Neurotransmitters Flow in this Autism Mind: August 2024

23 Medals

At the recent Paris Olympics - UC Berkeley's contingent of 59 Olympians (current students and alums) amassed 23 medals in nine different sports at the 2024 Summer Games. If UC Berkeley were a country, it would rank 12th in the overall medal count.

https://calbears.com/news/2024/8/13/golden-bears-tie-school-record-with-23-medals.aspx

Proud alum of UC Berkeley..... Such amazing years there.

How Your Posture Can Influence Your Emotions - Tips for Autistics

Did you know that the way you sit or stand can impact how you feel? Research by Peper and Lin (2012) has shown that adopting certain body positions can significantly influence your emotional state. For example, sitting upright can boost your mood and energy levels, while slouching can make you feel more down or even depressed.

Why This Matters for Autistics

For many autistics, understanding and managing emotions can be a unique challenge. However, becoming aware of how body posture affects feelings can be a simple yet effective tool for emotional regulation.

Here’s how posture can help:

Boost Mood: Standing or sitting up straight can naturally elevate your mood and increase your energy levels.
Manage Emotions: When feeling anxious or low, adjusting your posture to a more upright position can help improve your emotional state.
Easy to Implement: This strategy doesn’t require any special equipment or training. Just being mindful of your posture can make a difference!

Quick Tips to Try:

Check Your Posture: Throughout the day, notice if you’re slouching. Straighten up to see if it changes how you feel.
Practice Mindfulness: Engage in activities like stretching or gentle yoga to improve body awareness and posture.
Encourage Awareness: Have people around you check in on you and perhaps gently remind you about posture as a tool for emotional management.

By paying attention to your body position, you can take control of your emotional well-being in a simple and effective way. Give it a try and see how a small change in posture can make a big difference!

Peper, E., & Lin, I. (2012). Increase or decrease depression: How body postures influence your energy level. Biofeedback, 40(3), 125-130.- They found that an upright posture can promote a more positive mood and energy levels, while a slumped posture can lead to increased feelings of depression.

Understanding Autistic Inertia

PlainSpeak. In Plain Language for the Lay Audience

Newton's Law of Inertia

Newton's Law of Inertia says that an object will stay still if it's already still, and if it's moving, it will keep moving in the same direction and speed unless something makes it change.

Autistic Inertia

We use this idea to describe how some autistic people have trouble starting or stopping tasks.

Starting Tasks: Just like an object at rest, some autistic people find it hard to begin tasks. They might feel stuck and need something to help them get going.
Stopping Tasks: Once they start a task, it can be hard to stop. They might keep doing the same thing over and over, like being stuck in a loop.

This difficulty also affects:

Switching Between Tasks: Changing from one activity to another can be tough.
Adjusting to Changes: Adapting to new environments or situations can be challenging.
Maintaining Focus: Staying focused on a task can be hard, but so can switching off that focus when needed.
Decision Making and Planning: Making decisions, planning, and following through with plans can be difficult.
Mental Health: Anxiety and depression can make these challenges worse.

Even if someone knows they need to start or stop a task, they might feel stuck and unable to do so, which can be exhausting. This can lead to burnout, where they feel completely worn out.

Causes

Autistic inertia can be caused by:

Sensory Overload: Too much sensory input can make it hard to start or stop tasks.
Motor Issues: Problems with movement and coordination.
Executive Dysfunction: Difficulty with planning and organizing.
Anxiety: High levels of anxiety can make these challenges worse.

This can make it hard to finish tasks, meet deadlines, and stick to a schedule for work or school, often leading to burnout.

Advantages

Sometimes, autistic inertia can help with hyper-focus, allowing someone to deeply concentrate on learning a specific topic.

Misconceptions

Autistic inertia is often misunderstood as laziness or lack of motivation. It can affect anyone, regardless of their support needs or ability to speak. It can be even more complex for those with movement issues, sensory challenges, and coordination problems.

What Can Help

To help manage autistic inertia:

Use Reminders: Set reminders on your watch or calendar.
Get Support: Ask others for help when needed.

Everyone’s needs are different, so the type and amount of help will vary from person to person.

2 Versions of this Post

For the Academic/Scientific Audience

PlainSpeak. In Plain Language For the Lay Audience

Hybrid as an accommodation

Hybrid as an accommodation gets to the heart of some of the core features of autism: social communication challenges and sensory sensitivities.

- Hari Srinivasan, Fortune

Read full article at https://fortune.com/2023/07/27/flexible-work-critics-using-same-arguments-were-used-oppose-disabled-ramps-closed-captioning-equity-access-never-optional-remote-work-careers-hari-srinivasan/

Being more disabled often means that you have to meet a higher bar (that is both undefined and a moving target) to be considered for inclusion.

An important reminder

"Disability only becomes a tragedy when society fails to provide the things needed to lead one's daily life." - Judy Heumann (Disability Rights Activist)

"Positive psychology should help autistics move beyond surviving to thriving and flourishing." - Hari Srinivasan

Hostile Attribution Bias

Autism Lexicon: Hostile Attribution Bias

Hostile attribution bias is a cognitive tendency to interpret ambiguous behaviors of others as having hostile intent or leading to hostile outcomes. In autism, this bias is linked to social communication challenges and a heightened sensitivity to perceived social threats.

PlainSpeak: Hostile attribution bias is when someone thinks others are being mean on purpose, even if it's not clear. In autism, this happens more often because autistic people can struggle with understanding social cues and might feel more easily threatened.

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Read more on Hostile Attribution Bias: [Version for Scientific/Academic Audience], [PlainSpeak for the Lay Reader], [A Simple Definition]

Related Posts on [Neuroception], [Negative Attribution Bias]

Troubling Story on Care Neglect

https://lawandcrime.com/crime/i-didnt-think-it-was-that-hot-today-caregiver-left-nonverbal-man-with-autism-to-die-in-hot-car-while-he-worked-2nd-job-as-a-school-janitor-sheriff-says/

Another story of neglect. Devastating.

https://www.peasepress.com/product-page/essential-truths-the-bay-area-in-color

Troubling Article about an autistic teen jailed

https://lawandcrime.com/crime/student-with-autism-who-attacked-teacher-aide-in-nintendo-switch-outburst-faces-sentencing/

Who Autism Research Leaves Out

Read at https://time.com/6299599/autism-research-limited-essay/

I find that despite all the careers, promotions, and profits being made by thousands of autism-experts, the state of autism interventions right now is one hot mess. In reality, there still are no real “experts” in autism because there is no one-size fits all model.

-Hari Srinivasan, Time

Resilience is the capacity to keep going, even when we're tired and worn out. - Hari Srinivasan

https://www.dailycal.org/2018/03/15/first-transitions

Journal Article Mentions

https://sciencex.com/wire-news/485105043/integrating-positive-psychology-and-autism-a-roundtable-discussi.html

A new Roundtable Discussion in the peer-reviewed journal Autism in Adulthood explores how the two fields of positive psychology and autism might integrate and benefit each other, and the autism community at large. Click here to read the Roundtable.

The Roundtable was co-moderated by Patricia Wright, PhD, MPH who is the Executive Director of Proof Positive: Autism Wellbeing Alliance, an organization committed to integrating autism services and the field of positive psychology and Rachel Moseley, PhD, from Bournemouth University. Expert panelists included Dan Tomasulo, PhD, from Teachers College, Columbia University; Hari Srinivasan, a PhD neuroscience student at Vanderbilt University; Jodie Wilson, BVSc, MAPP, from Latrobe University; Sara Woods, PhD, University of Washington; and Tayyab Rashid, PhD, a licensed clinical and school psychologist in Toronto.

Positive psychology helps answer the question, "What makes life worth living?" In addition to alleviating suffering, it is important to provide the tools to enhance elements of positive emotions: cultivating relationships, learning how to engage, have a meaningful life with accomplishments. Positive psychology can benefit the autism community by understanding strengths and how to use them. Appreciating character strengths can impact interpersonal dynamics, communication dynamics, and the framework through which a person responds.

Rather than solely addressing deficits, positive psychology adjusts, enhances, and amplifies strengths. It provides the tools, techniques, and processes to adapt to those strengths.

Uncertainty

Not able to disengage from stress.
So much uncertainty.
What are the expectations of me?

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/giving-voice/202402/the-spectrum-of-loss-grief-through-the-autistic-lens

Integrating Positive Psychology and Autism.

I'm published in a journal article. https://doi.org/10.1089/aut.2024.38246.pw

This is my first academic publication

(hope many more to come)

Fractured Certainty

My mind’s like the uncertainty principle,

Thoughts race, no path is clear.
Anxiety spikes, I lose control,
In a world where nothing’s ever near.

The Cost of Ableism - A Higher Bar to Meet and Negative Attribution Bias.

Ableism isn't just about overt discrimination; it also involves the pervasive expectations and pressures that can lead to negative attribution biases and the need to meet a higher bar for inclusion.

The High Bar for Inclusion

Ableism manifests as an expectation for individuals with disabilities, to meet a higher bar for inclusion. This form of ableism places undue pressure on autistic individuals to conform to standards and norms typically designed without considering their unique needs and strengths.

Unreasonable Expectations. Autistics are often expected to conform to neurotypical social behaviors and communication styles to be accepted in social, educational, or professional settings. This higher bar for inclusion is exhausting and unrealistic, disregarding the natural ways in which autistic individuals interact and express themselves.

Proving Competence. There is often an implicit or explicit requirement for autistics to constantly prove their abilities and competence beyond what is expected of their NT peers. So its not about having to prove yourself one time, its proving competence in every repeated interaction and with every new person and with every new situation.This can stem from prejudiced assumptions about their capabilities, leading to significant stress and anxiety.

Extra Effort for Accommodation: The burden of seeking and arranging accommodations frequently falls on autistic individuals. They may need to expend significant effort to advocate for themselves, explain their needs repeatedly, and navigate systems not designed to accommodate them easily. Accommodations for autism can vary depending on the autistic and there is no standard list of checkbox to tick off and say job done.

Perceived Advantage of Accommodations. Accommodations are often seen as giving autistic individuals an "advantage," which perversely leads to higher performance expectations. This perception overlooks the purpose of accommodations, which is to level the playing field, not to provide an edge. As a result, autistics may feel compelled that they have to over-perform to justify the accommodations they receive (which leads to burnout) or conversely may not be able to meet that higher bar.

Gratefulness for Accommodations. Accommodations are often treated as favors being granted, leading to the expectation that autistic individuals should feel grateful for this largesse. This can create an imbalance in power dynamics, where the need for accommodations is seen as a privilege rather than a right, adding another layer of pressure on autistic individuals.

Higher Performance Standards In professional or academic settings, autistic individuals might be held to higher performance standards to counteract biases and demonstrate their worthiness for inclusion or advancement. This can lead to burnout and mental health issues, as they strive to meet expectations not equally applied to their neurotypical counterparts.

Social Acceptance Conditions. Inclusion in social groups might come with conditions that require autistic individuals to mask their natural behaviors or suppress their autistic traits, which is mentally and emotionally taxing. This masking forces individuals to hide their authentic selves to gain acceptance, rather than being embraced for who they truly are.

Normalization Pressure. The pressure to appear "normal" or "less autistic" and "not stim" is a significant barrier to genuine inclusion. This expectation forces individuals to suppress their identity to fit into a predefined mold, leading to stress and reduced self-esteem.

Negative Attribution Bias

Living in an ableist-centered world significantly influences the development of negative attribution biases among autistics.

Frequent Experiences of Discrimination. Continuous exposure to ableism, where autistics face discrimination, exclusion, and negative stereotypes, leads to a general expectation of negative treatment from others. This constant barrage of negative experiences can result in heightened sensitivity to potential negative actions and intentions, fostering a negative attribution bias.

Social Marginalization. Being marginalized and misunderstood in social contexts can erode trust in others. When autistics repeatedly encounter negative, dismissive or hostile attitudes, they might start to interpret ambiguous social cues more negatively as a self-protective mechanism. This social marginalization reinforces the cycle of negative attribution.

Internalized Ableism. Constant exposure to societal ableism can lead to internalized ableism, where autistics begin to believe negative stereotypes about themselves. This internalized negativity colors their perceptions of others' behaviors, leading to a pervasive negative attribution bias.

Lack of Positive Social Interactions. Positive social interactions can counteract negative attribution biases by providing evidence of goodwill and understanding. However, if autistics have limited positive social experiences (or a history that is predominately negative) due to societal ableism, they are more prone to expecting and perceiving negative intentions in others, reinforcing their negative biases.

Stress and Anxiety. Living in an ableist society is inherently stressful and anxiety-inducing for individuals with autism. High levels of stress and anxiety impair social cognition, making it more challenging to interpret social cues accurately and leading to more negative attributions.

To combat these forms of ableism, a shift in societal attitudes and practices toward a more inclusive and equitable approach is necessary. This involves recognizing and valuing disability, creating environments that are inherently accommodating, and reducing the emphasis on conformity to neurotypical standards. Promoting awareness and understanding of ableism in all its forms is crucial in fostering true inclusion for individuals with autism and other disabilities.

Genuine inclusion means ensuring that everyone has the support they need to thrive.

Related Posts [Hostile Attribution Bias] [Neuroception]

Endless Strain

Grad school trials and endless strain,
Disability threads through each day,
I wait and wait to see what they want of me

Resilience is the power to overcome fear, doubt, and self-limiting beliefs.

- Hari Srinivasan

Deer

The backyard baby deer are growing up.

Negative Attribution Bias

Autism Lexicon: Negative Attribution Bias

Negative attribution bias in autism is the tendency to interpret ambiguous social cues as having negative intentions or untrustworthy, often stemming from past trauma or lifelong experiences of discrimination and ableism.

PlainSpeak: Negative attribution bias in autism means seeing others' actions as negative due to a lack of trust, often caused by past bad experiences or ongoing unfair treatment

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Read more on Negative Attribution Bias: [Version for Scientific/Academic Audience], [PlainSpeak for the Lay Reader], [A Simple Definition]

Related Posts: [Hostile Attribution Bias], [Neuroception]

Shrouded Weight

A veil of sorrow surrounds me.
What is the expectation of me?
Disability is a weight indeed.

Uncertain Fate

Will I be allowed to strive and thrive

Or always be left just barely alive?
Staying afloat, with hope so thin,
Struggling each day, just to survive within.

Overwhelmed

I feel overwhelmed today
Waves of doubt come crashing in.
Waiting on undefined academic expectations, I'm supposed to meet
Disability adds weight to my limbs,
And anxiety skyrockets within.

Building Trust

https://time.com/6551520/loneliness-autism-essay/

Resilience Mindset

If you fail, don't give up! Remember..

FAIL means First Attempt In Learning. Each failure is a step towards mastery. Keep trying.

END means Effort Never Dies. Persistence is key to success, so keep working hard.

If someone says NO, think of it as the Next Opportunity. Explore new avenues and ideas.

This way of thinking is called the Resilience Mindset.

We can transform obstacles into opportunities for growth and discovery, highlighting the importance of persistence and determination in forging ahead.

A resilience mindset helps you stay positive and keep going, even when things are tough. Change your mindset and see failure as a chance to learn and grow.