Aspies For Freedom

Some strange theories around, an excerpt from one of them-

Autism --- A Cognitive or a Behavorial Disorder?

Edward J. Harshman, MD, MBA

Autism, the cognitive disorder of extreme social withdrawal, living in one's own world, has no proven etiology. Current theories include neurotransmitter imbalance, improper nutrition, and genetic predisposition. While these theories do partially explain autism, parental behavior has been generally overlooked.

Autism is associated with firstborn children, with boys, and with unusually good looks. It is also becoming more common in our society. Autistic people often seem preoccupied with spinning objects or with making themselves spin.

No known genetic or infectious process preferentially affects firstborn children. But firstborns often receive different treatment from their parents than do their younger siblings. Inexperienced parents, specifically parents of one young child, are more likely than others to try to demand that their children's opinions and feelings be what the parents want them to be.

Boys are more likely than girls to become autistic.(1) Genetics aside, our society tolerates a wider range of behavior in girls than in boys, as with women relative to men, because of recent social changes. A boy, if troubled by social pressures, is less likely than a girl to share his feelings openly and have them handled constructively by sympathetic parents or friends. He therefore risks reacting dysfunctionally, perhaps by severing his emotional link to the rest of the world to insulate himself from pain.

Autistic children are "often described as very attractive"(2); if a child is beautiful or handsome, then the risk of autism is apparently slightly higher than average. Attractive children elicit aggressive attention from adults. Suppose a small child, after a few minutes on a visitor's lap, has had enough and wants to be put down. That's fine, if he gets his way and gets socially handled only as much as he readily accepts. But if an unwelcome visitor insists on pawing him over and his parents tell him not to disapprove, then he will learn that his opinion in a social setting is worthless, and he has no defense if his personal space is invaded. Dissonance results from the apparently favorable attention plus the reminder of defenselessness. That dissonance discredits the child's emotional connection with the outside world.

http://www.haciendapub.com/comm21.html

Well I'm a second child, and can't comment (ahem) on my good looks, but there's actually some sense to some of what he says. He's wrong about no genetic link of course, but that the degree of withdrawal may be affected by the parents and others' expectations is a possibility I've mentioned myself (it's usually hidden under "environmental factors", but the biggest of these is surely the way parents behave towards their child).

Given my capacity for introspection, it's a surprise to me I'm not more withdrawn than I am, but that may be down to the fact that neither of my parents were the "touchy feely" type, not did they ever make a fuss over my differences, they just let me get on with life.

In contrast, my auntie and godmother made altogetther too much of a fuss of me (she only had daughters) and I never took to her at all (I didn't dislike her, it's more a case I wasn't comfortable with her, and, looking back it's noticeable I never sought her out except when familial duty required; my fathers sister, on the other hand, I visited at every opportunity...).

Your emoticon has a nice smile!

Seriously, I don't know if it relates to all auties, but I've read in a few places that asplings are often beautiful.

this theory is true - look at my avatar

Well a guide could be to look at the Autistic Adults Picture Project. That has photos of adults on the spectrum.

Not for blokes it doesn't; if the girls really fancy you (in the UK at least) then they just play harder to get, and to an Aspie, this looks like the girls can't stand them. It wasn't till I had my first one night stand that anyone even admited to fancying me (and expressed amasement it was my first time). Ater that I tried a lot harder...and just got into loads of hot water over various "misunderstandings" (which, of course, are never the woman's fault...) and eventually gave up altogether; and then discovered hapiness!

I was the first child out of three, i'm a boy and i've been often called "handsome", yet i don't think about myself as being goodlooking, sometimes i even think the opposite...

Good looking my arse.  Girls wouldnt come anywhere near me
I remember once playing this game in school - cant remember much about it but it got to a point where one of the girls had to kiss me - so she kissed her hand, slapped her shoe and kicked me up the arse

so she kissed her hand, slapped her shoe and kicked me up the arse

That counts as a 'score' in Aspie terms, you lucky thing you

Stop it both of you; my ribs are hurting!

Well one can do anything with make-up, but yes; Aspies looking younger than the norm (and that is something I'll admit too; apart from the grey hair, I could pass as forty, or twenty in the dark) is a frequent observation!

To what end?

Well, I'm the youngest of 4 boys, so the theory doesn't work there. My oldest brother doesn't show any immediate traits. I've been told I'm good looking though.

And I think with girls, because a wider range of behaviour is tolerated from them in society, that is why a lot less are diagnosed. Any aspie girls out can hide their traits more by the way in which they can be more emotional in social circles.

Kahless said "And I think with girls, because a wider range of behaviour is tolerated from them in society, that is why a lot less are diagnosed. Any aspie girls out can hide their traits more by the way in which they can be more emotional in social circles."

What is this wider range of behaviour? I cant really see it, women couldnt go out for a drink on their own without being looked at as unusual, or if they have many relationships as some men do they are called names, there are more sports that women are excluded from and more occupations.
Women are frowned on much more who commit crimes, particularly violent crimes and they receive harsher punishments in court for crimes than men, as its not seen as feminine.
Aspie girls have social circles? I dont and I couldnt hide my traits if I did anyway. I think you may be thinking about stereotypes, this hasnt been my life experience.


My original post on this thread and the article- this man is very wrong in my opinion, he is concluding that autism is merely created by poor treatment of an already spoiled child, a child who is spolied because its good looking. I think he knows very little about autism and its a theory with no basis and substance. For instance he says that parental effect hasnt been properly looked at, yet this was the original idea of what created autism, it lasted for many years, the refrigerator mother theory, and is now utterly discredited.

Good-looking is an abstract term. I am pretty hideous in my own self-perception others may be kinder or less kind in their perseptions, but it depends on what one considers good-looking. Now obviously how good-looking you are is a term that can not be accurately measured. THerefore his theory whilst it sounds like complete rubbish can not be disproved...but I doubt anyone in Academia with an iota of sense would agree or support his wacko findings.