Interesting Things About Autism I Found Out In The Past.

[Captain Caveman]

60% of those on the spectrum get meltdowns in their various forms.

60% of those on the spectrum get shutdowns in their various forms.

BUT just 20% of the lucky few on on the spectrum do not get meltdowns or shutdowns!


Now over 80% of people who have prosopragnosia are diagnosed as being on the spectrum. (I believe the other 20% are also on the spectrum but have not been assessed yet asnprosopragnosia is a condition caused by autism.

Autism is caused by brain connections not connecting. In the past I.Q. was the defining factor between being diagnosed with autism or aspergers syndrome, but as it was found that both conditions have the same cause, they decided to call it all autism.
(There is a difference between aspergers syndrome and high functioning autism that they used for a while after dropping aspergers syndrome, but it is a minor difference, but these days it is all called autism).


Though research is still in its infancy, it was discovered that traits thought associated with blindness were in fact autism traits, and it has been discovered that those blind or partially sighted since birth where the physical aspects associated with sight remain intact and function, that the cause of the blindness is autism, and it has been estimated that 80% of blind people in this catagory are on the spectrum.

Likewize one can predict it is similar with those who have been deaf since birth where there is no obvious physical defect.

 

[Neonatal RRT]

Autism is caused by brain connections not connecting.

Well, partially true. One of the hallmarks of autism is this observation of "asymmetrical intelligences" which, in part, is caused by abnormal migration and layering patterns of neurons, an altered neuron formation (both too many and too little synaptic connections), differences in connectivity (too much and too little) and conductivity (too much and too little). The glial cells and other non-conductive cells making up the brain's matrix are also in abnormal number and distribution. Some exhibit synesthesia. Some savantism. Some are non-verbal. Some with very high intellect. Some with very low intellect. Some can exhibit savantism in a very specific area whilst being relatively low functioning in other areas. Some struggle with everything in their lives. Some have very specific sensory issues. Some suffer from epilepsy. On and on. There are generalized differences between male (XY) and female (XX) autistic brains, suggesting an explanation for why female autism, at least historically, has been more difficult to diagnose. Each brain being different, but all exhibiting, more or less, the classic traits of autism. Nearly all areas of the brain are affected, notably the cortex, thalamus, hypothalamus, and cerebellum, not just the prefrontal cortex.

 

[Levitat0r]

I've always had angry fits, and never thought anything of them, but later situations in life reached a level of anger where I fractured my hand for the first time, though, to distinguish, that's distinct from a subsequent incident where someone slandered me, and I was struck with the end of a metal pipe because I didn't want anyone touching me following similar events involving sexual abuse in the US. That second time, I wound up with a clean break all the way through the same hand.

But, anyway, yes, I can relate to needing to release a lot of frustration. I'm not sure how much of it is directly mental structure as it is a consequence of being constantly defeated, especially in social endeavors. Imagine what it's like for someone non-verbal to endlessly reach out, and they can't fix, or change anything, and can't connect with anyone. They would throw fits periodically, wouldn't they? I think my chief gain from self-acceptance is compassion and understanding for those who are worse off.

 

[Levitat0r]

I've always had angry fits, and never thought anything of them, but later situations in life reached a level of anger where I fractured my hand for the first time, though, to distinguish, that's distinct from a subsequent incident where someone slandered me, and I was struck with the end of a metal pipe because I didn't want anyone touching me following similar events involving sexual abuse in the US. That second time, I wound up with a clean break all the way through the same hand.

But, anyway, yes, I can relate to needing to release a lot of frustration. I'm not sure how much of it is directly mental structure as it is a consequence of being constantly defeated, especially in social endeavors. Imagine what it's like for someone non-verbal to endlessly reach out, and they can't fix, or change anything, and can't connect with anyone. They would throw fits periodically, wouldn't they? I think my chief gain from self-acceptance is compassion and understanding for those who are worse off.

I think the most brutal thing about that experience is that I bend over backwards to announce to the world that I've been victimized before, and I'm trying to warn people. And if anybody listened, or the story ever propagated, then people would already know in advance "Hey, I know what this lady is claiming, but isn't that that guy who said that someone keeps lying about him?" That's not what happens. The world stands with its foot on my mouth, and they're eventually going to beat me to death at this rate.

 

[Captain Caveman]

We grow up in a society which assumes all victims are female and men are the criminal element where reality is it is 50/50. It is just that the majority of men never report or if they do, they are not taken seriously.

 

[FilterFreq]

BUT just 20% of the lucky few on on the spectrum do not get meltdowns or shutdowns!

That's pretty interesting. I traded in my childhood meltdowns for adult shutdowns apparently, lol

 

[Captain Caveman]

That happened to me around the age of six.

 

[Levitat0r]

We grow up in a society which assumes all victims are female and men are the criminal element where reality is it is 50/50. It is just that the majority of men never report or if they do, they are not taken seriously.

I really don't think it needs to be made about gender. It's about power, and powerful people will brutalize others, as you are endlessly warned by history and religion alike.

 

[Captain Caveman]

I remember when I was a toddler or a baby my Mum almost threw mw out the upstairs bedroom window as I would cry for hours and hours and hours, and I used to often end up turning blue and had to be hit so I would draw breath again.
BUT I also remember having meltdowns described as temper tantrums as a child (My Dad had these in adult life. No one knew about autism. If there was a sudden decision change, he would end up in a sudden unexpected temper and then end up with a migrane and that was the day over for him as he would end up in bed until the next day. Many exciting plans we would set out to do such as an outing to a castle or a beach ended up in dissapointments as my Mum became dissapointed and so did we. We knew nothing about these being meltdowns.
Now I had these up to the age of around five or six, when I remember having one when a neighbours girl started to take my toys out of the toybox while they were visiting and I could not cope as she was not listening as she was not really being careful and my attempts to make her stop she ignored. I had a meltdown type of temper due to me not being able to cope and I grabbed a rollerscate and clonked it on her head...
Obviously it was trousers down and big uand smack time and I was sent to bed! But the words my Dad said were "You could have killed her!" repeated round my head.
I was soo sickened by what I had done!
But an intersting thing happened. I never had a temper tantrum from then! (They had been tantrums I had no control! I was like incredible hulk!) But these immediately went after that but instead I started getting shutdowns from then on. I started really noticing these from the age of seven onwards. They hit me in a pysical way.
First they would be what I describe as partial shutdowns and if I didn't stop what I was doing and found a shady place to lie down and relax where I wouldn't be disturbed, I would go into a floppy stat on the floor where I could not move my muscles, and my eyesight went black...And as my eyesight went black, loud tinitus of a medium pitch would lower to a low pitch as my vision turned to black. I had to stay there because even though this would subside, if I tried to move too early, I would slip into another one which were seriously energy draining... So I had to just lie there for around 15 minutes and keep quiet to recover....