…those faces naturally. We call this compensation, because these autistic people are compensating for certain social shortcomings—or rather, differences from the majority group conventions. Examples: Copying and practicing others’ body language or facial expressions. Learning social cues and skills from television, films, or books. Repeating others’ phrasing and tone. Masking Another strategy is masking, where…
…companies about ideas and scripts for TV, film and theatre to help them promote accurate images of autistic people. The production company behind this play contacted us and we arranged for autistic and non-autistic people to give feedback. We are pleased the production company made two changes in response—one for accuracy and another around representation….
…to be part of—they would reject you. And is a superficial sense of belonging not significantly better than outright rejection and exclusion? It seems to be a choice then between ostracization and self-ostracization. Not a great selection of choices, really. At least with self-ostracization, the true ‘you’ is still somewhere “safe” inside you, right? Maybe…
…has resolved this apparent contradiction by demonstrating that certain brain regions show high interconnectivity in autistics and comparatively reduced connectivity in neurotypicals, while other brain regions show lower connectivity in autistics and comparatively elevated connectivity in neurotypicals. Analyzing fMRI scans from high-functioning autistic adults and non-autistics, certain regions had high interhemispheric (between the right and…
…The test was quick and easy; however, I found some questions a challenge to interpret. Also, I found the wording pathology-based—words like complain, obsessively, and outrageous. That may skew people’s answers, compared to if the wording was more neutral. Some of the questions may pertain more to children, and it should be noted that this…
…to cultivate an environment that makes me feel happy and safe. For example, since I work remotely, I created an office for myself that makes me feel good to be in. I have also found a community of other autistics, which means I’ve been able to form friendships with people who love and accept me…
…complementary color to gold. But it may be an indication of how hard it can be to completely avoid the use of blue. And why would you? Image attribution: North East Autism Society As you can see, gold and blue make for a powerful combo, and nothing about the gold ribbon or its general presentation…
…uses for the bag at home. Similar to autism, research on behavioural flexibility and hoarding has found that during a gambling task, participants who reported intensely hoarding were more likely to continue with risky decisions, even when faced with many losses.[7]Recent advances in research on hoarding (Davidson et al., 2019) Low inflexibility has also been…
…the paper and director of the Wales Autism Research Centre at Cardiff University, says: Many measures used for research and diagnoses of autism rely on parents, teachers or caregivers to report the behaviors of individuals with the condition. What our research has done is develop a test where individuals can report on their own behaviors….
…So this might set autism up for mockery. Some people from the LGBTQ+ community are displeased with the appropriation of the term “coming out”. I suspect the definition and use of the word are going to broaden regardless of the community’s displeasure, and arguably the term is already non-specific to the LGBTQ+ community, but it’s…
…speech, language, and communication needs (SLCN). Speech, language, and communication needs Venn diagram illustrating relationship between different diagnostic terms. DLD is nested within the broader SLCN category. (Image: copyright © 2018 EmbraceASD.com – design based on an infographic by Dorothy V.M. Bishop et al.) For more information on the statement ‘language disorder associated with biomedical…
…relief. Yet, we found little evidence that the autism community saw substance abuse as relevant or as an issue at all.” Other reasons cited by autistic people are a slowing of their racing thoughts; and drugs like ecstasy (MDMA) can help them feel connected.[8]New book explores drinking, drug abuse, and addiction in the autism community…
…embracing autism is certainly commendable. However, this is just one example of a growing trend. Across the Atlantic Ocean, in the hometown of SPAM (the famous meat product) of all places, exists yet another autism-friendly community. A theatre and other small businesses in Austin (Image source: Livability) Austin, Minnesota is also embracing its autistic community….
…Two other components relate to our common empathetic responses and altruism. In her book Pathological Altruism (2011), Barbara Oakley PhD defines the following key concepts:[9]Book: Pathological Altruism (Oakley, 2011) Codependency is an inability to tolerate a perceived negative affect in others that leads to a dysfunctional empathetic response Codependency likely shares roots with pathological altruism…
…lamp and making the ceiling bulb less bright is a good step toward a more comfortable space. Picking the right light bulbs can make a huge impact on some peoples’ mood and productivity. There are three numbers to look for: CRI, color temperature, and lumens. CRI The color rendering index (CRI) is an indicator of…
The Systemizing Quotient–Revised (SQ–R) is a self-report questionnaire comprising 75 items, which is used to assess systemizing cognitive styles. Systemizing is the drive to analyze or construct systems. Look at the What it tests section for a more comprehensive explanation of systemizing. Basic information Statements: 75 Duration: 10–15 minutes Type: screening tool Authors: Sally Wheelwright…
…sees no, Speaks no evil Founded in 2005 by Suzanne and Bob Wright, Autism Speaks is the most controversial (and largest) autism awareness organization. Many autism, neurodiversity, and disability rights advocates view Autism Speaks as a hate group for their history of fearmongering, excluding autistic voices, and disproportionate funding for genetic cures for autism rather…
…had 0.41 (0.12) less nightly awakenings (>50% decrease). Subjects had better sleep quality compared with baseline. 76% of the children that completed the treatment achieved overall improvement of ≥1 hour in total sleep time and sleep latency—or both—over baseline. Adverse effects Most frequent treatment-related adverse events were fatigue (5.3%) and mood swings (3.2%). Behavioral treatments…
…to be published in the journal Autism in Adulthood! Upcoming week we are going to dive deep into the research literature, and hopefully come out of it with an even more comprehensive understanding of alexithymia and how it presents in autistic adults. We will let you know if we have something to show. And there…
…Autism is like cake Below is an exchange from ASDirect, posted in a Reddit thread.[1]I was thinking back at this conversation from ASDirect | r/autism | Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/autism/comments/m8laa4/i_was_thinking_back_at_this_conversation_from/ Person 1 says: Autism is like cake; some people have more slices than others. And person 2 responds: I think it’d work more like different people having…
…does not show the two conditions are distinct, but that both terms are (still) popular in the research literature. But new research is also emerging that indicates differences between Asperger syndrome and high-functioning autism,[18]Subtyping the Autism Spectrum Disorder: Comparison of Children with High Functioning Autism and Asperger Syndrome (de Giambattista et al., 2018) which suggests…
…the way, let’s do the long one now. The research Research from 2019 from Punit Shah and Lucy Anne Livingston et al. suggests that autism—more so than alexithymia—is predictive of low empathy.[2]Trait Autism is a Better Predictor of Empathy than Alexithymia (Shah et al., 2019) The abstract of the research reads: Multiple regression analyses showed…
…et al., 2012) Low sociability makes you less likely to connect with others and foster relationships. This in turn can lead to loneliness, or—considering you may be cut off from that experience—simply being alone. Research shows that alexithymia leads to fewer social interactions, and thus more social isolation.[8]Alexithymia decreases altruism in real social decisions (FeldmannHall,…
…autistic perception that differ: Powers & Kryptonites Neurodivergents needed As the neurodiversity movement has gained traction and awareness of various neurodivergent conditions increases, companies are starting to hire neurodivergent individuals specifically for their specialized talents. For example, in 2015 Microsoft created an Autism Hiring Program to attract talent in what they consider to be untapped…
…what’s not. Organization: Creating and maintaining systems to track information or materials. Time management: The capacity to estimate time, allocate time and stay within its limits—also involved in the sense of time’s importance. Goal-directed persistence: How you develop goals, follow them through to completion, avoid the distraction of competing interests, and revise plans due to…
…addition, six of seven participants in the MDMA group had a >20-point drop in LSAS scores compared to two of four participants in the placebo group. So, what comes of this research? With a sample size of twelve—and with one of those participants not even completing the study—more research is definitely warranted. However, aside from…
…broken. Instead, Singer and Blume believed societal barriers disabled us (embracing the social model of disability). As a result, the neurodiversity movement emerged in the late 90s, [1]Autistic Self-Advocacy and the Neurodiversity Movement: Implications for Autism Early Intervention Research and Practice, Kathy Leadbitter, 2021 and perceptions of who we are, began to change. Daniel Tammet’s…
…comment. Let me know what other excuses you have to not comment, by leaving a comment in the upgraded comments section below. For reference, below is a screenshot of the old blog post layout—the sections below the main blog post. The old blog post layout, the way it looked until May 2021. In the screenshot…
…deficits and stereotypic behavior.[23]Children With Autism: Sleep Problems and Symptom Severity Communication abnormalities and RRBs were associated with an increased risk of sleep problems in autism. Autistic individuals had higher internalizing/externalizing problems compared to their unaffected siblings.[24]Sleep problems and their correlates and comorbid psychopathology of children with autism spectrum disorders Children who slept fewer hours…
…queer community to act like they are normal, because they are.” Gender dysphoria The 1990s witnessed an increase in research on gender, sexuality, and autism. Many clinicians began to notice a trend that people seeking sexuality or gender-related care were often autistic. In fact, almost 10 times more people with gender dysphoria are found to…
…taxing). One-on-one also demands less energy because it’s easier for me to figure out how to interact with one person compared to managing multiple different personalities and communication styles all interacting at the same time. It makes conversations simpler as well—it’s easier to find a topic that interests two people compared to a topic that…
…quite a bit of subjectivity involved when it comes to responding to the statements. For example, “I have a short fuse” can mean something different for me than it does for you, and we won’t necessarily agree on what constitutes ‘sometimes’ or ‘often’ either. I may have a short fuse twice per month and consider…
…As of 2016, MDMA has been administered to over 1,133 individuals for research purposes, without the occurrence of unexpected drug-related serious adverse events (SAEs).[24]MDMA-assisted therapy: A new treatment model for social anxiety in autistic adults (Danforth et al., 2016) Based on this research, safety parameters for the limited use of MDMA in clinical settings have…
…you notice your AuDHD traits in your relationship with your partner? If so, what’s an example of when/how this comes up? Debra: “Both my partner and I are AuDHD. One situation where I notice our AuDHD traits is when we are both participating in a shared conversation with neurotypicals. Since we both struggle in these…
…a common experience for autistics. In addition, protective factors such as a loving, supportive parent are not considered. And lastly, individual differences, which make a person more or less sensitive to adversity, are not considered. Still, it is an important test that has been used repeatedly in research to demonstrate that autistics experience significantly more…
…problem. In fact, research shows that autistics and non-autistics are more different from one another than are people from different cultures. Education regarding your challenges Explain the social and communication difficulties you have experienced almost daily. For example, practicing scripts, eye contact, or interrupting others during a conversation. Many of the challenges often attributed to…
…treating mental illness and emphasizes maladaptive and negative thinking, while positive psychology emphasizes happiness, well-being, and positivity. The table below shows the common descriptive features of hyperfocus and flow, based on the most commonly reported features of hyperfocus and Jeanne Nakamura and Csíkszentmihályi’s criteria for flow.[9]Flow theory and research (Nakamura & Csikszentmihalyi, 2009) Table credit:…
…This is our personal supplementation; you won’t find references to this. Discussion Not knowing there are only two options (‘agree’ or ‘disagree’), dramatically increases the time it takes to complete this test. Outdated questions may reduce the accuracy of the test. Some questions are too general for an ‘agree’ or ‘disagree’ answer. For instance, item…
…led me to a meltdown.* During that meltdown—being in a state of extreme dysregulation—I wrote a post in our Embrace Autism Community on Facebook, asking for advice, or perhaps as a way to process my feelings. A meltdown of the mellow kind, involving an intense response characterized by upsetness and mild despair—rather than the explosive…
…a mismatch between our internal clock and the external environment, we can experience negative health effects until our bodies adjust to the change in rhythm. For example, we may experience jet lag from travelling. However, if this mismatch becomes long-term, it can lead to adverse health outcomes.[5]Genomics of circadian rhythms in health and disease (Rijo-Ferreira…
There’s a new scientific journal article out by Buch et al.![1]Molecular and network-level mechanisms explaining individual differences in autism spectrum disorder (Buch et al., 2023) In this study, researchers used pre-existing databases of brain imaging data in combination with common autistic behavioural traits to create four distinct clusters of autism presentations. What did researchers conducting…
…free alexithymia test for the community.[1]Alexithymia Questionnaire | Alexithymia.us The test is particularly suited for: Adults with ASD level 1 (previously Asperger syndrome). Adults with normal to high IQ (IQ >=80). Research indicates that 40–65%[2]The validity of using self-reports to assess emotion regulation abilities in adults with autism spectrum disorder (Berthoz & Hill, 2005) [3]Brief…
…reality than what I observe from people around me. It seems I enjoy discovering the truth and learning new things for its own sake. But then, I was watching a lecture by cognitive scientist and philosopher Joscha Bach on computational meta-psychology (about how the mind—despite being a computational system—introduces biases that can subvert meaning and…
…meaning of 666: an exegetical analysis of Revelation 13:18 (Moncada, 2014) 8↑ David E. Aune — Revelation 6–16 (Word Biblical Commentary #52b, 1998), p.770 9↑, 10↑ Grant R. Osborne — Revelation – Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Baker Academic, 2002), p.520 11↑ Downsides of autism poll | Embrace Autism Private Community | Facebook…
…chemical derived from cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cabbages[14]Broccoli compound eases autism symptoms by mimicking a child’s fever [15]Broccoli sprouts: An exceptionally rich source of inducers of enzymes that protect against chemical carcinogens —which mimics the metabolic effects of a fever. The research has been optimistic in that greater than 50% of…
…these domains can indicate: Talent: strong/special interests & noticing details and patterns Perception: routine-driven and need for predictability & hypersensitivity or hypersensitivity Communication: atypical nonverbal communication & stimming Relationships: atypical attachments & atypical sexual preferences Social: egocentrism & correctness over social acceptance For other associations and what low NT scores indicate, have a look at…
…within the context of psychology. When you search Google for ‘disorder’ you get:[2]Search: Disorder | Google noun — a state of confusion. verb — disrupt the systematic functioning or neat arrangement of. This reduces the complexity of autism to a state of confusion, or a disruption in functioning. I protest! I am not perpetually confused…
…Now you are ready to begin the test. Start the timer and complete the 36 test items. Stop the timer once you have completed all 36 items and write the number down. Please do not review the scoring until the test is complete, as it will affect your scores. Scoring Scoring is based on 3…
…about it. Hypersensitivity to sensory stimuli is common in both groups of children. May frustrate peers with their limitless talk about their passionate interests. Fascination with letters or numbers, and enjoys memorizing factual information at an early age. May ask endless questions or give such extensive, specific responses to questions that it seems they are…
…until a light tells me I can walk again? I would feel stupid for going entirely on auto-pilot, refrain from critical thinking, and blindly follow rules. Comfort Having said that, if the rules make sense, they can offer comfort. It’s interesting to analyze why that actually is. Sometimes, regulations and what we find comfort in…
…Cognitive and Emotional Empathy in Autistic Development (Smith, 2017) I do seem to lack compassionate empathy at times. Compassionate empathy is the understanding of a person’s predicament (or indeed a fish’s predicament), feel with them, and be spontaneously moved to help if needed.[2]Three kinds of empathy: cognitive, emotional, and compassionate | Daniel Goleman The problem…
…and by writing not only about our challenges but also about our abilities and accomplishments, and by communicating research that advances our understanding and appreciation of ourselves, we can empower ourselves and others. That is why we call ourselves Embrace Autism. We want you to understand yourself and your autism, and come to a place…
…have now reverted back to v2. That sounds like regress, but as Quinn notes, we have a lot more control over the security settings. Also, we turned off reCAPTCHA for comments, and installed another plugin to defend us from common spam threats. So as long as we are not receiving spam messages, we will keep…
…person answers the questions the way they do to be able to make a definitive diagnosis. Below are the reasons behind why Kendall (my best friend and editor at Embrace Autism), who has ADHD, and myself, who does not have ADHD, answer the same questions. Test answers 1. I find that I make careless mistakes…
…most people ask and answer questions. It seems I have become a little bit neurotypical in how I engage with others. It’s logical on the one hand but also quite bizarre that through prolonged engagement with neurotypicals, my autistic cognition has apparently become more neurotypical. And considering my slightly more neurotypical cognition then is based…
…al., 2011) 83% of autistics scored at least one standard deviation below the general population mean on total motor composite (compared with 6% in non-autistic siblings). Motor skills were substantially lower in autistic children, but were essentially normal in their non-autistic siblings. Motor skills were highly correlated with autistic traits and IQ. Motor control challenges…
…Routine-driven and need for predictability Hypersensitivity or hyposensitivity Dyspraxia Reading facial expressions Recognizing people Communication Atypical nonverbal communication Stimming Autism Spectrum Conditions (ASC) Ability to interpret typical nonverbal communication Ability display typical nonverbal communication Relationships Atypical attachments Atypical sexual preferences Attachment disorders Paraphilias Intimacy problems Typical dating Typical sexual preferences Social Egocentrism Correctness over social…
…3 questions on the affects of those responses (PTSD) 6 statements on how true a statement is of you (C-PTSD) 3 questions on those beliefs and emotions (C-PTSD) Scoring 1. Diagnostic scoring for PTSD and C-PTSD PTSD If P1 or P2 > 2 criteria for Re-experiencing in the here and now (Re_dx) met If P3…
…The TAS-20 is one of the most commonly used measures of alexithymia.[1]Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) | ACBS It measures the following three factors: ❮ FactorDescriptionAssociated test items Factor I Difficulty identifying feelings 1, 3, 6, 7, 9, 13, 14 Factor II Difficulty describing feelings 2, 4, 11, 12, 17 Factor III Externally-oriented thinking 5, 8,…
…complete tasks I was unable to complete during a level 1 burnout which I have sustained for over a year. So honestly, everything felt like such a relief, but due to my alexithymia, I did not know what was brewing underneath! I was also on the phone a lot with several people to work on…
…frustration. Where in your body do you feel that emotion? In the image below, based on research from 2014, you can see a mapping of where emotions are felt in the body.[14]Bodily maps of emotions (Nummenmaa et al., 2014) For those with anxiety, for example, it should not be a surprise that anxiety is felt…
…mask? (Mandy, 2019) [4]Good social skills despite poor theory of mind: exploring compensation in autism spectrum disorder (Livingston et al., 2019) That might include forcing yourself to make eye contact (masking) or thinking of—and potentially rehearsing—a list of questions to ask when you meet someone new so you may avoid social faux pas (compensation). Some…
…see Pablo and his animal friends. Some of these challenges stem from an autistic child exploring and discovering the world. Other challenges strike me as being of a more autistic nature. For example, asking why sandwiches are cut in triangles is not too dissimilar from some of the philosophical questions I am inclined to ask…
…edge, but sometimes it takes a lot less than that to bring autistic people physical discomfort. For example, research from 2003 by Robert S P Jones et al. showed that for some autistic people, bright colors are painful to look at:[1]First-hand accounts of sensory perceptual experiences in autism: A qualitative analysis When I see a…
…the overwhelm that comes with overidentifying with the emotions as I experience overwhelm. It’s a combination of difficulty in processing all information, and an inability to properly regulate. In other words, I was experiencing meltdowns. Internalizing judgments It’s not that I don’t take responsibility for my behavior as a teenager—I really do. But being autistic…
…Question: What caused your autistic burnout? Natalie’s experience Autism, alexithymia, anxiety; cis-female; age 54; diagnosed at 46 I am passionate about autism advocacy, which involves various activities such as public speaking, teaching, writing advising, and assessing individuals with autism. In addition to this I am a mother to my young adult ADHDer who I help…
…autism on one facet, neuroticism. There can be any number of reasons for this. First, there’s an advantage in that having trained in this quiz; I understand what the questions are asking. The questionnaire remains as it was initially published, making some questions difficult for autistics to interpret. The next possibility is that my camouflaging…
…Research from 2017 indicates that among autistic students, social incidents such as ostracization are much stronger predictors of PTSD than violent ones, such as war, terror, or abuse. In neurotypicals, the opposite tends to be the norm.[1]PTSD and autism—are they related, and how? Abuse, sexual assault, violence, natural disasters and wartime combat are all common…
…deficient, rather than simply being different from the majority of the community. Assuming you can stretch your imagination across this particular drum, then that should give a little idea of the rhythm of what it feels like to be autistic. If you are looking for a community, consider joining our Facebook group: Embrace Autism Community…
…of 6 questions, giving you 5 choices for each question: Never Rarely Sometimes Often Very Often If you decide to take the test, please consider the Discussion section below. Scoring Scoring range: 0–24 Threshold score: 14 14↑ you likely have ADHD 14↓ you likely don’t have ADHD The questions are scored as follows: Never –…
Introduction Until the last few years, research on autism and addiction has been fairly unreliable. Initially, addiction was considered to be rare among autistic individuals.[1]High functioning autistic spectrum disorders, offending and other law-breaking: findings from a community sample (Woodbury-Smith et al. 2006) One reason for this theory stemmed from the belief that some of our…
…autism. If you think you might be autistic and have any questions, let us know by leaving a comment below, or ask your questions in our Facebook group: Embrace Autism Community [+] References 1↑, 3↑ First-hand Accounts of Emotional Experiences in Autism: A qualitative analysis 2↑ Humans, aliens & autism | Daedalus 4↑ Circumscribed Interests…
…words, challenges with communication are not due to autistic people, but a mismatch in communication style and cognition/empathy (see also the double empathy problem) between autistic and non-autistic people. Or really, any two people who experience such a mismatch. This also means that miscommunication is not solely down to the individual, but is to be…
…effect on my well-being. Symptoms of autistic burnout Because there is so little research on autistic burnout, most of the information we do have about what it looks like comes directly from autistic individuals who are sharing their lived experiences with burnout on social media. The online autistic community generally defines autistic burnout as a…
…as Disability Rights International, and now the FDA is moving to ban the cruel practice permanently.[2]School Shocks Students With Disabilities. The FDA Is Moving To Ban The Practice | npr Many—myself included—view the use of painful or disturbing stimuli to change behavior as torture, cruel, and a denial of basic human rights. This Pavlovian technique…
…information to contextualize my life as the research pours in. I found my community; this was extremely important to me, and for the first time, I no longer felt alone. I wanted to decipher more about myself, an adult with autism, and educate people with evidence-based research. It can be difficult for women to accept…
…our research endeavors, whether it’s for research papers on Embrace ASD content. And there is more to come! For example, I updated the design of my character, since I no longer look like the character below. Okay, arguably I never did. But expect to find the updated character on the website within the upcoming days!…
Here is a story about the willingness to show curiosity in others, rather than judgment. It’s about inclusion and acceptance. Special dinner I’ve always enjoyed the many different types of people who show up to do a weekly commitment to community volunteering. During September 2011, a woman I had volunteered with for 4 years invited…
…a few things I consider: Not every autistic person feels comfortable going to an office, so an online assessment may be better suited for them. The way that I break up the assessment I think diminishes the overwhelm you might usually experience enduring the assessment process. Many autistics communicate better in written form, so I…
…knee, and re-sprain my right ankle, now swollen to 3 times the size of the other. My hands are hurt and also bleeding, and I fall and hit my right cheek. But the show must go on. I ask Eva to come with me because I am concerned with my accident proneness and would feel…
…these prodigious skills appear in autistic people is known as the left-brain damage/right-brain compensation hypothesis. Savant syndrome is known to be associated with right-hemisphere skills, while autistic challenges are most strongly associated with left-hemisphere functions.[8]Where do Savant Skills Come From? | Scientific American Savant skills are linked to damage to areas of the left hemisphere,…
…brain which categorises people as being like us, even if all we know about them is that they have one thing in common. Once we know someone has one thing in common with us, we tend to think that they have many commonalities. Research Research reveals that the portion of the brain behind our eyes…
…known you were different, but through parental, peer, and societal pressure you’ve assumed a neurotypical identity in order to fit in. Borderline pseudotypicality — You may have some autistic traits, but since you have plenty of neurotypical traits as well, it’s easy and comfortable for you to simply foster the neurotypical identity. [+] References 1↑…
…but experience difficulties in assessing certain situations correctly. For example, the inability to recognize and understand that a person is upset in a given situation will make it difficult to respond with empathy, simply because it’s overlooked (not ignored). As such, people with alexithymia—as well as a substantial portion of autistic people—can show a situational…
…validation and compassion. Although sometimes even that isn’t enough, as I first need to vent my anger. I have a lot of suppressed rage that often comes out during a meltdown. Although I can be verbally aggressive in this state, it all comes from fear. I guess it’s a fairly child-like state. In terms of…
…changes in routine or sensory stimuli, are common. Our traits create a heightened risk of post-traumatic stress disorder.[3]PTSD and Autism Spectrum Disorder: Co-morbidity, Gaps in Research, and Potential Shared Mechanism (Haruvi-Lamdan, Horesh, & Golan, 2017) [4]Experience of Trauma and PTSD Symptoms in Autistic Adults: Risk of PTSD Development Following DSM ‐5 and Non‐DSM ‐5 Traumatic…
This is part 2 of a 3-part series on seeing our autism in a positive light In my previous post, I talked about adopting a more positive outlook on autism. In this second post, I want to dive deeper into that concept, talk about some common obstacles, and briefly go into the relationship between our…
…a matter of circumstances. Some friends I kept for quite some years, which may be because they understood me pretty well, and were thus more forgiving of some of my proclivities. For example, they would come to understand that I am not very likely to call them. But if they call me, I can be…
…have a physiological effect. Placebo effects Placebo effects can be significant. Despite whether these are due to biological causes or beliefs, the placebo effect is valid,[1]A Comprehensive Review of the Placebo Effect: Recent Advances and Current Thought and thereby autistic people who believe that they will be affected by the Moon, will indeed be affected….
Many autistic people report heightened sensory perceptions, and research confirms this! Extraordinary vision One example of heightened sensory perception is being able to read tiny text—like the small print on the back of products—from across a room. At a size of 0.07 mm × 0.10 mm, below is the world’s smallest book, entitled Teeny Ted…
…I notice that I understand metaphorical language more readily most of the time. But I get surprised when now and then, I fall for it again! It sort of happened just today. Not taking things literally per se, but completely missing the intended metaphorical meaning. Natalie shared a story of an autistic person at a…
Clinically, the ‘D’ of ASD stands for ‘disorder’. However, a paradigm shift has been taking place which rightly insists the ‘D’ should stand for ‘difference’. Disorder or difference Unfortunately, the ‘D’ in ASD stands for ‘disorder’ rather than ‘difference’. This may seem odd, especially from the perspective of autistic people who readily acknowledge they have…
…free and bound forms. The research on the health benefits of polyphenols and flavonoids is not clear, however, as in vitro findings don’t necessarily translate to health benefits after human consumption. Brazil nuts are rich in tocopherol, phytosterols, and squalene, which may make you squeamish at high doses. It’s probably not the most romantic, but…
A review of the following research paper: Do first impressions of autistic adults differ between autistic and nonautistic observers? In 2019, research by Kilee DeBrabander et al. sought support for a hypothesis that autistic adults would form a more favorable first impression of an autistic subject than neurotypical adults would.[1]Do First Impressions of Autistic Adults…
…dual combinations produce yellow, cyan, and magenta, and combining all three results in white. Paints, inks, dyes, and the printing process are based on subtractive color mixing, meaning new colors are produced by the removal of wavelengths from light with a broad spectrum of wavelengths. Here, the base colors cyan, magenta, and yellow produce other…
…until they all meld to form into one person: her. The result of her mental ensemble is a new composition. Zola then passed on this composition to her bandmates and led them in performing it. One such composition was her rendition of A Hard Day’s Night by The Beatles, a crowd favorite.[19]The musicality of stimming:…
…person’s preferences than when they behave authentically. Compared to behaving authentically, catering harms performance because trying to anticipate and fulfill others’ preferences feels instrumental and increases anxiety. That last factor also relates to compensation, which are techniques autistic people use to compensate for their social shortcomings. Compensation is fine if we’re talking about practicing social…
…at all to me. (Cheri) It will have to be scientifically tested whether there is statistical significance to the discomfort and nausea reported by autistic people compared to non-autistic people. Research In my previous article on this, I don’t think I established the actual cause of this phenomenon, so if you have ideas about how…
Recent research (2017) has come out suggesting that being bilingual may help autistic children by increasing their cognitive flexibility.[1]Can Bilingualism Mitigate Set‐Shifting Difficulties in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders? (Gonzalez‐Barrero & Nadig, 2017) Autistic children have a challenge with an executive function known as cognitive flexibility. Cognitive flexibility is made up of task switching (unconscious…
…I chuckled. “I guess.” But really, I was quite confused about why I was getting all these questions. Sure, the process was uncomfortable, and now and then I did experience discomfort to a level that could rightfully be considered painful. I could very well understand some people would be in distress by the process, as…
In our second podcast episode, we talk with Arik Marmorstein; a serial entrepreneur who’s founded Mimoona, RefreshBox, and most recently Spectroomz, a remote freelance blog for autistic talent. Arik lives in Israel with his wife and his autistic son. Follow Arik: Website: Spectroomz.com Facebook: Autism Jobs Blog Twitter: @Spectroomz Medium: @ErikBrodch Arik also has a…
…defense mechanism put in place by the child in adverse caregiving settings. I let him know that some research showed that the autistic brain’s structure develops in the fetus. He exclaimed, “Indeed! Suppose the relationship between the parents is abusive. The mother is stressed by fear of her husband or her environment. In that case,…
…between alexithymia and emotional trauma.[5]Psychoanalysis and empirical research: the example of alexithymia A research study from 2014 indicated an association between the number of traumatic experiences and alexithymia, and the influence of emotional avoidance and numbing within this relationship.[6]Traumatic experiences, alexithymia, and posttraumatic symptomatology: a cross-sectional population-based study in Germany A meta-analysis from 2008 which…
…to redirect. Levels of support So you see, the three levels correspond to what the research literature used to refer to as high-functioning, medium-functioning, and low-functioning autism respectively. It should be noted, however, that particularly when associations with video games come up, these “levels” may be interpreted as different levels of difficulty with living life,…
…months away”. I responded, “Yes I know, I can’t get together with a friend more than once per month, and that is my next free engagement” (That was me before I knew I am autistic). She thought I was kidding—I was not. Post-socializing Let’s see if I can show you in pictures what I’m like…
…in the right place, wearing the right clothes, saying the right things, and only stepping on the right kind of grass. About the author Matt Haig is an author of fiction and non-fiction for children and adults. His award-winning novels for adults include How to Stop Time, The Radleys, The Humans, and The Midnight Library….
…as though I shall collapse inward—into myself, which is different than when my heart hurts with joy. There the ache like a bright sun pushes away the fog. Mostly this happens when I step through the ‘wardrobe’ into my own land. Freedom. It is only here that I can breathe. And who is to say…
…4 Chemically Dependent and Codependent 5 Communication 6 Control 7 Denial 8 Dependency 9 A New Legacy from Our Family of Origin 10 Giving and Receiving 11 Self-Love Is Contagious 12 Manipulation 13 Let’s Play 14 Nurturing 15 Obsession 16 The Secrets to Power 17 Codependency Progression 18 Healing What Hurts 19 The Freedom to…
…years to figure out what—if any—advantages or different experiences we have. So both due to ignorance about my strengths and how to apply them as well as overidentifying with my struggles, I did at one point see my autism as a disability. But that’s not quite fair, as autism comes with both challenges and advantages….
…their sex), and further state the following which I think is important to highlight:[2]The clinical irrelevance of “desistance” research for transgender and gender creative youth (Ashley, 2022) Desistance does not provide reasons against prepubertal social transition or peripubertal medical transition Transition for “desisters” is not comparably harmful to delays for trans youth The wait-and-see and…
…the test here: TEQ Who the test is designed for Adults (age 16+) of average intelligence to higher intelligence. Test versions & translations The TEQ is available in: English Greek[1]Psychometric properties of the Greek version of the Toronto Composite Empathy Scale in Greek dental students (Tsiantou et al., 2013) [2]The Toronto Empathy Questionnaire: Reliability and…
…doubt where I told myself I wasn’t autistic, that I just felt lost and was grasping at straws. I had other moments where I believed me being autistic was the most logical conclusion to reach after considering my full history right down to descriptions of my first moments in the world. I felt like Schrödinger’s…
…than expected. Despite not knowing expectations, they are not explained to you. 8 Because you are loyal to friends, you are easily manipulated or taken advantage of. 9 You are so logical and (seemingly) devoid of emotions that you identify with a fictional alien character, “Spock”. 10 You naturally research your interests until you are…
…with no mattress and with a hole in the floor for a toilet.[2]Ruth Marcus: In Virginia, a cruel and unusual punishment for autism This is the sort of situation that an autistic young man simply cannot comprehend—he had done nothing wrong and yet the officer was restraining him—and the actions of the officer seemed threatening…
…a greater amount of blood vessel growth—called angiogenesis—compared to neurotypicals.[1]Persistent Angiogenesis in the Autism Brain: An Immunocytochemical Study of Postmortem Cortex, Brainstem and Cerebellum The images show dividing cells lining blood vessels in autistic people (right), which are absent in controls (left). The images at the top are from brain tissue of children, while the…
…be a minor conflation in the research. That is to say, I think some of the behaviors that the study looked at are not characteristic of autism per se, but co-occurring alexithymia. For instance, research suggests that low frequency of social interactions (which I presume to be associated with social withdrawal) seen in autistic people…
…baseline and placebo.[8]Melatonin in autism spectrum disorders: a systematic review and meta‐analysis Sleep duration Melatonin demonstrates a significant effect on sleep duration compared with both baseline and placebo using both effect size calculations. (Image attribution: Daniel A. Rossignol & Richard E. Frye) Sleep onset latency Melatonin demonstrates a significant effect on sleep onset latency compared…
…on a trait measure for Pathological Demand Avoidance (O’Nions et al., 2013) [4]Extreme Demand Avoidance in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Refinement of a Caregiver-Report Measure (O’Nions et al., 2021) It’s designed to measure behaviours in clinical accounts of extreme/pathological demand avoidance. But note that it’s intended to measure EDA traits for research purposes, and…
…social challenges. It is why so many of us get taken advantage of and abused. Think of it like this—when I was a kid I had a can that stated ‘Peanut Butter Brittle’ on it, and when you opened it, out sprang two long spring worms that surprised whoever opened it expecting Peanut Butter Brittle….
…sake of simplicity, men and women (and male and female) will be discussed as biological categories in this post. This is not an endorsement of binary conceptions of sex or gender. However, the complexity of a comprehensive conception of sex and gender is beyond this article’s scope. Sex ratio The male-to-female ratio for autism has…
In our third podcast episode, we talk with Aaron Orsini, co-founder of the Autistic Psychedelic Community, collaborator with neuroscientists, and author of the book Autism on Acid, about how LSD helped him understand, navigate, alter, and appreciate his autistic perceptions. Follow Aaron: Websites: AutisticPsychedelic.com & AutismOnAcid.com Twitter: @AutisticPsyched & @AutismOnAcid Aaron’s book: Autism on Acid…
…away, etc. Then my feelings for them cease. I have neither bad or good feelings, just no feelings. Over time I have come to accept myself this way. It eases my sadness or sore heart (which I experience physically) when I remind myself of this when someone I love is leaving. People become special interests…
…a focus on my challenges to a more advantage-driven perspective. What we experience is not who we are Here I describe common obstacles in adopting a more positive view on autism, and how we tend to confuse our negative experiences with who we are. The bright side of being autistic Here I list some of…
…after a few minutes. Research shows that about 50% of autistics have social anxiety compared to the general population. I suspect the number is greater than that. Eva: Score: 103 (50 fear / 53 avoidance) #6 and #20 seem like the approximately same question; if I fear talking in front of an audience, I will…
…experiences and instead wanted to look for experiences that were different previously. When taking the test, I thought of the questions in present tense, which made it easier for me to provide answers. I was also a bit dubious about my ability to answer the questions regarding sensory processing. When experiencing burnout, I certainly do…
…So although autistic medical professionals can feel highly burdened and alone in their field, and disclosing their autism may have consequences, we see more autistic medical professionals who are transparent about their neurodivergence. Hopefully, resources for quality support will become more readily available in the future. Embrace Autism seeks to research, support, educate and advocate…
…research found (based on a sample of 30,000 people) was that the combination of ADHD and conduct disorder explains violent behaviour in autistic people.[1]Autism and Convictions for Violent Crimes: Population-Based Cohort Study in Sweden In addition, previous research found links between ADHD and sociopathy, so we are beginning to make sense of people with autism…
Superman’s struggles parallel autistic experiences People are afraid of what they don’t understand. (Jonathan Kent)[1]Man of Steel (2013) | Quotes Martin and I were having a chat on Facebook and I’d mentioned something that’d been on my mind for a long time. I told him that Superman—the classic DC Comics superhero—shared a lot of traits…
We are very excited to finally unveil the new EmbraceASD.com! We hope that this site serves as a community, an information portal, and a learning center for all of us. If you have any questions or feedback, feel free to contact us. A special thanks to our web developer Quinn Rusnell, who advised us in…
…Co-morbidity, Gaps in Research and Potential Shared Mechanisms Also have a look at: The autistic brain & PTSD The link between autism & PTSD Bodily emotions In the chart below—based on research from 2014—you can see a mapping of where emotions are felt.[3]Bodily maps of emotions (Nummenmaa et al., 2014) For those with anxiety, for…
…I make proper moral considerations, and I feel a (social) responsibility over them. I am obsessive about research—generally putting in sixteen hours per day, four days per week, as well as a few hours per day on the other three days. I have a bachelors, a masters, and a doctorate, and I have completed many…
Research indicates a high prevalence of sleep problems in general, but autistic people seem to be significantly more affected by sleep problems. Personally, my main sleep problem is sunrise, which keeps interrupting my sleep every day of the week. I try to work around that by sleeping in the hours that the Sun is not…
In the next post in the series, we will have a look at the anatomical differences of the autistic brain compared to the neurotypical brain. But before we do that, let’s have a look at that flesh crown around the brain. This is the kind of research you are probably not going to like. But…
…but didn’t take the terminology that seriously. Yes, it would be better if autism wasn’t characterized and named as a disorder, but it was never part of our mission to urge for different terminology. Or at least, we intended to focus on communicating autism research, and not on policy changes. The latter is important, but…
…build up inside. In general, Natalie and I—push each other to—engage in a lot of reflection and communication, and where we might have our failings we go to therapy to help us identify the underlying issues and the emotions involved. So I can rightfully say communication, identification, and validation are the keys to reducing alexithymia….
Let’s examine the proposition that neurotypicals have a great theory of mind and are highly empathetic, and that Aspies/Auties have a weak theory of mind, and weak or no empathy. Might there be a double empathy problem at play?[1]Autism and the double empathy problem: Implications for development and mental health (Mitchell, Sheppard & Cassidy, 2021)…
I want to share something that I think is important and worth sharing, which is the power of our self-image—how we see ourselves—and the impact our moods can have on it. And I want to demonstrate this idea by an experience I had today. Context Unless you are in our Embrace Autism Community on Facebook,…
In our fifth and final episode of season 1 of our podcast, Matt Medina talks with Riah Person, an autism advocate that focuses on topics including sensory processing, stimming, and the black autistic experience. She also runs the website riahsweirdjourney.com, where she shares her life experiences and knowledge she has gained along the way. One…
…and it is my job to allow the fruit of my work to be enjoyed, or else I will come to know that I too can swim. I know it sounds obtuse, but in simple terms, I was questioning: “Am I autistic?” or, “Maybe I am a neurotypical advocate for autism?” Autistic impostor Impostor syndrome…
…transfer, as the company was opening an arcade in a brand new mall. So it was just me at first; no asst. mgr, no part-timer. The joke was set up for me. We were right at the entrance of the food court, and were one of the few with an outside entrance. The mall had…
…wondered what autistic milk tastes like though? 10 autistic people in an emergency room We can’t help but observe the injuries of other people with curiosity. Some of us might talk, but probably not. Person: “Why are you here?” Me: “I’m autistic. That is a medical emergency, right?” 10 autistic people in a community health…
…of me ascribing some special meaning to guided events coming up again right before being asked to talk about my psychosis. Except, I knew weeks ago that Debra was writing two articles on psychosis, so maybe these events aren’t actually disconnected; maybe I started paying attention to some of the same things I was obsessed…
…the video below, you can see an example of a pretty severe meltdown, involving a lot of screaming and self-injurious behaviour (a harmful form of stimming). She snaps out of it and calms down at 9:07 minutes, but note that she had to do it on her own. She was given no support or compassion,…
…feelings may come up. I mean feelings from early childhood that are stored in the mind and body, and which can come to the surface in unexpected ways. For example, Natalie might say to me that my anger is misplaced, while I insist that I am not angry. I tend to get frustrated when someone…
…to understand what this meant, as he had trouble comprehending what a neurotypical might see. But once he understood it, he had a big realization. Martin said: When I was about 5 years old, my teacher told my mother that I excelled at drawing compared to my classmates. While they were still drawing stick figures,…
Embrace Autism has always been dedicated to research-based information. Misinformation and a lack of control pose a significant threat to our health and increase our stress and fears. We believe the latest research-based information on COVID-19 will lessen these concerns. Quality information It is essential to have accurate, up-to-date information that comes directly from evidence-based…
…of high intelligence Research from 2016 by Bernard J. Crespi actually suggests that autism is a “disorder of high intelligence” as a number of recent studies have found a positive genetic correlation between autism genes and measures of mental ability. This research indicates that alleles for autism overlap broadly with alleles for high intelligence. Evidence…
Do you know the answers to these questions? 1. How long should you wait before you touch your delivery boxes? 2. How long does an infected sneeze or cough hover in the air? How stable is the COVID-19 virus? Up until 4 days ago, the World Health Organization referred to the virus as not being…
…waiting for that, I guess it’s going to be a pre-holiday surprise. And if you don’t want any emails from us… Well, you will get them anyway, until you decide to unsubscribe. But Embrace ASD feels right at home in your spam folder, too. Mailchimp We introduced a mailing list in 2018 which you could…
…And Adventures: It is no wonder that after the study of such a character [Bell] I used and amplified his methods when in later life I tried to build up a scientific detective who solved cases on his own merits and not through the folly of the criminal.[10]Memories And Adventures So Doyle was inspired by…
…and Embrace ASD are arguably competitors. And yet we don’t see it that way, since we are united in our goals; sure, our ambitions and visions aren’t necessarily the same, but ultimately we both want to increase awareness and understanding of autism, and to help autistic people in various ways. The Aspergian is a great…
Claim: Ibuprofen may worsen the effects of COVID-19 and should be avoided. There are facts and fiction. Let’s go through what we know, and claims that cannot be substantiated. Genuine medical advice The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends avoiding ibuprofen (Advid, Motrin) as it may increase the risk of developing severe and fatal COVID-19:[1]Are patients…
…the three highlighted factors mean: Insistence on sameness The desire for sameness, and a tendency to do—or think about—the same things repeatedly, as if doing so were a comfort or a compulsion.[6]Insistence on sameness | Interactive Autism Network The insistence on sameness also comes with resistance to change, or a proneness to dysregulate when a…
…to your advantage? Sensory experience One of the responses I got to this question was a person mentioning they are most happy with her color–grapheme synesthesia; she said it’s such an intricate part of her that it becomes difficult to see whether it helps them do some things better. After all, you have no frame…
…let’s talk about blue light—the potential culprit of your issues. Blue wavelengths are of the highest energy in the visible light spectrum. A component of natural sunlight, they are beneficial during daylight hours because they boost attention, reaction times, and mood.[1]Blue light has a dark side (2020) | Harvard Health Publishing But blue light can…
…I admit, but it’s a very nerdish thing to do. I often get the impression there must be a higher occurrence of autism in the type design community, as their profoundly deep interest in type and details, and the meticulousness with which they go about it are features I have come to associate with autism….
…still listed in the ICD-10).[1]ICD-10-CM Code F84.5 | ICD.Codes Image: copyright © 2017 Martin Silvertant (EmbraceASD.com) Lack of diagnosis Current estimates of the male:female ratio of autism is 4:1, however, Simon Baron-Cohen suggests that once autism in females is diagnosed effectively, the numbers will change to 2:1. The latest reports indicate 1 out of 59…
…insensitive needs to be challenged. No kidding, right? It’s possible not all autistic children express their physical discomfort in the same way neurotypical children would (i.e., cry, moan, seek comfort, etc.), which makes others including medical professionals and caregivers interpret the response as pain insensitivity or leading to the belief that the child is experiencing…
…Effects on Epigenetic Gene Regulation But don’t think that methylation is always about disease. Sometimes methylation can make a different ‘version’ of the same genetics. For example, in bees methylation is used to change existing bees in the hive to whatever class bee is needed. So for example, when the hive needs more nurse bees,…
…but may or may not be neurodivergent—including for example people with ADHD—then the correct term to use is ‘allistic’ or ‘nypical’. In context Particularly in scientific studies, it can be beneficial to have a “pure” control group, where autistic people can be compared with people that have been verified not to have any type of…
The virus that causes the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is not the same as the coronaviruses that commonly circulate among humans and cause mild illness, like the common cold. In this post, I will cover some of the basics of COVID-19. In this illustration—provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in January…
Systemizing is a term that is part of the empathizing–systemizing theory by Simon Baron-Cohen. Systemizing Systemizing is the drive to analyze or construct systems.[1]The systemizing quotient: an investigation of adults with Asperger syndrome or high–functioning autism, and normal sex differences According to Baron-Cohen’s research, the systemizing mechanism is set too high in autistic people. As…
…and the Short Quantitative Checklist in 1,000 Cases and 3,000 Controls (Allison, Auyeng, & Baron-Cohen, 2012) 2↑ Autism Spectrum Quotient – 10 items (AQ-10) (Adult) | Autism Research Centre 3↑ Autism Spectrum Quotient – 10 items (AQ-10) (Adolescent) | Autism Research Centre 4↑ Autism Spectrum Quotient – 10 items (AQ-10) (Child) | Autism Research Centre…
…is sharper in autistic people, perception in general is still enhanced compared with neurotypicals. A sharper gradient of attention in ASC may contribute to a robust finding in the literature: individuals with autism routinely display faster detection of targets in conjunctive visual search tasks (Plaisted et al., 1998; Joseph et al., 2009). Sharper spatial gradients…
Research shows that autistic people are significantly more affected by sleep problems. In this series, we talk about how common sleep problems are, what causes them, what the consequences are, and what you can do to get a good night of sleep. Autism & sleep problems: Prevalence About how common sleep problems are among autistic…
…the group as a platform to launch a curated gallery of autistic art, or become an art/media collective, or start some other creative enterprise. Let’s see where it goes! Join So come have a look in our group. If you don’t have Facebook, consider creating an account! Several of our members of the main Embrace…
…I prefer reading to socializing? Why did I say things that upset people, yet I thought were helpful? What a diagnosis did for me was reduce all those complex questions into a simple answer: I am autistic. This knowledge helped me in so many different ways. It allowed others to understand me and made our…
…But this time, I set the words ‘Embrace Autism’ in my own Astroville typeface. Behold! Here are a few more pictures of the results: To see more of the design process, have a look at the following post: Pumpkin carving 2019 If the message of our pumpkin speaks to you, please feel free to share!…
…also a brief look back at the main iterations of the home page since 2018. 2018 2019 2020 I think we came a long way! We would love to hear what you think about the new home page design! Also, feel free to share any other cool ideas you might have for our website….
…hand, I think many of us could use a good laugh. Jolly April posts So for those who are looking to forget about the pandemic, I have compiled some of our funniest and/or most light-hearted posts. Funny pranks by Steven J Greenfield Who said autistics don’t have humor? Steven’s pranks are brilliant! A literal clown…
Our Sensory Sunday series involves a weekly question (on Sunday) about your/our/autistic sensory differences, combined with qualitative research (i.e. personal experiences). There are a lot of interesting topics we cover in this series, and we are curious about your sensory experiences and differences as well. Click on one of the titles below to explore the…
…story to tell the grandkids? Natalie paused for a moment and then starts laughing. She explains to me that there never was a clown. Not in the literal sense, anyway. What the guy meant by a clown is something like “that idiot” or “that downright fool”.[1]Clown | Urban Dictionary Turns out I was a downright…
…Autism & transness Spectrums: Autistic Transgender People in Their Own Words Sparrow, 2020 Supporting Transgender Autistic Youth and Adults: A Guide for Professionals and Families Gratton, 2019 Working with Autistic Transgender and Non-Binary People: Research, Practice and Experience Kourti, 2021 Autistic camouflaging Autism and Masking: How and Why People Do It, and the Impact It…
…parks[2]Autism & relationships | Embrace Autism —found this on Twitter: I heart(line roll) you 🧡 Happy Valentine’s Day! pic.twitter.com/iq4sfevE64 — Busch Gardens Tampa Bay (@BuschGardens) February 14, 2019 You know, you meet a person, the relationship might initially be intense in terms of feelings for each other, and then you appear to be…
…Odor Thresholds and Odor Identification in Autism Spectrum Disorders But the research did find some interesting correlations when it comes to the results of the various studies. Namely, the researchers found that generally among autistic people: Those with IQs above 113 are hypersensitive to odour detection. Those with IQs below 113 are hyposensitive to odour…
…MORE connections… Too much sensory input comes at us at once, and our brain says WTF! Image credit: Eating Off Plastic We can have a sensory overload… Image source: Memes.com When we get overwhelmed by too much stuff! Image credit: Rick Woods Sometimes patterns can overstimulate us… Image source: Dreamstime And when we hear speech…
…Definitions of intelligence 1:00:06 Labels 1:01:02 Autism experts 1:03:57 Disability model: deficits 1:04:54 Communication and empathy 1:09:29 Direct communication on the job 1:11:38 Dispel stereotypes about autism 1:12:32 Great Ape Blog’s name origins 1:14:47 The autism experience 1:16:51 Where to find Christine 1:18:36 Christine’s Washington Post article [+] References 1↑ C. M. Condo | Neuroclastic…
Here is a short story that may be indicative of the strong empathy and other feelings autistic people experience, or perhaps of our affinity with animals[1]Autism and Animals: A Close Bond of Mutual Understanding | Celebrating Individual Abilities [2]Assessing Preferences for Animals in Children with Autism: A New Use for Video-Based Preference Assessment [3]Children’s representations…
…he has, but I am not entirely sure, given that he has put his t-shirt on back to front. Gareth is currently rocking back and forth. He is completely oblivious that he is doing it, so I also rock, and ask “why are we rocking?” He stops, confused, “I didn’t realise I was doing it,…
…the other boys, who were in a large group playing sports. The autistic boys were the ones circling the perimeter of the yard, or off by the tree in the back.[1]The peer relationships of girls with ASD at school: Comparison to boys and girls with and without ASD This is definitely what Martin was like…
This week we are back with another Sensory Sunday, with the following question: In what ways do you use stimming subconsciously to regulate yourself and prevent sensory overload? Napkins Autistic females are so good at hiding our stimming behaviours that we do not even see them ourselves. Let me give you an example. Martin and…
There is a VAST combination of possibilities on the autistic spectrum. This means every autistic child is neurologically unique—more so than non-autistic children who all share a very similar nervous system.[1]The idiosyncratic brain: distortion of spontaneous connectivity patterns in autism spectrum disorder Have a look at the post below for more information on the greater…
In my previous article, I shared AuDHD-friendly strategies for preventing burnout. However, preventing burnout is not always possible. Despite our best efforts, we may find ourselves in burnout due to the common demands of living in a neurotypical-paced world. Here, I share my own top two strategies for dealing with burnout. When we find ourselves…
…research shows that autistic people are capable of those social skills, but we lack the motivation to accomplish them due to differences in dopamine. Women are expected to overcome social challenges more so than men, and so seemingly autistic women don’t tend to present as autistically in the social domain. As a result, tremendous pressure…
In our second mini-lecture, we talk about camouflaging and masking in autism. We are working on a comprehensive post on camouflaging as well, but for now, enjoy our talk: Supplementary material In our talk, we refer to the social camouflaging model represented by the diagram below, which is from a research paper from 2018 by…
…see these numbers together though, and to compare them to other autism blogs’ numbers. Actually, they remind me of the numbers you see on playing cards, indicating such things as life, defense, and attack of the being presented on the card. I had some fun designing such a card. Behold, the Embrace ASD-ragon! Acknowledgments Thank…
Our Autistic brain differences series is an ongoing (albeit currently dormant) series on the various anatomical and functional differences that can be found in the autistic brain compared to the neurotypical brain. Click on one of the titles below to explore the series. Index Connectivity Every non-autistic brain is (roughly) like every non-autistic brain. But…
…leading to self-judgment and self-criticism. None of this is sustainable, and you will be crushed under the weight of things if you try and continually fail to meet your parents’ expectations. Research from 2005 shows that performance expectations from parents and other social expectations, combined with a negative attachment orientation, leads to maladaptive perfectionism.[1]Parental/Social Influences…
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