Spoon Theory and Autism

Spoon theory,  to elucidate the finite physical and emotional energy reserves available to individuals with disabilities or chronic illnesses. This model employs "spoons" as units representing a person's daily energy capacity, where each activity—ranging from basic self-care to complex tasks—consumes a certain number of spoons. Individuals with disabilities must strategically allocate their limited spoons to avoid energy depletion.

Spoon theory is a metaphor used to describe the  physical and emotional energy reserves available to individuals with disabilities. The theory was created by Christine Miserandino, a woman with lupus, to help explain to her friend what it was like to live with a chronic illness. 

This model employs "spoons" as units representing a person's daily energy capacity, where each activity—ranging from basic self-care to complex tasks—consumes a certain number of spoons. Individuals with disabilities must strategically allocate/budget their limited spoons to avoid energy depletion.

The theory has become a popular way for people with disabilities to explain their experiences to others, and it has also helped to raise awareness about the challenges faced on a daily basis. It also emphasizes the need for empathy and understanding towards people who may be struggling with challenges that affect their ability to function in day-to-day life.

In the context of autism, spoon theory provides a valuable lens for understanding the heightened energy demands associated with sensory processing difficulties and social interactions. Autistics often experience sensory overload from everyday stimuli, necessitating significant cognitive and emotional resources to manage these inputs. Consequently, routine activities such as grocery shopping or attending social events can rapidly deplete their energy reserves. These experiences can be likened to using up spoons, or units of energy, more quickly than someone without sensory processing issues might.

Additionally, social interaction can also be a source of stress and exhaustion for people with autism. Social situations can require a lot of cognitive processing and emotional regulation, which can also deplete one's energy reserves.  This metaphor underscores the need for empathy and tailored support strategies, recognizing the unique challenges faced by autistic individuals in energy management. 

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2 versions of this post

For Scientific/Academic Audience

PlainSpeak in plain language for lay audience

The uncertainty principle

The uncertainty principle is a fundamental concept in quantum mechanics, which states that it is impossible to simultaneously know the exact position and momentum of a particle with absolute certainty. This means that the more precisely we know the position of a particle, the less precisely we can know its momentum, and vice versa.

The uncertainty principle was first formulated by Werner Heisenberg in 1927 and is often expressed mathematically as: Δx * Δp >= h/4π, where Δx is the uncertainty in the position of the particle, Δp is the uncertainty in its momentum, and h is Planck's constant.

The uncertainty principle has important implications for the behavior of subatomic particles, as it means that they cannot be precisely described or predicted in the same way that macroscopic objects can be. Instead, quantum mechanics uses probabilistic descriptions to predict the behavior of particles, based on the wave function that describes the probability distribution of the particle's position and momentum.

The uncertainty principle also has broader implications for our understanding of the nature of reality, as it challenges our intuition and classical conceptions of how the world works. It has become a central concept in modern physics and has led to the development of many important technologies, including the scanning tunneling microscope and the laser.

Uncertainty and Autism -  A Quantum Perspective 

Kindness is the sunshine that brightens up the world

Compassion is the light that shines in the darkness of pain

 

Towards a more Humane Society.  Contemplating a different emotion and writing one line each day on it. #MentalHealth. This month is Compassion 

Temporal Binding Window and Autism

[Concepts in Sensorimotor Research]

Temporal binding window (TBW) refers to the specific time frame during which the brain integrates and processes information from different sensory modalities. It is the period in which the brain combines and links stimuli occurring close in time and attributes them to a single event. This window is crucial for the perception of synchrony and the formation of coherent perceptual experiences.

In autistics, research suggests alterations in the TBW due to difficulties in accurately perceiving and integrating sensory information across different modalities, leading to difficulties in forming a unified perception of the world.

One aspect of the TBW that has been extensively studied in relation to autism is audiovisual integration. Typically, individuals are sensitive to the relative timing of auditory and visual stimuli and can perceive them as belonging to a single event when presented within a certain temporal proximity. However, studies have shown that autistics may have a broader or more extended TBW. This means that they require a longer temporal proximity between auditory and visual stimuli to perceive them as synchronized.

This winder TBW has implication in terms of social communication and interaction since the perception of synchrony is crucial for understanding and interpreting non-verbal cues such as facial expressions, gestures, and vocal intonations. Difficulties in integrating sensory information across different modalities can also contribute to sensory processing issues commonly observed in individuals with autism, such as hypersensitivity or hyposensitivity to certain stimuli.

TBW may also influence higher-level cognitive processes such as attention, perception of causality, and the ability to predict and anticipate events. Disruptions in these processes can impact the ability to understand the temporal structure of events and may contribute to difficulties with executive functioning.

Ubuntu

I came across this word today in our Public Voice Fellowship Training. 

Ubuntu as a framework has so many things that apply to autism advocacy, research, inclusivity, belonging, and the need for increasing knowledge and solutions in the autism space. More specifically I want to highlight. 

• Community-based approach to support autistics and their families.
• Emphasis on empathy and understanding, belonging and inclusivity
• Collaboration and cooperation which means working together to increase knowledge and solutions across the autism space instead of this conflict and undermining that is going on. We can find solutions for everyone, its not a one-size fits all. 

Ubuntu is the "I" in the "We"

Ubuntu is a philosophy that originated in Southern Africa, particularly among the Bantu peoples of South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Zambia. It is a philosophy that emphasizes the interconnectedness of all things and the importance of community, compassion, and respect for others.

At its core, the philosophy of Ubuntu is based on the idea that a person is a person through other people. Its the "I" in the "We." 

This means that individuals are not defined by their own accomplishments or achievements, but by their relationships with others and their contributions to the community. In other words, one's sense of self is deeply tied to their interactions with others and their ability to make a positive impact on the world around them.

Ubuntu also emphasizes the importance of compassion, empathy, and forgiveness. It encourages individuals to see the humanity in others, to treat everyone with respect and kindness, and to forgive others for their mistakes. This is based on the belief that everyone is connected, and that we are all responsible for creating a more just and equitable world.

Joy is the beauty that surrounds us, waiting to be noticed

  

Contemplation, one line a Day. 

Compassion is the spark that ignites the flame of hope

Towards a more Humane Society. Contemplating an emotion, 1 line a day. 

Our divided and conflicted world needs compassion more than ever.  #MentalHealth. 

Ventriloquism Effect in Multisensory Integration

[Concepts in Sensorimotor Research]

The ventriloquism effect is a fascinating example of multisensory integration, the process by which the brain combines information from different senses to create a unified percept. The brain is integrating information from the visual and auditory senses to create the perceive that the sound is coming from a location (the dummy's mouth) that is different from the actual source of the sound.

The ventriloquism effect can also occur in other situations where there is a mismatch between the visual and auditory information, such as when watching a movie with dubbed audio, or when hearing a person speak on a phone or speaker. The brain uses contextual cues to determine the location of the sound source and can be influenced by visual information, leading to the perception of the sound coming from a different location.

There is some evidence to suggest that autistics may process sensory information differently than neurotypicals, including the processing of auditory information and less fooled by the ventriloquism effect which may suggest that autistics have difficulty integrating information form different senses (which has implication in terms of social interactions).

Other studies have suggested that individuals with autism may have heightened sensitivity to certain auditory stimuli and may experience difficulty in filtering out irrelevant sounds. This hypersensitivity to sound could potentially interfere with the integration of visual and auditory information, leading to a weaker ventriloquism effect.

However the caveat is that research on the relationship between autism & ventriloquism effect is ongoing and not fully understood. So nothing is set in stone.

Sarcasm and the Literal Thinker stereotype

An autism stereotype I heard during a recent talk was "sarcasm hit-or-miss," as further evidence of a child being autistic.

But isn't "sarcasm hit-miss" is equally true of the NT population, as not everyone gets sarcasm.  

Sarcasm is not an autistic identifier and this idea seems to derive from another misconception;  

that ALL autistics must be only literal thinkers.  

 

Optimism is the lens through which we can see the world in its most beautiful form.

Cellular Neuroscience grade

I made an A in this super tough Cell Neuroscience course, filled with baffling weekly quizzes; a course which consumed most of my life this semester. 

OMG. 

 

Doing things no one can imagine

Like moi?  Deja Vu!! 

Who could have imagined I could get to do what I'm doing now. I've finished 1 year of Grad School. 

I'm still in awe and wonderstruck. 

“Sometimes it is the people no one can imagine anything of, who do the things no one can imagine.” (Alan Turing)

ASQ: Ages and Stages Questionnaires

The Ages and Stages Questionnaires (ASQ) is a developmental screening tool designed to assess the developmental progress of children from birth to 5 years of age.

The ASQ is a parent-reported questionnaire that assesses various domains of child development, including communication, fine and gross motor skills, problem-solving, personal-social skills, and adaptive behaviors. It is used to identify potential developmental delays or concerns and determine the need for further evaluation or intervention.

Limitations of the ASQ include the reliance on parent-reported information, which may be subject to biases or inaccuracies.

Scoring and Interpretation:
The ASQ uses a scoring system based on the number and nature of items that the child has achieved. Each item is scored as "yes," "sometimes," or "not yet." The scores are used to identify potential developmental concerns or delays. There are established cutoff scores for each age-specific questionnaire that help determine if further evaluation or intervention is needed.

The ASQ was developed by Jane Squires and Diane Bricker in the 1990s.

Citation:
Squires, J., & Bricker, D. (2009). Ages & Stages Questionnaires®, Third Edition (ASQ-3™). Baltimore, MD: Brookes Publishing.

Equanimity is the patience to wait for the right moment

Towards a more humane society. #MentalHealth. Contemplation, one line a day.

 

Compassion is the seed of love that blooms into kindness

Towards a more Humane Society. Contemplating an emotion, 1 line a day. 

Our divided and conflicted world needs compassion more than ever.  #MentalHealth. 

KINDNESS

Towards a more Humane Society.  Contemplating an emotion and writing one line each day on it. #MentalHealth. This month is KINDNESS 

Choose kindness today, it may be the only good someone receives.

Kindness is not just an act, it's a state of being.
Be kind, not because it's easy, but because it's necessary.
Kindness is contagious. Let's spread it like wildfire.
In a world where you can be anything, choose to be kind.
Kindness is not a weakness, it's a superpower.
Small acts of kindness can make big differences in someone's life.
The world needs more kindness. Be the change you wish to see.
A kind word can change someone's entire day.
Kindness costs nothing, but its value is immeasurable.
When in doubt, choose kindness.
Kindness is like a spark that ignites a chain reaction of goodness.
One small act of kindness can create a ripple effect that can change the world.
In a world full of hate, be the light that shines with kindness.
The world could use more kindness warriors.
Kindness is the language that everyone can understand.
The world can never have too much kindness.
Kindness is the sunshine that brightens up the world.
Kindness is the easiest currency to spread around.
Kindness is the ripple effect that can change the world.
Kindness is the fuel that ignites the fire of hope.
One small act of kindness can make a big difference in someone's life.
Kindness is the glue that binds us together as human beings.
The power of kindness is in the simplest of gestures.
Kindness is the key to unlocking the door to happiness.
Kindness is the magic that makes the world a better place.
Be kind, it costs nothing but means everything.
Kindness is the compass that guides us in the right direction.
Kindness is the gift that keeps on giving.

-Hari Srinivasan

See other posts. [JOY], [EQUANIMITY], [EMPATHY], [KINDNESS], [COMPASSION]

April 30 is Autism Seniors Day

Recognizing that autism will not magic away in old age. 

Also the fact that the thousands and thousands of young autistic adults of today will be the autistic seniors of tomorrow. 

What are the issues we will face as with both autism+Old Age? 

What kind of supports will we need?

Autism Space seen as profit making space by Private Equity

This is a continuing and troubling trend in autism. 

'...private equity investments per year tripled or quadrupled from 2018 to 2021 compared to 2015.

 ...expected investment to continue at breakneck speed

“...They needed to start showing profits and revenue that match their valuation. … So at some point, [investors] need to start seeing a return on their investment,”

 ...autism therapy space could be at the point of the investment life cycle where investors are pressuring operators to shift from scale to efficiency and profitability.

...opening clinics that reach targeted patients while being “financially healthy,” Marsh said. 

https://bhbusiness.com/2022/07/22/why-the-massive-investment-in-autism-companies-created-a-ticking-timebomb/