My new issue of Scientific American arrived and this was the cover article.
The idea is that mirror neurons, which allow us to mimic other's actions, are dysfunctional in individuals with autism.
The main study it was following used only 11 autistic subjects and 11 control subjects, all of them children.
However, it's an interesting theory. I've heard it before this- has anyone else?
The study was funded by, guess who- CAN.
What really bothered me was the way they kept refering to empathy as if it were in and of itself an emotion ("empathy and other emotions") and the sheer number of times they repeated the 'no empathy' myth about autistics (it must have been at least 5 times.... :roll: )
I didn't look for a copy of the article online, I don't now if it's available.....
It ended up suggesting a modified form of ecstasy, the drug, as a viable treatment for certain effects of Autism..... :shock:
It ended up suggesting a modified form of ecstasy, the drug, as a viable treatment for certain effects of Autism..... :shock:
That does not seem like the best idea any scientist has ever had. They gave me barbituates as a child and those weren't of much use either.
theres actually a video clip about this on You-tube
That's really stupid of them. Since I'm sure a majority of Scientific American readers are on the spectrum somewhere. Can people be so mindless. Just listen to whatever the organization tells them, rather than thinking about real live people on the spectrum. It's not like we're test animals, we can speak.
I still believe that autistics and aspies have a different sort of empathy. There was a big earthquake here in Hawaii yesterday. It wasn't at all serious where I live but the entire state was declared a disaster area. The situation where I live was completely normal. No chaos or destruction, so don't worry about me not than anyone here is. The news spread quickly throughout the world. In all the other mainstream forums I visit, I kept reading things like "my heart and prayers go out to the people of Hawaii" and other such laughable sentiments. This in essense is what empathy means to NTs. They say such things in the belief that it will make people feel better. Among NTs this really does work and has a soothing effect but aspies like me just shrug it off. I notice that there was not one mention of the earthquake here or the other autistic forums I frequent. This is where we are different but not lacking in empathy.
Empathy is what damaged people use to cope. If you were abused as a child, one result may be greater empathy as an adult.
Why a 'modified' form of Ecstasy?
I notice that there was not one mention of the earthquake here or the other autistic forums I frequent.
Well, I actually didn't know about it until now. I do hope that there weren't many deaths and that it goes better than Katrina..... But, what happens happens, there's nothing I can do about it. Why worry about it, then?
theres actually a video clip about this on You-tube
Can you link to it?
Empathy is what damaged people use to cope. If you were abused as a child, one result may be greater empathy as an adult.
This sounds ridiculous to me. I have never heard of such a thing. Could you possibly elaborate, link to sources of this knowledge, support your statement? Please. Out of curiosity.
Why a 'modified' form of Ecstasy?
I have no idea. Perhaps because people would shy away from the idea of giving Ecstasy to their autistic child?
Well, obviously mirror neurones and whatever physical structures relate to empathy are important – an autistic won't likely be better at empathy than the best NTs – but empathy is above all a NEED in someone to relate to other people. That need arises from abuse amongst other things. This makes intuitive sense, but you also can easily find scientific studies connecting childhood abuse with borderline personality disorder and bpd with increased empathy, for example.
Perhaps I'm saying that empathy means two different things depending on context, and you have to be very careful to which you refer.
So, I'm confused here. Two forms of empathy? What do you mean by that? From what I've seen it is a sad fact that abusive parents were often abused as children.
'Empathy' is how much you feel what someone else feels without thinking about it. Healthy NTs are less empathetic than abused ones, because they never needed to learn. Empathy is a weakness, a lack of healthy boundaries; a good empath has a large part of themselves up for grabs.
'Empathy' is also the facility to feel what someone else feels without thinking about it. Let's assume that NTs have this, and autistics have varying degrees of impairment as a result of neurological faults.
In the literature, they freely confuse the facility to feel empathy with the degree to which a person will feel empathy. More precision is needed.
"scientific studies connecting childhood abuse with borderline personality disorder and bpd with increased empathy"
?? bpd = bipolar ??
borderline pd is a different diagnosis than Asperger's. But having asperger's could make a child more susceptible to abuse.
Your point shows exactly why autistic empathy is such a complex and interesting question.
bpd = borderline personality disorder. bi-polar disorder may be related.