I found this interesting

[Fino]

I've taken oxytocin and don't notice a difference.

 

[Hypnalis]

Alaric593 - thanks for posting this. Ditto VictorR for providing references.
It's always useful to see what the "enemy" is up to

IMO the writer of the quora article is highly irresponsible. It has that ugly feel of a "snake-oil salesperson" trying to use questionable claims sell their services - presumably to the confused and uncertain NT parents of possibly ND children.

Note that "Dr" Englebrecht is a "Doctor" of Naturopathy.
From wikipedia: Naturopathy is considered by the medical profession to be ineffective and harmful, raising ethical issues about its practice.

She does not appear to have earned an academic Doctorate (PhD), nor to have any serious medical training.

 

[Suzanne]

This is how l respond to social interaction. It's a chore, it's masking, l receive no gratification from it.

Same and now avoid them like the plague.

 

[Misery]

I don't need to look at their faces or eyes. Big deal.

Aye, it's the same for me.

I dont do eye contact pretty much at all. But I am rather empathic and also developed the ability to read someone's voice.... it's fascinating, really, what goes into someone's voice when they talk without them even realizing it. I'd imagine there's been studies and papers on that too.

I also imagine that there are a variety of other ways to gain some understanding of what a person is like and what they are thinking. After all, just because we may not be very good at social interactions, doesnt mean we arent capable of handling it whatsoever.

The sorts of people who write these kind of articles often seem like they didnt REALLY think about it very well. They're so obsessed with looking for things like chemicals and whatnot that they dont consider any of the aspects that have little to do with that sort of thing. And often they dont truly consider the nature of autism in a general sense... that it's a spectrum. It's always these silly blanket statements. "People with autism cant do X, definitely, every one of them". How many times have I seen that one written out?

Just ridiculous. Interesting, but ridiculous.


As far as the original post, the idea of treating good/bad/whatever all the same... nah. I dunno about everyone else here, but I dont even bother engaging with the bad ones. Waste of bloody time, that.

But, even that could be very different for different people on the spectrum.

 

[Orange Glasses]

Unfortunately, at some point, an individual (parent, spouse, self) will read this refuse and take it seriously, while possibly missing truly well researched and validated papers that could have helped them.

 

[Tom]

I hate the way certain medications can make my brain feel, as if there is a barrier between my consciousness and my body.

(I'd rather deal with pain than be out of absolute control of my senses. I've experienced both bone and cardiac infarction pain, so my tolerance levels, aided and abated by limited interoception, are atypically high. I get crabby, but I'm not weirding out about a buffer sensation.)

And it isn't hard to be reasonable to people who reasonable themselves.

I dislike anything messing with my brain as well. I partied hearty when I was a teenager but by age 20 grew to dislike it and weened off over the next several years. I have long pain experience unfortunately but also high pain tolerance or so the doctors and dentists tell me. One wondered outloud if I wasn't in fact dead.

But there is a point. Somewhere around 8-9 on the pain scale where it breaches my defenses and I am overwhelmed and just want it to stop. And I don't care how. If I have to entertain purple llamas doing ballet upside down on the ceiling thats ok.

 

[Atrapa Almas]

"Thus, under oxytocin, patients respond more strongly to others and exhibit more appropriate social behavior and affect, suggesting a therapeutic potential of oxytocin through its action on a core dimension of autism."

I would like to know the source for defining what is appropiate used in the study. More NT is more appropiate? Lets cure this poor autists...

I agree with @Luca, this thing smells ABA strongly.

How about if a substance is found to make NT behave in a more moral way, so we can "cure" their neurodiversity?

 

[Aspychata]

Appropriate social behavior = consumerism
Lol

 

[Stuttermabolur]

Notwithstanding the conclusions, study and spreading of it seeming very shady, I would like to give an alternative perspective.

I would say that I do treat people about the same, regardless of how "good" or "bad" they are. To me, it isn't because I am bad at understanding social rules or knowing about them. It is more that I never see any particular benefit in behaving badly towards people who behave badly themselves. I want everyone to like me and have an enjoyable time, and perhaps the "bad people" are in need of some positive re-enforcement even more than others.

I know for a fact that one guy hated my guts, constantly did small things to belittle me and was quite insecure regarding me, but despite not liking him either, I still kept treating him like any other person. I would try to talk with him and ask him about his life just like I would anyone else, as I didn't see a benefit in differentiating him from others with my behaviour (at least not while it hadn't turned into outright bullying), and it might make him catch on to the fact that I knew he didn't like me (I am a very secretive person). However, I will absolutely enjoy my time more with "good people", and aim to get a closer bond with them, I just don't discount the possibility completely for other people in case the circumstances were unfortunate.

 

[Neonatal RRT]

Be careful with interpretation folks!

These studies are NOT about making judgements, but rather simply assessing effect,...keep it simple. Don't go down a path that one need not go. That said, the authors probably should not have used the language, "appropriate",...as from a researchers perspective, they probably were not thinking of how a lay person would interpret this language. I am thinking this is likely an oversight and poor choice of wording. Having said that, these studies are not intended for lay people to interpret, but rather other researchers,...a reminder of context and perspective.

This study, is one of MANY studies looking at the effects of oxytocin in ASDs. This is NOT new information. Do a Google Scholar search for "autism and oxytocin". Most of the studies have been done in children with ASDs, with and without nasal oxytocin,...measuring oxytocin levels,...examining the posterior pituitary and signaling from the thalamus-to-hypothalamus-to-posterior pituitary. Many autistics, appear to have altered posterior pituitary signaling,...the area where oxytocin and vasopressin are secreted from.

Oxytocin and vasopressin are both the "love hormones",...partly responsible for interpersonal bonding,...(mother and child, husband and wife, and so on),...but also responsible for social initiation and responsiveness,...(walking up to someone and introducing yourself). As such, it has been found that oxytocin supplementation improves social responsiveness in many autistics. The problem is that oxytocin,...albeit effective,...has a very short half-life (less than 2hrs) and it is difficult to maintain a dosing regimen without a continuous infusion via micro dosing pump,...$$$.

 

[Progster]

Actually, I kind of get where this is coming from. In the past, I was warned against a person who has a history of bullying and unpleasant behaviour, but because she was nice to me on a superficial level at least, I still talked to her... But that's as far as it goes, she then changed behaviour and started to be extremely hostile towards me and probably caused me to lose my job. After that, I wanted nothing to do with her. And that's how I feel about bullies, people who have treated me badly - I want nothing to do with them and so break any ties I have with them. So I conclude that my relationship with others is not shaped by reputation and hearsay,or how they treat others even, but how they treat me personally. If someone treats me badly, then that's it, you're out.