Autism and The Predictive Brain

[Knower of nothing]

This book got brought up during counseling, seems like a decently major overhaul in the theory of autistic stimulus processing. I haven't read it but supposedly the run-down is that rather than a stimulus sensitivity, a key factor could be a stimulus reactivity that is the bottleneck leading to the exhaustion. It has to do with the predictive modeling for situations being too detailed and extensive, requiring more resources under its constant updating when confronted with sudden or new information.
Please share thoughts or corrections if you've read it, I may get around to it eventually myself.

Autism and The Predictive Brain

 

[Raggamuffin]

Ooer, that's expensive, even for the ebook version. Impulsively I'd like to buy it, but I'm going to Wishlist it, and not follow through on my usual impulsive spending habits.

Ed

 

[Neonatal RRT]

I know you can't judge a book by it's cover, but "Absolute Thinking in a Relative World",...I think it is written by someone who "thinks" they know about autism. I am not an absolute thinker,...and given some time on the forums, here,...I don't think many of us are. Frankly,...since I consider those that are "black and white" or "absolutist-type" thinkers as those with either low intellect or low in life experience (a child),...I might consider that title alone either deceptive or ignorant.

I would have to understand the author's perspective.

 

[Knower of nothing]

I know you can't judge a book by it's cover, but "Absolute Thinking in a Relative World",...I think it is written by someone who "thinks" they know about autism. I am not an absolute thinker,...and given some time on the forums, here,...I don't think many of us are. Frankly,...since I consider those that are "black and white" or "absolutist-type" thinkers as those with either low intellect or low in life experience (a child),...I might consider that title alone either deceptive or ignorant.

I would have to understand the author's perspective.

From what I understand the absolutist thought comes into play in the construction of predictive models which aren't built fully consciously.

 

[Raggamuffin]

Whoops, bought the book - and another one.

Ed

 

[Rodafina]

I don't think many of us are. Frankly,...since I consider those that are "black and white" or "absolutist-type" thinkers as those with either low intellect or low in life experience (a child)

Wasn’t this just another generalization in the opposite direction? I absolutely struggle with black-and-white thinking, but I would not put myself into the category of being either low intellect or a child. This feels a bit harsh.

Learning that the gray will be there no matter what and learning to shed absolutes are things that life experience can bring, but I would say absolutist thinking is certainly a reasonable problem for mature adults to have. Even if you learn that it is illogical and can overcome it with reason, it seems that one who is inclined toward black and white thinking would have this affect their predictive models of the world.

But, @Neonatal RRT I think that I fully take in your point that a critical eye is valuable when it comes to books and titles and people trying to understand autistic experiences.

 

[Neonatal RRT]

Wasn’t this just another generalization in the opposite direction? I absolutely struggle with black-and-white thinking, but I would not put myself into the category of being either low intellect or a child. This feels a bit harsh.

Learning that the gray will be there no matter what and learning to shed absolutes are things that life experience can bring, but I would say absolutist thinking is certainly a reasonable problem for mature adults to have. Even if you learn that it is illogical and can overcome it with reason, it seems that one who is inclined toward black and white thinking would have this affect their predictive models of the world.

But, @Neonatal RRT I think that I fully take in your point that a critical eye is valuable when it comes to books and titles and people trying to understand autistic experiences.

It was a generalization in the opposite direction,...noted. I apologize for the offense. However, I also said,..."I am not an absolute thinker,...and given some time on the forums, here,...I don't think many of us are."...
"I might consider that title alone either deceptive or ignorant....I would have to understand the author's perspective."

My take on a lot of this is that there are those psychologists that read the literature and studies based upon autistic children,...and then extrapolate,...and generalize,...to suggest that this is how adult autism presents,...and it is just plain wrong. So many times I have sat through lectures given by prominent psychologists making blanket statements that "autistics have issues with...." Keep in mind I read a lot of the literature,...a lot,...and I am sitting there knowing darn well that those conclusions were based upon pediatric studies, and not adults. There are certain things,...autistic or neurotypical,...that children present with,...but we all mature, gain knowledge and experience,...and then we don't do those things anymore. Black and white thinking, absolutist type thinking,...that is far more prominent in the pediatric population,...even amongst neurotypical children. Anyone who is a parent of a teenager knows this all too well.

So,...when I see a title of a book that reads like that,...I raise an eyebrow and want to know more.

 

[Rodafina]

There are certain things,...autistic or neurotypical,...that children present with,...but we all mature, gain knowledge and experience,...and then we don't do those things anymore. Black and white thinking, absolutist type thinking,...that is far more prominent in the pediatric population,...even amongst neurotypical children. Anyone who is a parent of a teenager knows this all too well.

Not all of us.

I’m not trying to pick a fight here, but I’m a bit astonished.

You continue to put people like me in a category that would classify me as childish.

You’re invalidating the experience of an adult autistic whose scores are very similar to yours. People listen to you here and respect and value the scientific way in which you approach and talk about things. To be speaking of black-and-white thinking as if someone like myself should’ve just outgrown by now is horribly frustrating to the progress that I am making in terms of self-confidence. It does not matter to me what the parents of teenagers do and do not know.

If you are interested in my experience what I read in your message was I’m sorry, however… and then doubling down on the idea that black-and-white thinking is childish.

 

[Neonatal RRT]

Not all of us.

I’m not trying to pick a fight here, but I’m a bit astonished.

You continue to put people like me in a category that would classify me as childish.

You’re invalidating the experience of an adult autistic whose scores are very similar to yours. People listen to you here and respect and value the scientific way in which you approach and talk about things. To be speaking of black-and-white thinking as if someone like myself should’ve just outgrown by now is horribly frustrating to the progress that I am making in terms of self-confidence. It does not matter to me what the parents of teenagers do and do not know.

If you are interested in my experience what I read in your message was I’m sorry, however… and then doubling down on the idea that black-and-white thinking is childish.

I am not interested in a fight either. What I think is happening here is that we are speaking past each other. It appears as if we are missing our perspectives.

"Childish"...there is a lot that makes a person "childish",...which you are not,...obviously. To suggest that a grown adult is "childish" implies a lot more than "black and white" thinking. I think you are misinterpreting the message, and taking what I said in a personal way,...which was never the intent.

If children and teens are more likely to have black and white thinking than adults,...it does not mean that an adult with black and white thinking is "childish". So don't take it that way,...please.

There are a handful of reasons why a person may have an "absolutist" or "black and white" type of thinking. A lack of life experience is one. A lack of perspective taking is another. A lack of education is another. A neurodevelopmental delay is another. Often it is a combination of factors. These are known facts.

 

[Rodafina]

I am not interested in a fight either. What I think is happening here is that we are speaking past each other. It appears as if we are missing our perspectives.

"Childish"...there is a lot that makes a person "childish",...which you are not,...obviously. To suggest that a grown adult is "childish" implies a lot more than "black and white" thinking. I think you are misinterpreting the message, and taking what I said in a personal way,...which was never the intent.

If children and teens are more likely to have black and white thinking than adults,...it does not mean that an adult with black and white thinking is "childish". So don't take it that way,...please.

There are a handful of reasons why a person may have an "absolutist" or "black and white" type of thinking. A lack of life experience is one. A lack of perspective taking is another. A lack of education is another. A neurodevelopmental delay is another. Often it is a combination of factors. These are known facts.

What you say here makes great sense. Thank you for taking the time to elucidate and elaborate.

I did take it personally, you are right.