Stimulus Value Gates Multisensory Integration

[Concepts in Sensorimotor Research]

Application to Autism. 

The advantage of a good filtering system is less getting overwhelmed by your sensory environment in the real world, but the disadvantage was that you could lose out on critical information. This almost automatic value-based filtering ability is, I think, an issue many autistics like me struggle with. But even with extensive experience, value-based filters could vary around task domain, context-specific or even things like predictability.  Which is still, i think, why we still face challenges in trying to understand what exactly is going on in the non-neurotypical populations. 

Bean, N. L., Stein, B. E., & Rowland, B. A. (2021). Stimulus value gates multisensory integration. European Journal of Neuroscience, 53(9), 3142-3159.

Summary of the paper we discussed in my Multisensory Integration seminar this week. 

Joy is the comfort that comes with being surrounded by loved ones

Contemplation, one line a day. #MentalHealth

 

Historic gains in disabled employment during the pandemic.

"The increase in work-from-home arrangements and greater flexibility in work hours seen during the height of the pandemic may have permanently opened new employment opportunities for people with disabilities"

The question is how do we sustain the gain in employment seen during the pandemic due to hybrid work. 

Joy is the sense of awe that comes with witnessing the miraculous

Contemplation, one line a day. #MentalHealth

 

A Dual Pronged Approach to Autism

I believe a dual pronged approach is needed for autism and both approaches can & needs to co-exist for many autistics. I have a leg in both groups and I need help on both. Its not an either-or. 

Money, careers and fame

Autism is a proven profit-making industry. Everything in autism space costs money; not just average money but real $$$$$$. It's profit with almost no accountability. If an autistic does not progress, it because they were not going to show progress anyway, you are too old, it's too late, so don't deserve solutions for your challenges or opportunities for your strengths. 

Autism is also a career-making industry, with books published, speeches of fancy words at conferences. We are surrounded by money-making "autism-expert-celebrities" though no one still has a clue. 

Joy is the inspiration that comes from the beauty of nature

Contemplation, one line a day. #MentalHealth

 

CARS - Childhood Autism Rating Scale

Lexicon [Measures] - CARS

The Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) a behavior observation scale intended to help diagnose autism and plan interventions/therapy. CARS is administered by a clinician through direct observation and interactions and involves structured and semi-structured activities to elicit specific behaviors. The tool is designed for children aged 2 years and older.

Limitations:

• CARS may not be suitable for individuals with co-occurring conditions or for assessing adults with autism.
• CARS is a subjective assessment tool that relies on the judgment of the observer which means inter-rater reliability may vary depending on the experience and training of the clinician.
• Focuses primarily on behaviors associated with autism and may not capture the full range of a child's abilities or challenges.
• Does not provide a definitive diagnosis of autism but rather serves as a quantitative measure of symptom severity.

15 Functional domains rated in CARS

1. Relating to People: Ability to engage in reciprocal social interactions, such as sharing enjoyment, eye contact, and response to others' emotions.
2. Imitation: ability to mimic the actions, expressions, or sounds of others.
3. Emotional Response: Assesses the appropriateness and variety of the child's emotional expressions and responsiveness to emotional cues from others.
4. Body Use: physical movements and coordination.
5. Object Use: ability to play with toys and use objects in a 'socially appropriate' manner
6. Adaptation to Change: Flexibility and response changes in their environment or routine.
7. Visual Response: visual attention and responses to sounds and spoken language
8. Listening Response: attention and reactions to auditory stimuli.
9. Taste, Smell, and Touch Response and Use: responsiveness to different sensory stimuli
10. Fear or Nervousness: reactions to potentially fear-inducing or anxiety-provoking situations.
11. Verbal Communication: appropriateness and usefulness of the child's verbal communication.
12. Non-verbal Communication: appropriateness and usefulness of the child's non-verbal communication.
13. Activity Level: physical activity level during the assessment.
14. Level and Consistency of Intellectual Response: problem-solving abilities and the consistency of their intellectual responses.
15. General Impressions: observer's overall impression of the child's behavior during the assessment.

The items are scored on a scale of 1-4, with 1 representing no "abnormality" and 4 as severe abnormal (I personally cringe at this language with terms like "abnormal" which makes us sound like societal misfits and outcasts). Total score ranges from 15-60; scores below 30 suggest absence of autism or very mild symptoms; 30-36 score indicate mild-moderate autism and scores above 36 indicate severe autism. 

History: CARS was developed by Eric Schopler, Robert J. Reichler, and Barbara Rochen Renner and was first published in 1988. 

Reference:
Schopler, E., Reichler, R. J., & Renner, B. R. (1988). The Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS). Los Angeles: Western Psychological Services.

Two birds in Frost

From my breakfast window: 

Frost on the green winter grass
Glistening in the rays of the emerging sun
Tiny birds bask on the mighty tree stump

My small moment of awe today. 

What joy!!

-Hari Srinivasan

 

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We pay so much money for all the therapy in the autism space. Here is something that is completely and absolutely FREE. The best part is, no one can gatekeep and deny its access for you or decide you are "not a good-fit."

It's AWE.  Awe is beneficial to the mind and the body. And you don't have to travel far on an expensive vacation to experience awe. It's all around you - that blade of grass, that tall building you walk beneath, images from the James Webb telescope, our BFF God (forever, gonna outlast us all), or even that tiny ant on the ground.

Let's make use of and benefit from this 

FREE, ACCESSIBLE & BENEFICIAL RESOURCE of AWE 

by engaging in small moments of AWE everyday. 

Here's another post on A Moment of Awe - Birth of a Star

Joy is the sense of freedom that comes with being true to ourselves.

Contemplation, one line a day. #MentalHealth

 

The worst enchilada ever

 

Thick and rubbery Tortilla and not tasty filling. 

The worst ever enchilada ever at Chuy's Tex-Mex

@nashville, TN

Intense World Theory

 

While no single theory fully explains all aspects of autism, each attempts to provide insights into different cognitive and behavioral characteristics.

• This theory posits that the autistic brain is hyper-reactive to sensory stimuli, leading to an "intense world" experience. This hyper-reactivity is thought to result from increased neuronal connectivity and hyper-plasticity.
• Implications: Sensory overload, social withdrawal, heightened anxiety, and a preference for predictable and controlled environments to manage overwhelming stimuli.

Read more on [Intense World Theory]

Posts on other [Theories of Autism]

Trapped in Turmoil

Trapped in Turmoil: SIB and Meltdown

In turmoil deep, the mind doth rage,

A tempest wild, within the cage.

A meltdown fierce, the self doth harm,

A trauma deep, the soul doth alarm.

With autism's veil, the mind doth cope,

But oft it strains, and seeks to elope.

In self-injury, it finds release,

But in the wake, a heart doth cease.

Oh autism, thy ways are hard,

For those who bear thy hidden card.

Urgent call for solutions anon,

And hold us close, with open mind.

#autismsolutions

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A poem on self-injurious behavior which is a reality for many autistics and is terribly traumatizing and battering for both the autistics and others around. We need solutions urgently. 

See this earlier post on SIB & Suicide Ideation in Autistics.

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