Asperger's Syndrome

[Michaelangelica]

We need to look a lot more at this somach/brain thing

This was a fascinating little talk today.

It appears drug companies are already targeting it.

eremy Nicholson: The average person has about one and a half kilograms of gut microbes, so that has a big influence on your body, and if you totalled up the number it's something like a hundred trillion microbes inside you.

And you only have about ten trillion cells in the whole of your body, so they sort of outnumber us ten to one in terms of the number of cells. So they have a big effect on our biology, and also our health.

They're extremely difficult to culture by conventional techniques, so it's only in the last maybe five to ten years that we've really known about their diversity and how to study them.

. . .

For example, people who are born by caesarean section have a different microflora from natural births

. . .

Jeremy Nicholson: There are a lot of diseases that have occurred that have increased in the last 30, 40, 50 years; diabetes, obesity, some sorts of cancers, even neuropsychiatric disorders.

What we know now is the causes of those are not just in our own genome, although some of our own genetics is involved, but it's the interaction with the environment.

And it turns out that in almost all of those cases there are unusual interactions with the gut microbes

[HydrogenBond]

If you use the psychology of Carl Jung, but modernized into computer lingo, both males and females have layers of personality software. This is what makes humans a characteristic species. The personality software of a cat is different.

 

According to Jung there are three levels of male and female software. These layers are sort of staggered to allow cross programming. Male-male or female-female interaction more or less reinforces the same software layering. Male-female interaction makes more use of cross programming dynamics creating a higher level of unpredictability. In other words, male and females can't totally figure out or control each other since the base software is different. But through cross programming, they create a layer that is able to relate. If we could use only this cross layer, there would be little differences between the sexes. But the original layers remain creating differences that will persist.

 

Relative to the male and female software, the base layer is connected to the instincts and capabilities of the body. The male software is masculine and the female software is feminine. This software is connected to the different design parameters of the male or female body. The second level, according to Jung, is cross gender. This is the female side of a male and the male side of a female. The masculine woman and feminine male is a good example of this software in action. This first two levels can cross program with the female side of the male cross programming the lower level software of the female. And the masculine side of the female cross programming the lowest level in the male. For example, romance begins with the emotions within a male, such as love or infatuation. The activities that emerge is what gets the female body in the mood for love.

 

The third level returns to direct sexual configuration. The male software is connected to meaning and the female connected to relationship. This software is less connected to learned behavior but is more fluid and can work on the fly. This third level software in the males is responsible for innovation. The disproportionate amount of male innovation is due to this software. The female version gives women an instinctive ability to relate at a wide range of levels from babies, children, strangers, elderly, socially, culturally.

 

Relative to Asperger's Syndrome, in the ideal world, the highest level female software of relationship should be what is cross programming the middle level or female side of the male. It is the natural expert. While the highest level software of the male should be what is cross programming the middle level in the female. The latter sort of happens through ideas and innovation filtering into culture, which can be learned by reading. But the former require human interaction. The masculinization of females implies females are spending more time at the middle level, sort of limiting the amount of highest level of cross programming. Some middle level male software never reaches version 2.0 due to the lack of good cross programming. It is sort of analogous to women not being allowed to read and keep up. The first and third level software in the male may function properly, but the middle level can develop software glitches, which can overly attach or even detach the person with respect to human, idea or object relationship.

[Michaelangelica]

Some links on the subject

Mostly more severe manifestations of it.

A pity copy and paste links don't come when you paste into Hypography

here is the main link to all these.

The Health Library Mental Health and Behavior

 

Asperger Syndrome

Asperger Syndrome Fact Sheet:NINDS

Asperger Syndrome Fact Sheet: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)

Asperger Syndrome:NICHD

Asperger's Syndrome:Autism Speaks

Asperger's Disorder:ASA

NICHCY Connections... to Aperger Syndrome:NICHCY

Asperger's Syndrome:MedlinePlus

 

Some more if you are doing a master's on it!

What is Asperger Syndrome?

 

* The plain diagnostic criteria for AS.

Diagnostic Criteria for Asperger's Disorder, IRCA Articles, Access Autism

Without explanation or elaboration, here's the criteria for AS from the DSM-IV-TR.

 

* Contrast the DSM criteria for Asperger Syndrome with the other PDD disorders.

Disability Info: Pervasive Developmental Disorders (FS20)

We offer a briefing paper on PDD that includes an overview to the umbrella category under which mental health professionals have placed Asperger Syndrome. This includes the DSM criteria that are used to diagnose the syndrome. You may also find it helpful to see these criteria contrasted with those used to diagnose the four other disorders under the PDD umbrella.

 

* Visit OASIS.

Asperger Syndrome OASIS

OASIS stands for Online Asperger Syndrome Information and Support. This group offers "What is AS?" at the link above. Part of that online article is the diagnostic criteria for Asperger Syndrome, taken directly from the DSM.

 

* All about autism, Asperger Syndrome, and related developmental disorders.

http://www.maapservices.org/MAAP_Sub_Find_It_-_About_Autism_Aspergers.htm

Read all about it at MAAP Services for the Autism and Asperger Syndrome, a nonprofit organization providing information and advice to families of More advanced individuals with Autism, Asperger's syndrome, and Pervasive developmental disorder (PDD).

 

* Asperger's Syndrome.

Asperger's Syndrome

At this page of the Yale Child Study Center, you can pick up two lengthy publications focused on Asperger Syndrome, specifically Guidelines for Assessment and Diagnosis and Guidelines for Treatment and Intervention.

 

* What are the warning signs for Asperger Syndrome? Visit First Signs.

Developmental disability, early intervention, developmental delays, autism screening and early intervention autism : First Signs

First Signs, Inc. is a national non-profit organization dedicated to educating parents and physicians about the early warning signs of autism and other developmental disorders.

 

* What the Autism Society of America has to say about Aspergers.

Autism Society of America: Page Not Found

 

* Want to know more about the DSM-VI-TR, and how it was compiled?

DSM® Library

Visit the American Psychiatric Association's DSM-IV-TR Library, located at the link above.

 

 

* Is there a difference between Asperger and high functioning autism?

Tony Attwood

Tony Attwood is a guru in the Asperger field and offers several commercially available books on the subject (available through amazon.com). He generously makes a number of useful articles online, including but certainly not limited to:

 

o The Profile of Friendship Skills in Asperger’s Syndrome

 

o A Cognitive Behaviour Therapy Intervention for Anxiety in Children with Asperger's Syndrome

 

o Asperger's Syndrome and Adults. Is Anyone Listening? (Essays and poems by partrners, parents, and family members of adults with AS, collected by Karen E. Rodman)

 

o Strategies for Improving the Social Integration of Children with Asperger's Syndrome

 

o Why does Chris do that? Some suggestions regarding the cause and management of the unusual behaviour of children and adults with autism and Asperger's Syndrome.

 

* Here's another "read all about it" site full of info.

AutismWeb: The Parent's Guide to Autism and PDD

Billed as "a parents' guide to the diagnosis, treatment and education of children with autism, Pervasive Developmental Disorder ( PDD ) and related disorders," AutismWeb branches into separate areas about the definitions of each autism spectrum disorder, warning signs, education, diet, recommended readings, news, conferences, and how to find resources within your community.

 

* Adults with AS.

Autism Society of America: Page Not Found

Online courtesy of the Autism Society of America, this article talks about transition issues, such as postsecondary education, employment, and living arrangements.

NICHCY Web Resource Page: NICHCY Connections...to Asperger Syndrome

[paigetheoracle]

The only definite symptom I have that is out of the ordinary is laughing when being hurt or poor response to pain. My wife used Thai Bongers (rubber balls on springy metal rods, with wooden handles) on my back for muscle tension relief and couldn't believe (because I was laughing) that it was hurting: The day after, when she saw the bruises, she changed her mind.

[paigetheoracle]

1 migraines

are fascinating. A lot of highly intelligent, creative people have them. I have "painless migraines" took 50 years to diagnose that.

Sacks has written a book about it. He too has migraine problems.

 

To answer the question "?" who knows??

 

Please see also my discussion on feverfew 9somewhere here) a herb that contains some "aspirin" type compounds which suggests a link between gut and brain

 

2.I think you would expect some Asperger's type personalities her on hypography.

Is that the case with all science?

 

3 Asperger's seems more prevalent in males (?) Why?

Evolutionarily what are the ++'s ?

An ability to focus on the kill??

 

Thinkers and migraine - could it be that they put the brakes on their impulse to act, in order to observe what is truly going on, rather than get lost in auto-response? (Monkey see, monkey do). Same with creativity - you need to block out, external distractions and this could lead to the bodily disruptions from hormonal/ chemical imbalance, that kicks off the attacks: Rude good health or creativity/ intelligence, that's the choice as I see it.

[HydrogenBond]

The main problem is connected to statistical studies. This is irrational math and it not connected to the highest level software. It is connected more to the middle level, where emotional or subjective filters bias data. I have used this example before but will use it again.

 

Say we had three people watching children play at the playground. The first is grouchy. He may see the child play as annoying and stressful. The second person is in a good mood and may see the child play as fun and relaxing. The third person is nervous and paranoid and may see the child's play as an accident waiting to happen. They all see the same data but the emotional or subjective filter of each, limit the data perception. All three could run statistical studies to correlate their perception. The first can show how erratic noise can cause stress. The second can show how watching child play can be soothing. The last can show how playground accidents happen with reliable frequency. Because statistics is irrational math it can be used to help support irrational states of mind. That is why today this is bad for you, tomorrow it is good for you. Irrational science math caters to the middle level software, where it helps creates a mood such as fear. If you expect rational reasons, one is at a lost with most statistical studies. It is sort of like talking to an irrational person" this is how it is!".

 

Statistics amounts to the mathematical equivalent of the crystal ball. The readers of the crystal ball give us their irrational interpretation, and we are suppose to pay homage, even if they can't reason the result. That is pre-age of enlightenment stuff, which a rational person should ignore since the power of suggestion is can be strong when dealing with crystal ball readers. They can create self for filling prophesies, i.e, placebo affect.

[InfiniteNow]

Wow... so it's actually statistics which causes Asperger's? Fascinating...

[paigetheoracle]

Wow... so it's actually statistics which causes Asperger's? Fascinating...

 

Yup, I'm definitely a statistic! Nope, nothing human about me - not even my national insurance number, telephone number, dog tag number....:camera:

[CraigD]

The main problem is connected to statistical studies. This is irrational math and it not connected to the highest level software. It is connected more to the middle level, where emotional or subjective filters bias data. …

Although I hope I’ve merely misunderstood this post, HydrogenBond appears to be suggesting that disorders in the Autistic spectrum, which include Autism and Asperger’s syndrome, are not physically real disorders, but subjective social interpretations of the normal range of children’s behavior.

 

Virtually all scientific data, both statistical studies and neuroanotomical analysis, envivo and necroscopic, refute this belief. This literature is large, and has been well know by scientists and educators since the early 1990s. Autistic Children Have More Gray Matter in Brains is a recent example of such literature in the popular press.

 

While I understand that HydrogenBond believes that Statistics are “irrational math”, and their conclusions therefore suspect, I believe that this particular application of his belief is potentially harmful, as it lends credence to the belief of many pseudoscientific groups with histories of playing on the misfortune and emotional vulnerability of families striving to cope with caring for children suffering from autistic disorders. Nearly all scientific evidence supports the conclusion that autistic disorders are have objectively real, neuroanatomical causes, and should be considered no more subjective than diabetes or congenital heart defects.

 

No clinician or educator with whom I’ve spoken disputes that some, possibly substantial numbers, of misdiagnoses occur, exacerbated in many jurisdictions by education and healthcare funding laws and policies that provide better service to children diagnoses as autistic than simply as mentally retarded or developmentally delayed. However, to suggest that “the main problem” related to these disorders is the inappropriate use of mathematics is, I strongly believe, very wrong, on many levels, and appeal to all scientifically minded people not to do so.

[paigetheoracle]

I personally believe Aspies don't wallow in self-pity and it is this that makes us appear unfeeling (negative emotion to us is I believe unusual and limited to overwhelming sensations that we can't cope with i.e. anxiety but depression? No - or at least not in the depth/ way ordinary people think of it).

[Michaelangelica]

Well said Craig

I think what happens in the sciences is that we get better definitions as we tease out a big label like "schizophrenia". a global term becomes more specific.

i guess people get worried by all these new terms apearing like "cot death" or 'peanut allergy. In the pst these would have been "unexplained sudden deaths".

Autism was called "Childhood Schizophrenia" in the 60's. Asperger's was unknown, along with learning difficulties like dyslexia. The Behavioural Sciences have made a lot of advances in the past 50 years. Probably more than at any other time in history, and we still have a lot more unravelling to go.

 

Statistics, if used correctly, can be a useful tool in a well designed experiment.

One hopes that "peer review" finds those cases of poor research design or poor use of statistical models.

In my view research design and good stats. use is most prevalent in the Behavioural Sciences as 'they' are very aware of the pitfalls inherent in just wearing a white coat for example!

[Essay]

just an fyi....

 

World Music Central - UN World Autism Awareness Day: Baroness Uddin welcomes Autism Song

 

A presentation was made in the House of Lords in the Palace of Westminster in London recently. The distinguished Sri Lanka born singer/songwriter Nimal Mendis presented a copy of 'Open Every Door' sung by Gresha Schuilling to Lady Uddin who has campaigned on autism and Asperger's Syndrome for many years.

 

Nimal Mendis wrote the autism song for the Autism Awareness Campaign UK. The song is about a 12 year old boy with autism. It is the cry of every parent or carerer who has a child with autism.

 

'Open Every Door' was launched for the first ever United Nations World Autism Awareness Day declared by the the United Nations General Assembly on the recommendation of Qatar.

 

Links to documents

The UN, in document A/C.3/62/L.22 has said it is:

 

Deeply concerned by the prevalence and high rate of autism in children in all

regions of the world and the consequent developmental challenges to long-term

health care, education, training, and intervention programmes undertaken by

Governments, non-governmental organizations and the private sector, as well as its

tremendous impact on children, their families, communities and societies,

Recalling that early diagnosis and appropriate research and interventions are

vital to the growth and development of the individual,

1. Decides to designate 2 April as World Autism Awareness Day, to be

observed every year beginning in 2008;

2. Invites all Member States, relevant organizations of the United Nations

system and other international organizations, as well as civil society, including

non-governmental organizations and the private sector, to observe World Autism

Awareness Day in an appropriate manner, in order to raise public awareness of

autism;

3. Encourages Member States to take measures to raise awareness

throughout the society, including at the family level, regarding children with autism;

4. Requests the Secretary-General to bring the present resolution to the

attention of all Member States and United Nations organizations.

 

 

Getting help for a child with autism - CNN.com

In recognition of World Autism Awareness Day April 2, CNN reports on the global impact, latest science and controversies related to the brain disorder. Watch for expanded coverage on CNN.com and CNN TV.

 

 

The UN World Autism Day takes place on Wednesday 2nd April 2008.

[TheBigDog]

I do not blame poor use of statistics for conditions of the human anatomy, but I do think that HB is onto a truth about a tendency to leap to conclusions about the nature of a child's condition. This tendency to leap then plays havoc on the statistics.

 

The diagnosis of Asperger's and other forms of mild autism is not a science. A child may display some of a range of characteristics and qualify for a particular label. My third son has been alternately diagnosed with Asperger's and Autism. It depends upon the person doing the evaluation, and Bryan's mood the day he is being observed. Does he like the person doing the evaluation? Was he stressed in the morning? Is he feeling silly, or is he taking the tests seriously? If Bryan is classified as Asperger's then the statistics for that jump up in our township. If he is classified as Autistic then the statistics for that jump up. If he were diagnosed as OCD with delayed social skills that gets bumped up. All could be valid diagnoses. All depends upon the subjective observations of the clinician and mood of an eleven year old being observed.

 

As for history, Asperger's was defined in the 40's. It was not recognized by the big book of official human conditions until 1994, but it was not unknown. Many people could probably be diagnosed as having Asperger's syndrome who have led successful lives. They probably manifest themselves as nerds and geeks because of the tendency toward deep dives into specific fields of interest (train people come to mind). Poor social skills is also typical of Asperger's, and who of us did not know kids with poor social skill, bordering on missing. Before there was a diagnosis there was more of an emphasis on mainstreaming a kids behavior, getting them to fit in. Now that fitting in is an archaic concept we tend to coddle kids rather than challenge them. Lowering expectations as a result of a diagnosis which mandates extra sensitivity further pushes kids into the characteristic behaviors that become diagnoses of these afflictions. It is sometimes tough, but people can rise to a challenge, even the "afflicted".

 

My son Bryan can smell sympathy in the water. He plays on it to get to do what he wants when he wants. Every few months I sit in meetings with teachers and challenge them to challenge him. Get him to deal with broken patterns. Get him to respond like any other kid is expected to respond. One must walk a line with it because he will have a meltdown once in a while that is atypical, and you cannot let him interfere with the class' progress. But if you don't he will just do as he pleases and demand more exemptions of behavior all the time - he is strange but not stupid. The hardest thing to get the teachers to do is poke him. He needs to be touched or poked to get him to look at you and acknowledge you. Teachers have a hands off policy, but you need to poke the kid to keep him focuses sometimes. It doesn't hurt him, it just snaps him into paying attention to you.

 

As he gets older he is growing out of many of the very immature social habits. Especially as he realizes that his behavior is a social barrier, and his toys are not the gratifying playmates he seeks anymore.

 

Having been around the conditions being discussed I have seen first hand people who use it as an excuse. Many of the kids I see simply need a different type of interaction and they are happy normal kids. But parents want a professional to handle things and look for the opportunity to expunge themselves of responsibility. They have a weird kid (often a normal kid) but they are looking for an explanation for the weirdness, so they take the kid to doctor after doctor until they get satisfaction. Then they can say "I always knew there was something wrong" rather than saying to themselves, "maybe I should spend more time appreciating character while helping the kid adopt habits that will keep him from getting his *** kicked on the playground".

 

Are these real conditions? Yes. Are they always properly diagnosed? No. Are the diagnoses sometimes driven by parents, teachers, and doctors who would like to apply a label that comes with funding? Yes. Does this skew the statistics? Yes. Do the skewed statistics justify reevaluation of the model of diagnosis and make us think that we have a growing epidemic? Yes. It is a vicious circle and I cannot think of an answer for it. In the mean time I think each kid is an individual, and in the high functioning zone of autism the characteristics that kids can exhibit are probably unique to each individual. Broad labels make for simple funding calls, but they also bundle a greater population than is most likely necessary.

 

Bill

[Michaelangelica]

Say we had three people watching children play at the playground. The first is grouchy. He may see the child play as annoying and stressful. The second person is in a good mood and may see the child play as fun and relaxing. The third person is nervous and paranoid and may see the child's play as an accident waiting to happen. They all see the same data but the emotional or subjective filter of each, limit the data perception. All three could run statistical studies to correlate their perception. The first can show how erratic noise can cause stress. The second can show how watching child play can be soothing. The last can show how playground accidents happen with reliable frequency. Because statistics is irrational math it can be used to help support irrational states of mind. That is why today this is bad for you, tomorrow it is good for you. Irrational science math caters to the middle level software, where it helps creates a mood such as fear. If you expect rational reasons, one is at a lost with most statistical studies. It is sort of like talking to an irrational person" this is how it is!".

HB

This is psychological/ behavioural Science nonsense.

Have you ever looked at how an experiment looking at children's behaviour is conducted?

For a start none of your labels could be used.

Secondly trained observers would have to observe and tabulate different responses/behaviours. Only then when all the raw data is in would the statisticians be let loose on it.

 

On 'today being good for you tomorrow bad' again this is the public's misconception of how science works. A study may come out saying carrots cure Autism. This is rapidly disseminated around the globe in the public press. Later other studies may either refined (only cooked carrots) or disprove this study.

Popular media is all to eager to jump on a science bandwagon.

Bandwagons that are often deliberately released to the press, by researchers, to ensure research funding.

[Michaelangelica]

Gamers show Asperger's traits

 

Wednesday, 23 April 2008 Eric Bland

Discovery News

gamer

 

Poor social skills, isolated, anxious? Asperger's traits or gamers'?(Source: iStockphoto)

Related Stories

 

* Autism, ABC Health and Wellbeing

 

People who spend hours and hours playing video games exhibit the same personality traits as people with Asperger's syndrome, a form of autism, researchers say.

 

The new UK research fuels concerns that video games could further alienate an already isolated group of people and increase mental health problems like depression.

 

In the study, Dr John Charlton of the University of Bolton and colleagues examined nearly 400 gamers, most of whom were male, and asked them about how much they played video games.

 

The researchers, who presented their findings at the recent British Psychological Society's annual conference in Dublin, didn't specifically study people with Asperger's.

The more time a person spent playing video games, the researchers found, the more likely they were to show three specific traits usually associated with Asperger's: neuroticism and a lack of extraversion and agreeableness.

Gamers show Asperger's traits (ABC News in Science)

 

I loathe computer games.

[Michaelangelica]

I missed this show on Asperger's on ABC TV this week

Catalyst: The World Of Asperger's - ABC TV Science

[Michaelangelica]

Living with Asperger's

 

| download audio

 

What do Einstein, Beethoven, Andy Warhol, Bill Gates, Bob Dylan, Peter Sellers, Woody Allen, Van Gogh, Mozart and Thomas Jefferson have in common? They all have suffered from Asperger's syndrome. How is it that so many brilliant people are successful while suffering from this form of autism? Filmmaker Stephen Ramsay applied the test to himself and with a positive result, went in search of others who live their lives with Asperger's syndrome. Today's Science Show presents the soundtrack to Stephen Ramsay's film, Oops, Wrong Planet.

 

Show Transcript | Hide Transcript

Transcript

 

Robyn Williams: This week, something completely different, as they used to say on Python. Hello Robyn Williams with another Science Show on ABC Radio National, where we like to be different all the time. I now want you to watch a movie, about Apserger's, with Stephen Ramsay. He's called it Oops, Wrong Planet, for reasons that will soon be quite clear.

 

 

(opening music)

 

Jane: (watching her partner Stephen reading a newspaper liftout) It's a personality profile is it?

 

Stephen Ramsay: No it's not a personality profile. It's a checklist to see if you've got Asperger's syndrome. "Are you an aspie?" That's what it says there. It says Steven Spielberg has this condition called Asperger's syndrome. Not only that but a whole lot of famous people like Einstein had it as well. Now, how could they be successful like that if they've got a disabling condition like a mild form of autism? Then I find this little questionnaire that says "Are you an aspie?"

 

Jane: Let's go through the list and see if we think you fit the profile.

Living with Asperger's - Science Show - 13 September 2008