Insights from CBT

This is not my fault

I didn't do this on purpose.

It's not fair to judge myself, because its not accurate to judge yourself. 

Remind myself, Don't judge myself for judging myself. 

Happy Birthday CF

 

What is Neuronal Pruning

What is Neuronal Pruning?

Neuronal pruning is like a natural "trimming" process in the brain that happens as we grow. During this process, the brain gets rid of extra neurons and connections it doesn't need, helping it to work more efficiently. Think of it like pruning a tree to help it grow better.

How is it Related to Autism?
In autism, including a form called regressive autism, there may be differences in this pruning process. Some researchers think that if pruning is either too much or too little, it can cause problems. For example:

• Excessive Pruning: If the brain removes too many connections, important ones needed for learning and communication might be lost.
• Insufficient Pruning: If not enough pruning happens, the brain might end up with too many connections, which can cause confusion and make it hard to process information.

Evidence from Studies:
Studies using brain imaging techniques like MRI have shown that autistics might have more connections in some parts of their brains. This suggests that their brains may not prune as much as they should. Postmortem studies (studies done after a person has passed away) have found similar patterns, supporting the idea that altered pruning could be involved in autism.

Genetic Factors:
Some genes that help control the pruning process have been found to work differently in people with autism. For example, changes in genes like MECP2, SHANK3, and PTEN might lead to problems with pruning and have been linked to autism.

Why is This Important in Regressive Autism?
In regressive autism, where children lose skills they had previously developed, disrupted pruning might play a role. This abnormal pruning could affect the brain areas involved in language, social interaction, and behavior, leading to the sudden changes seen in these children. This explanation helps to understand how natural brain processes like pruning might be different in people with autism, potentially affecting how they learn and interact with the world.

Citations

• Tang, G., et al. (2014). Loss of mTOR-dependent macroautophagy causes autistic-like synaptic pruning deficits. Neuron, 83(5), 1131-1143.
• Varghese, M., et al. (2017). Autism spectrum disorder: neuropathology and animal models. Acta Neuropathologica, 134(4), 537-566.
• Penzes, P., et al. (2011). Dendritic spine pathology in neuropsychiatric disorders. Nature Neuroscience, 14(3), 285-293.

Social Media Appreciation

 

Attitude Matters

 

PlainSpeak for the Lay Audience

Flat Affect in Autism: What It Means

Flat affect, sometimes called "flat effect," is when a person shows less emotion on their face, in their voice, and with their body movements. This is common in some autistic people. Here’s what it looks like:

• They might not smile or frown much.
• Their voice might sound the same most of the time, without much change in tone.
• They might not use many hand movements or gestures when talking.

Just because someone has a flat affect doesn’t mean they don’t feel emotions. They still have feelings, but it’s harder for others to see them.

This can make social interactions tricky. People might think someone with a flat affect is not interested or doesn’t care, even if that’s not true. Understanding flat affect helps us communicate better and connect with autistic people who show emotions differently.

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Versions of this post: Academic/Scientific Audience & PlainSpeak for LayReader

Other articles in #PlainSpeak

Take Care and Don't Ever Give up

What a lovely message to wake upto in my inbox today

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Subject: My little one...

Date: Thu, Sep 30, 2021 at 4:36 AM

Hi Hari,

I hope this email finds you well

I am writing from Perth, Australia. I am writing just to let you know that I have found your message and story inspiring

I am the father of a 6 year old autistic boy and I cannot stress enough how your work and messages has giving me so many ideas to assist my little one to live in a non-autistic ready world

Take care and don't ever give up

Believe in the Impossible.

I really liked this quote from Alice in Wonderland

"I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast"

Much of what I get to do now was thought IMPOSSIBLE. 

So we have to BELIEVE in the IMPOSSIBLE

Comorbidities

 

Aspie - Aspergers

 

Before the release of the DSM-5 in 2013, autism and Asperger's Syndrome (or Aspie) were considered distinct diagnostic categories within the broader category of pervasive developmental disorders (PDD). 

Diagnostic Criteria

1. Autism (Autistic Disorder):

   • Social Interaction: Marked impairments in social interaction, including difficulties with nonverbal behaviors, developing peer relationships, and understanding social cues.
   • Communication: Significant delays or abnormalities in language development, including a lack of spoken language or difficulty sustaining a conversation.
   • Behavior: Presence of restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped patterns of behavior, interests, or activities.
   • Onset: Symptoms typically apparent before the age of three.

2. Asperger's Syndrome:

   • Social Interaction: Similar to autism, Aspies exhibit significant difficulties in social interactions and understanding social norms.
   • Communication: Unlike autism, there are no significant delays in language acquisition. Aspie's often have fluent speech and good verbal skills but may struggle with the pragmatic use of language (e.g., understanding humor or sarcasm).
   • Behavior: Similar to autism, there are restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior and interests.
   • Cognitive Development: No significant delay in cognitive development or self-help skills. In fact, individuals often have average to above-average intelligence.
   • Onset: Symptoms might not be as apparent at an early age, often becoming noticeable when social demands increase.

Functional Impact

• Autism: Often associated with more significant challenges across multiple areas of functioning due to the presence of language delays and more pronounced social and behavioral difficulties.
• Asperger's Syndrome: Typically associated with less severe challenges in early childhood due to intact language and cognitive development. However, social difficulties become more apparent in later childhood and adolescence.

Evolution in DSM-5

With the introduction of DSM-5, the separate diagnoses of autism, Asperger's Syndrome, and other related disorders (like Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified, or PDD-NOS) were unified under the single diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This change was made to reflect the spectrum nature of the condition, acknowledging that these conditions share core features but vary in severity and expression.

Rationale for Change

• Continuum of Symptoms: The change recognizes that autism-related conditions exist on a spectrum, with varying degrees of severity and functional impact.
• Clinical Utility: Simplifies diagnosis by reducing the complexity and potential inconsistencies associated with distinguishing between related conditions.
• Research and Treatment: Facilitates more unified research efforts and the development of interventions that can be tailored to the individual’s specific needs, regardless of the previous diagnostic category.

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Plain Language Version

Before 2013, autism and Asperger’s Syndrome (sometimes called "Aspie") were considered separate diagnoses within a group of conditions called pervasive developmental disorders (PDD).

Diagnostic Criteria

Autism (Autistic Disorder):

• Social Interaction: Big challenges with social skills, like reading body language, making friends, and understanding social cues.
• Communication: Delays in talking and language use, sometimes not talking at all or having trouble keeping a conversation going.
• Behavior: Repetitive movements and routines, and strong interests in specific things.
• Onset: Signs usually show up before the age of three.

Asperger’s Syndrome (Aspie):

• Social Interaction: Also have difficulties with social skills and understanding social norms, similar to autism.
• Communication: No major delays in learning to talk. Aspies usually have good language skills but may struggle with using language in social situations, like understanding jokes or sarcasm.
• Behavior: Similar repetitive movements and strong interests as in autism.
• Cognitive Development: No delays in learning or taking care of themselves. Often have average or above-average intelligence.
• Onset: Signs may not be noticeable until social situations become more demanding, often in later childhood or adolescence.

Functional Impact

Autism: Often has more severe challenges due to language delays and more noticeable social and behavioral difficulties.

Asperger’s Syndrome: Usually has fewer challenges in early childhood because of good language and learning skills, but social difficulties can become more apparent later on.

Changes with DSM-5

In 2013, the DSM-5 combined autism, Asperger’s Syndrome, and other related conditions (like PDD-NOS) into one diagnosis called Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This change was made to show that these conditions are part of a spectrum, meaning they share similar features but vary in how severe they are.

Why the Change?

• Continuum of Symptoms: Autism-related challenges are seen as part of a spectrum with different levels of severity and impact.
• Simplifying Diagnosis: Combining the conditions makes diagnosing easier and reduces confusion.
• Better Research and Treatment: It helps scientists and doctors create better treatments and support that fit each person’s specific needs.

Master of Ceremonies at ASAN Gala 2021

Join us for a special virtual edition of our annual celebration and fundraising event from Wednesday, November 17th through Friday, November 19th. We’re so excited to share the gala with disability community members and allies from across the country and around the world, who usually wouldn’t be able to attend in-person.

We’re happy to announce that Hari Srinivasan will be our Master of Ceremonies!

Image description: A young Indian American man in his 20s with black hair under a white baseball cap. He is wearing jeans and a long sleeved gray shirt that says California Golden Bears. He is standing next to a stone railing.

Hari Srinivasan is a minimally-speaking autistic student at UC Berkeley. He is on ASAN’s Board of Directors and a 2019 alumnus of our Autism Campus Inclusion program! At UC Berkeley, Hari is a student journalist for the Daily Californian, student instructor for a class on autism, research assistant at the UC Berkeley Psychology and Disability Labs, and was the first nonspeaking president of the student group, Autism:Spectrum At Cal. As a Haas Scholar, he is doing research on how autistic people experience awe. Hari was recently selected to serve on the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee, which advises federal policy and priorities around autism. We are so grateful for Hari’s dedicated advocacy!

Hari hopes to bring attention to issues which impact disabled people in myriad areas and across the lifespan. He also wants to emphasize the urgency to include and address the issues faced by the more marginalized groups and higher support needs within the autism and larger disability community, including their mental, physical healthcare needs and comorbidities. When the voices of select groups get left out of the conversation, it negatively impacts their access to spaces, resources, funding, policy and quality of life.

We are full of autistic awe that Hari will host our annual gala and hope that you can come celebrate with us!

Gala tickets are donate-what-you-can, but no donation will be required to attend our virtual gala events. Proceeds will support our advocacy work and programs for the coming year, and allow us to continue working to empower disabled people across the country. If you’re able, please consider donating to support our work. If you are not able to donate, no worries -- we’re just happy to have you celebrating with us!

Honorees and other programming will be announced in the coming weeks.

You can RSVP to our Facebook event and invite your friends! We’re excited to celebrate together.

SPSS

 Another first coming up. I will be presenting my research poster at SPSS conference next Feb. 

My first Psychology conference. 

Writing an abstract

My attempt at the abstract for my research project.

Past research on emotions has viewed autistics from a deficit perspective, as lacking in empathy, emotion recognition and emotional experience; even as other research posits autistic emotion experiences as more intense; and we hypothesize that this could also be true of the autistic experience of positive emotions such as awe. This first of its kind study, draws on the science of awe to examine how autistics perceive and view awe, an emotion shown to have transformative effects. This research looks at how these dimensions of emotion may diverge in autistics from what has been written from a neurotypical (non-autistic) lens. With a target sample size of n=200, the study makes use of existing self-report psychological measures of emotions, includes a new empathy measure in development by the Berkeley Social Interaction Lab, as well as written narratives, from both autistics and non-autistic controls. Data from this study will add to knowledge on: 1) autism & empathy/ emotion recognition, 2) autism & emotional experience, 3) autism & awe. Potential applications include additional tools such as “small doses of awe” that can be added to the coping and navigating toolbox for autistics.