1:36 is the new ratio

The CDC just announced that the new dx ratio is 1:36 [Read article]

To give you perspective, back when I was dx in childhood it was around 1:151, when I started undergrad it had come to 1:88. Just during my undergrad, the numbers progressed from 1:64 to 1:54 and by the end of my undergrad, it was 1:44.

And

• (But of course). Autism is reported to occur in all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups. [Read article]
• About 1:6 (17%) children aged 3–17 years were diagnosed with a Dev Disability (autism, AHHD, blindness & CP) [Read summary]
• ASD is more than 4 times more common among boys than among girls. [Read article]

The new ratio simply can't be just due to increased dx capabilities or awareness or more adults being dx. What else is going on? We need to be investigating this. 

From https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/data.html
 

Requesting Accommodations

At the Frist Center for Autism & Innovation and Mentra webinar. 

Below are my responses to two questions

What are the most important accommodations to ask for during your time as a student?

Is there a best practice for navigating disability services within institutions, that can often make it hard for neurodivergent people?

Recording  at https://youtu.be/Atq3jYLokDw

Empathy is not just a trait, its a way of life.

Towards a more Humane Society. Contemplation, one line a day. This month Empathy

 

Neurexins and Autism

Neurexins had come up in my Cell Neuroscience course this semester. Connection to Autism. But of course!!

Neurexins are a family of proteins that play important roles in synaptic function. They are involved in the formation, maintenance, and plasticity of synapses, which are the junctions between neurons that allow them to communicate with each other. Mutations in neurexin genes have been linked to a number of neurodevelopmental disabilities, including autism.

A few reasons why neurexin genes might be associated with autism.

• disrupt in function of synapses (& communication between neurons), which could contribute to the autistic social and communication challenges
• disruption in brain development as neurexin genes expressed early in brain development, and play important roles in the formation of neural circuits.
• impact on function of other genes as they interact with a number of other proteins.

More research is needed to understand the exact mechanisms by which mutations in neurexin genes mutations contribute to autism.

Empathy is the art of putting yourself in someone else's shoes

Towards a more Humane Society. Contemplation, one line a day. This month Empathy

 

Severe Weather Nashville - Winter Edition

Nashville sure has a lot of severe weather alerts. This is the running tab for Winter (Dec 21 - Mar 20). 

Empathy is the magic that turns strangers into friends

Contemplation, one line a day.Towards a more humane society, an empathic society. 

 

March Snowfall, a Climate Change Call

Snow flurries gently fall

Mercury dips to a 27F crawl.
Bits of fluff dance and sway
Cherry blossoms on a spring day
I watch from my window, in awe of this display.

Calendar March, the weather all wrong
Days should be bright and long
Unexpected snowfall, sign of larger exchange?

World upended by climate change

CRH who?

Neuroscience humor. Studying CRH-PVN neurons and stress this week. 

Knock knock.

Who's there? 

CRH. 

CRH who? 

CRH releasing PVN, causing stress to you!

Stress v Anxiety in Autism - what's the difference.

First a lighthearted take

Stress is when you're stuck in traffic and late for an important meeting, while anxiety is when you're stuck in traffic and your brain starts to imagine all the worst-case scenarios that could happen at the meeting. They both make you feel like you're about to lose your mind, but with anxiety, you have to deal with the added bonus of your own overactive imagination!

Before you speak, ask yourself

Before you speak, ask yourself: 

Is it kind?

Is it necessary?

Does it improve the silence?

-Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Empathy is the ability to understand without judgement

Contemplation, one line a day.Towards a more humane society, an empathic society. 

 

SSTPQ - The Self, Space, and Time Perception Questionnaire

Lexicon [Measures] - SSTPQ

 

The SSTPQ consists of 13 questions and measures three distinct constructs and aims to capture individuals' subjective experiences and perceptions related to cognition areas of.

• perception of time
• differentiation between self-voice and other-voice
• perception of PPS

Scoring is on a Likert scale and individual scores provide a total score.  Interpretation may involve comparing the scores to established norms/controls

Limitations:

• Reliance on self report means social desirability bias and the limitations of introspection.
• Sub measures not explicitly stated

Potential Limitation in Autism Populations:

• Autistics may have atypical perceptions of time, self-voice and other-voice, and PPS.
• Sensory and cognitive processing differences in autism may influence the accuracy of self-report measures.
• Some may have difficulties expressing their experiences or perceiving these constructs in the same way as NT
• The SSTPQ may not capture the full range of submeasure variations observed in autism, as the questionnaire's dimensions and items may not align with the unique experiences and challenges faced by autistics