Another gem from Visual Vox, aka “Aspie Under Your Radar”! In this post, she brilliantly illustrates the difference between the so-so hum-drum pathology-based language when referring to autism, and a theoretical rewrite that utilizes more progressive, positive (and actually, more accurate) terminology. This sort of shift IS possible and realistic, and it WOULD benefit EVERYONE.
Now if only the medical/scientific community (at large) could put their egos on a shelf and get to objective, non-biased science and just describe What Is. This post is an awesome planted seed! Definitely a recommended read, especially if you’re in the mood for something constructive 🙂 ❤
So, I came across an article from the Huff Post, earlier today, talking about how autistic folks’ brains are actually more symmetrical than neurotypical brains. That’s interesting. I followed the link to the original research paper, and this is what it said:
Reduced Hemispheric Asymmetry of White Matter Microstructure in Autism Spectrum Disorder.
OBJECTIVE:
Many past studies have suggested atypical functional and anatomical hemispheric asymmetries in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, almost all of these have examined only language-related asymmetries. Here, we conduct a comprehensive investigation of microstructural asymmetries across a large number of fiber tracts in ASD.
METHOD:
We used diffusion tensor imaging for a comprehensive investigation of anatomical white matter asymmetries across the entire white matter skeleton, using tract-based spatial statistics in 41 children and adolescents with ASD and a matched group of 44 typically developing (TD) participants.
RESULTS:
We found significant asymmetries in the TD…
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reminds me (only by association) of the article where it says the mtor protein results in an “excess” of neurons, leading to an mtor-inhibitor drug “rapamycin” (good name for it) which makes the neurons in asd mice more “neurotypical.”
im only guessing thats where mit will pick up from. then all we have to do is cure every other so-called “aberration” until every person is effectively a clone of some perceived “ideal” person. then we can hand over the running of world affars back to the nation of my ancestors– germany– and uh, you know the rest 😦
i hate to say it, but i would never do public neurological research on autism in the current climate of people looking for a way to cure it.
science is good, application is not always neutral. until people give up this race to get rid of it, im not sure how much good can come from neuro-physiological research. at least its not up to me. i cant hold the research back, so i support a more ethical stance than a cure instead.
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Hear, hear! 👏🏼😊💓
Rapamycin… Would that be veloci-rapamycin? (lol sorry–been watching too much Jurassic Park lately) 😉💘
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i was thinking of something more like rape or mutilation, but if that sounds excessive (i disagree) im not 100% sure the real etymology of the name differs.
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It does sound awfully excessive…
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for a chemical that prunes the neurons in your brain to make you more “normal?” i would compare it to sterilization drugs, at least. i mean the old ones, from when they were infamous.
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(In all seriousness, I totally agree with you 😊. Some researchers at a handful of universities here and there are more open-minded and progressive, more of the neurodiversity mindset and all that, but right now that’s few and far between. But it’s budding and sprouting ❤️)
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It seems like they really had to employ some linguistic contortionism to make that title sound like something bad?
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I think so! I like the way you think 😉💓
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