Fond memories of Greek Theatre, built in 1903.
Bonfire Night before the Big Game and who can forget the finale - Psychology Dept Commencement where I gave a speech on stage.
Feelings and Body Signals in Autism
[Plain Language for Lay Audience]
Alexithymia means having trouble recognizing and describing your own emotions. People with alexithymia often can't tell what they are feeling and find it hard to explain their emotions to others. This can make it difficult to connect with others and share feelings.
Interoception is the ability to sense and understand signals from inside your body. These signals include things like hunger, thirst, heartbeat, temperature, breathing, and the need to go to the bathroom. Interoception helps keep our bodies balanced and healthy by letting us know what we need and how we feel inside. It also plays a big role in how we experience and control our emotions by linking our body sensations to our feelings.
Both alexithymia and interoception issues can happen together in autism.
Autistics might have unusual interoceptive awareness, meaning they can be more or less aware of their body signals than other people. This can cause problems like not noticing when they are uncomfortable or sick, or misunderstanding changes in their emotions, which are important for social interactions and taking care of their health.
Here are some examples of how this can affect autistics:
- Eating: Not knowing when they feel full, which can lead to overeating.
- Anxiety: Not feeling their heart race when they are anxious, making it harder to know they are stressed.
- Pain: Feeling an injection as more painful than usual, or not showing pain, which can confuse doctors.
- Exercise vs. Anxiety: Mixing up a racing heart from exercise (good) with a racing heart from fear (not good).
- Toilet Training: Taking longer to learn to use the toilet or having random accidents even into adulthood because their body can't recognize when they need to go.
From a brain science perspective, the insular cortex and the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) are important for interoception. The insula helps combine body signals with thoughts and emotions, while the ACC is involved in feeling pain. In autism, these brain areas might work differently, affecting how body signals and emotions are processed. Studies using brain scans have shown that the insula reacts differently during body signal tasks in autism, which might explain their unique interoceptive experiences.
Addressing both alexithymia and interoception is important for improving emotional understanding and overall well-being. Helping autistics improve their interoceptive skills can lead to better emotional control and awareness, making it easier for them to connect with others and take care of their health.
2 Versions of this article:
Plain Language for Lay Audience
Other Articles in Plain Language #PlainSpeak
Hybrid employment models
Mainstream discussions around remote and hybrid employment models often focus on productivity, or the perceived reduced networking and socialization.
Paradoxically, these very reasons serve to increase productivity for many disabled people, including the autism community.
- 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/
Thriving and Flourishing.
“Positive psychology in the context of autism… is people with autism thriving and flourishing, and moving beyond surviving." - Hari Srinivasan
https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/aut.2024.38246.pw
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Misunderstanding that autistics with higher support needs do not experience mental health issues.
"Accessibility and inclusivity of positive psychology interventions is limited across the spectrum, particularly for the most marginalized members… A critical misunderstanding that exemplifies these issues is the misconception that autistics with higher support needs do not experience mental health issues. This not only excludes a significant portion of the autistic population from mental health initiatives but also from the benefits that positive psychology can offer, highlighting the urgent need for more inclusive and accessible practices in this field." - Hari Srinivasan
https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/aut.2024.38246.pw
A nice note
Got a nice package in the mail with this note, as I head into the next Duke ACE meeting.
"Willy-nilly... existing autism research findings, and the resultant therapies and educational strategies, have been applied across the board to all autistics.
Unfortunately, a lack of success in therapies not suited for you in the first place, leads to negative downstream impacts such as being placed in low expectations classrooms, the closure of opportunities, and less than positive lifetime outcomes."
-Hari Srinivasan, Time
Blindsight and its relevance to Autism
Autism Lexicon: Blindsight
Blindsight refers to the residual visual capabilities in individuals with damage to the primary visual cortex, allowing them to respond to visual stimuli without conscious perception. Its relevance to autism lies in investigating the potential for similar dissociations between conscious and subconscious sensory processing in autistic individuals.[Read More: Academic/Scientific Audience ]
PlainSpeak: Blindsight is a phenomenon where people with certain types of brain damage can respond to visual stimuli without consciously seeing them. Its connection to autism involves exploring how sensory information might be processed differently in both conditions, sometimes without conscious awareness. [Read more: PlainSpeak Plain Language for Lay Audience]
"Strengths-based opportunities are what the disability rights movement has always advocated and include education, technology, communication support, and accommodations, which have empowered individuals like myself....
Challenge-based solutions involve researching physiology, brain biology, gene-environment interactions, biomarkers, precision medicine, sensorimotor supports, and developing long- term supports, treatments, and technologies. Such care also needs to be part of routine care and delivered in mainstream settings for autistics that need these solutions. Neglecting these challenges leads to marginalization and impedes true inclusion and belonging"
Challenge-based solutions involve researching physiology, brain biology, gene-environment interactions, biomarkers, precision medicine, sensorimotor supports, and developing long- term supports, treatments, and technologies. Such care also needs to be part of routine care and delivered in mainstream settings for autistics that need these solutions. Neglecting these challenges leads to marginalization and impedes true inclusion and belonging"
- Hari Srinivasan, Newsweek
Understanding Neurophysiological and Neurobiological Perspectives in Autism
When discussing autism, we often focus on behaviors—how someone communicates or interacts with others. However, to truly understand autism, it’s important to look deeper into the brain's functioning. Neurophysiological and neurobiological perspectives offer insights into the brain's activity and structure in autism.
Neurophysiology: The Brain in Action
Neurophysiology refers to the study of the brain's electrical and chemical processes. In simpler terms, it looks at how the brain functions in real time. For autistics, neurophysiology can explain why sensory experiences might feel more intense or overwhelming. Research using EEG has shown that autistic brains often respond differently to sensory stimuli, with variations in brain wave patterns that suggest heightened sensitivity or delayed processing . This difference in neural activity can contribute to sensory overload and the need for certain sensory accommodations.
Neurobiology: The Brain's Structure and Development
Neurobiology, on the other hand, examines the brain's physical structure, development, and genetics. It looks at the brain's "hardware"—its neurons, synapses, and the genes that influence its development. In autism, neurobiological studies have found variations in brain regions involved in social behavior and emotion processing, such as the amygdala and prefrontal cortex . These differences can affect how autistic individuals perceive and respond to social stimuli, contributing to the diverse range of social behaviors seen in autism.Genetic research also plays a significant role in neurobiology. Many studies have identified genes associated with autism, highlighting the genetic underpinnings that contribute to brain development and function . These insights are crucial for understanding the diverse expressions of autism and for developing personalized approaches to support autistic individuals.
Bridging Neurophysiology and Neurobiology
Combining neurophysiological and neurobiological perspectives provides a more comprehensive understanding of autism. For example, if an autistic person has a neurobiological difference in the connectivity between brain regions involved in emotion processing, this might lead to a neurophysiological response that is heightened or atypical when encountering emotional or social cues.
References
- Orekhova, E. V., Stroganova, T. A., Nyström, P., & Gillberg, C. (2006). Excess of high frequency electroencephalogram oscillations in boys with autism. Biological Psychiatry, 62(9), 1022-1029.
- Schumann, C. M., & Amaral, D. G. (2006). Stereological analysis of amygdala neuron number in autism. Journal of Neuroscience, 26(29), 7674-7679.
- Geschwind, D. H. (2011). Genetics of autism spectrum disorders. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 15(9), 409-416.
WITH MORE THAN 275 ATTENDEES FROM 12 COUNTRIES, THE PRESENTATION WAS AMONG THE HIGHEST ATTENDED IN THE 10-YEAR HISTORY OF THE DUKE AUTISM SEMINAR SERIES.
On April 3, 2024, Hari Srinivasan presented the keynote address in the Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development's 2023-24 Autism Seminar Series, in recognition of Autism Acceptance Month.
A self-advocate, Srinivasan is a PhD student in neuroscience at Vanderbilt University, an alumnus of the University of California, Berkeley, a Paul & Daisy Soros Fellow, a NISE fellow at the Frist Center for Autism & Innovation at Vanderbilt University, and a public member of the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee. He is a member of the Duke ACE Advisory Committee.
In his presentation, "Redefine the Table," Srinivasan illuminated the critical need for autistic individuals not just to sit at the table where autism is discussed, but to fundamentally redefine the table itself. He invited participants to consider a shift in perspective from binary views of autism to a more integrated approach that recognizes the complex, multifaceted experiences of autistic individuals.
Through his personal narrative and professional insights, Srinivasan underscored the importance of redefining the conversation around autism and disability to foster true belonging, inclusivity, and meaningful support across the lifespan. This redefinition calls for embracing multiple aspects of disability.
He advocates for both strengths-based opportunities as well as challenge-based solutions, acknowledging the diverse needs and potential of autistics across the spectrum. His talk challenged the audience to reconsider their perspectives around disability to achieve equity in social, medical, and research spaces.
WITH MORE THAN 275 ATTENDEES FROM 12 COUNTRIES, THE PRESENTATION WAS AMONG THE HIGHEST ATTENDED IN THE 10-YEAR HISTORY OF THE DUKE AUTISM SEMINAR SERIES.
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