Neurotransmitters Flow in this Autism Mind

Autistic inertia refers to the challenges autistics may face in initiating, switching, or stopping activities, which can significantly impact various aspects of their lives, from daily routines to employment and social interactions. It manifests in numerous ways, including difficulties with time management, adjusting to changes, motivation, and focusing on tasks. Support strategiesinclude providing structure, teaching time management, organizing activities around energy levels, using visual reminders, establishing routines, breaking tasks down into manageable steps, and offering prompts or assistance with task initiation. [More on autistic inertia here].

While there are no current scales to measure autistic inertia, we could perhaps use one of the measures like CATI (Comprehensive Autistic Trait Inventory) [post on CATI] which covers a broad range of autistic traits, and has subscales may indirectly relate to behaviors and experiences that could be associated with autistic inertia; specifically - social interactions (SOC), communication (COM), social camouflage (CAM), repetitive behaviors (REP), cognitive rigidity (RIG), and sensory sensitivity (SEN).

Cognitive Rigidity (RIG) could relate to difficulties with changing activities or adapting to new tasks, as it may measure aspects of flexibility in thinking and behavior.
Repetitive Behaviors (REP) might also have connections to autistic inertia, given that a preference for sameness and routine or repetitive actions could impact the ability to start or stop activities.
Sensory Sensitivity (SEN) could influence autistic inertia by affecting how sensory inputs are processed, potentially making transitions between activities more challenging.
Social Interactions (SOC): Difficulties in understanding and engaging in social interactions could exacerbate feelings of inertia by increasing anxiety or reluctance to transition into social activities or contexts, impacting the ability to initiate or change social engagements.
Communication (COM): Challenges with verbal and non-verbal communication may contribute to autistic inertia by making the prospect of initiating or adapting to communicative tasks more daunting, leading to delays or avoidance of these activities.
Social Camouflage (CAM): The effort required to mask autistic traits in social situations could lead to increased inertia, as the mental and emotional resources expended on camouflaging may reduce the capacity to engage with new tasks or changes.

While these subscales can provide insights into traits that might influence or correlate with autistic inertia, it's important to note that autistic inertia as a specific construct might require more targeted assessment tools or approaches to fully understand and measure its impact on autistics. The CATI provides a broad overview of autistic traits within the general population and is not designed to diagnose autism or directly measure autistic inertia.

Contemplation, one thought a day

With optimism, the impossible becomes possible and the possible becomes probable.

Stimming in Autism - The Why and What

Stimming, a common behavior in autistics, encompasses a variety of sensory and motor actions.

Types of Stims

Self-Stimming

Visual: Triggered by or seeking lighting change - including flicking fingers in front of eyes, staring at ceiling fans, and repeated blinking.
Auditory: Manifest as tapping on objects, snapping fingers, replaying songs, humming, repeating words or sounds, and tongue clicking.
Olfactory & Taste: Involving smelling objects (even unpleasant odors), eating non-food items like paper, and licking body parts.
Tactile: Such as rubbing skin.
Vestibular & Proprioceptive: Including rocking, toe-walking, pacing, jumping, rolling, spinning, and throwing objects.

Self-Stims leading to Self-Injurious Behavior (SIB)

Actions like head banging, biting one's own wrist, and excessive skin rubbing that can cause tissue damage.

Stimming on Objects/Activities:

Lining up objects (e.g., lining up toys)
Creating specific patterns with objects, rejecting all other arrangements.
Spinning wheels on toys. Looking at the ceiling fan spinning.

Why do autistics Stim? Stimming behaviors can serve various purposes, such as:

Reducing anxiety and calming oneself.
Aiding in sensory and emotional regulation.
Self-soothing, communicating, experiencing excitement.
Coping with overstimulation or boredom.
Avoiding tasks or seeking attention.
Stimulating senses
Expressing frustration, particularly in those with communication challenges.
Easing pain or discomfort
Could be indicative of seizure activity.

Differences Between Autistic and Non-Autistic Stimming:

The irony is that neurotypicals stim all the time too like the endless clicking of the TV remote, doodling, chewing the end of a pencil or pen, drumming fingers etc. NT stimming are regarded as "socially acceptable"

Autistic stimming often differs in its intensity and ability to be moderated/changed/stopped according to the situation.

How much stimming is too much:

While some level of stimming can be calming, crossing a certain threshold may lead to behaviors resembling Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), further inducing anxiety.
What might a mild, controllable/adaptable habit in an non-autistic, could become an unmanageable compulsion in a non autistic.

Stimming in autism is a multifaceted behavior with various forms and functions. Understanding these behaviors is crucial for providing appropriate support and interventions. It's important to recognize the individual needs and experiences of each person with Autism, as stimming serves different purposes and requires a tailored approach in each case.

Progress over Perfection

In the quest for progress, perfection we ease
For wisdom and growth, our hearts find peace

Through trials and errors, we gain insight

Becoming discerning, in life's long flight.

Philosophy teaches that imperfections define

The path to enlightenment, a radiant sign

In our journey, self improvement bound

Progress over perfection, wisdom is found.

Contemplation, one line a day

Equanimity is the self-awareness that allows us to grow and learn

#MentalHealth

Contemplation, one line a day

Serenity is the trust that comes with believing in ourselves and our abilities.

Contemplation, one note a day

Contentment is the freedom that comes with letting go of attachment.

The Decerebrate Cat Walking Experiment

In the realm of scientific exploration, certain experiments push boundariesin ways not acceptable by modern ethical standards. One such experiment involves decerebrate cats (popular in the 1940-50s and not done anymore), but which shed light on locomotion,

The Decerebrate Cat Walking Experiment: The video showcases a decerebrate cat walking on a treadmill at varying speeds, revealing three distinct gait patterns. Decerebrate cats have had their cerebral cortex removed, leaving the brainstem intact. Essentially the cat was paralyzed as its spinal cord didn't talk to its brain anymore which means there was not enough muscle tone to keep the body upright; so researched used a harness to hold the weight of the body.

Locomotion was initiated by sensory input of the limbs on the moving thredmill.

The primary goal of these experiments was to explore the extent of the brain's involvement in controlling movement. At what level in the brain is behavior (locomotion) controlled. Researchers aimed to test the idea that much of locomotion control might be inherent to an animal's biomechanics, rather than relying heavily on conscious brain commands.

Findings:

Minimal Brain Control: during locomotion, especially in activities like walking, trotting, or running, minimal control comes from the brain itself. Instead, the experiments suggest that a significant portion of locomotion control is achieved through biomechanical and morphological features of the animal's body.
Biomechanical Design: The experiments support the concept of passive dynamic locomotion, which proposes that animals are capable of controlling their movements efficiently by taking advantage of their natural biomechanical structure.

These findings have broad implications, from improving prosthetics and exoskeletons to advancing neural interface technology and rehabilitation practices, ultimately benefiting individuals with paralysis and advancing our understanding of locomotion in both animals and machines.

Diagnostic Overshadowing Issue in Autism

To drive true progress and improve the quality of life of all autistics we need BOTH Strengths_based_Opportunities AND Challenges_based_Solutions.

It is not Either-Or.

-Hari Srinivasan, Newsweek

Read full article at: https://www.newsweek.com/dual-approach-autism-opinion-1818062

#Autism #Research #Strengths_based_opportunities #Challenges_based_solutions.