Discussion on Epilepsy in Autism

 

https://brainfoundation.org/empowering-voices-epilepsy-in-autism/

on 6/2/23. 

Registration https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Y_T4XhL8SqazIsqfkg4AjA#/registration

Grandma at Vandy

Saroja Paati (Grandma) visiting from India

and a visit to Vandy

A proud and beaming grandma at the Frist Center and outside my office space at the LASR Research Lab.

 

Compassion is the light that shines in the eyes of those who care

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

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

 

Egocentric spatiotemporal perception

Concepts in Sensorimotor Research. 

Egocentric spatiotemporal perception refers to the perception of one's self and body in time and space. 

It is a fundamental aspect of self-consciousness and scaffolds our subjective experience of being present, in the here and now, which is vital for our survival and wellbeing. 

Alterations may lead to feelings of self-detachment, self-fragmentation, and body and world alienation.

Disability in Strength

A new mural titled “Disability is Strength, at Oakland Airport honors visionaries who helped 

build the movement for disability rights and independence, and present a vision for a future of full inclusion, rights and justice.The mural features disability rights pioneers Ed Roberts, Judith Heumann and Brad Lomax.

Judy Heumann, one of the great and recently deceased disability rights early advocates once said, "Independent Living isn't doing everything by yourself – it's being in control of how things are done."

Read on at https://www.oaklandairport.com/mural-exhibit-featuring-disabled-artists-and-disability-rights-activists-hung-at-the-oakland-airport/

Compassion is the key that unlocks the door to forgiveness

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

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

 

Depersonalization and Autism

[a poem written many years back that captures the essence of Depersonlization]

What is  Depersonalization Disorder (DPD)

• Loss of body ownership /disembodiment feelings / somatosensory distortions/ loss of agency: distressing feelings of being 'spaced out', detached from one's self, body, and the world (observing yourself from a distance).
• atypical 'flat' time perception (alterations in perception, including disruptions in the perception of time. )

Research findings on DPD and atypical time perception in the NT population

• Distorted perception of time: Tendency to overestimate the duration of time intervals, perceiving time as slower than it actually is which can contribute to the overall sense of detachment (1,2)
• Neural correlates of time perception: fMRI studies show differences in brain activity and connectivity patterns in regions associated with time processing, eg: PFC and parietal cortex (3,4)
• Role of attentional processes: Difficulties in allocating attention appropriately, leading to a reduced ability to accurately perceive and process temporal information (5,6)
• Emotional factors: Emotional states, eg anxiety and stress, can modulate time perception, leading to temporal distortions. DP folks often experience heightened levels of anxiety and emotional distress, which may contribute to their altered perception of time. (1,2)

Caveat: This is a complex phenomena and further research is needed to fully understand underlying mechanisms.

Reasons why DPD may co-occur with autism

• Both involve atypical sensory processing suggesting a potential shared underlying connection. 
• Overlap in Symptoms: Though there are distinct dx criteria, both share some overlapping symptoms, such as a sense of detachment from oneself, difficulties with emotional regulation, and social challenges. 
• Neurobiological Factors: Though the specific mechanisms and neural circuits may differ, both potentially involve alterations in brain functioning and connectivity.
• Impact on Functioning: Co-occurrence may exacerbate the challenges in everyday functioning especially in areas of social interactions and emotional well-being.

Research Findings in Autism and Implications

• 17% autistics met the diagnostic criteria for DPD, compared to 2% non-autistic (7)
• Compared to controls, autism+DPD more likely to have
• higher anxiety and depression (8)
• more difficulty with social interaction and communication (9)
• more repetitive behaviors and special interests (10)

Caveat: Research is all over the place when it comes to autism, so nothing is set in stone.

 

Versions of this article for Academic/Scientific Audience and #PlainSpeak for Lay Reader

PD Soros Fall Conference

 

I went in with a lot of anxiety last year and ended up having a lot of fun.

Looking forward to this year's event in Manhattan, NY on Oct 19-22

Compassion is the thread that weaves the fabric of society

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

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

 

What is Depersonalization Disorder

In Plain Language Version for Lay Reader

What is Depersonalization Disorder (DPD)?

Depersonalization Disorder (DPD) is a condition where people feel disconnected from their own body, self, and surroundings. This might feel like being "spaced out," watching yourself from a distance, or not feeling in control of your own actions. People with DPD may also have strange experiences with their senses and a warped sense of time, like feeling that time is moving slower than it really is.

Time Perception in DPD

• Distorted Time: People with DPD often feel that time moves slower, making them overestimate how long things take. This can add to their feeling of being detached.
• Brain Differences: Brain scans show that people with DPD have different brain activity in areas that process time, like the prefrontal cortex and parietal cortex.
• Attention Issues: People with DPD may have trouble focusing their attention, which makes it hard for them to accurately sense time.
• Emotional Impact: High anxiety and stress can change how people with DPD perceive time, making it feel even more distorted.

Why DPD May Happen Alongside Autism

• Sensory Processing: Both DPD and autism involve unusual ways of processing sensory information, suggesting a possible link.
• Similar Symptoms: While DPD and autism are different, they share some symptoms, like feeling detached from oneself and having trouble with emotions and social situations.
• Brain Function: Both conditions may involve changes in brain function and connectivity, although the specific details differ.
• Impact on Daily Life: Having both DPD and autism can make everyday tasks, social interactions, and emotional well-being more challenging.

Research Findings

• Prevalence: About 17% of autistic people have DPD, compared to 2% of non-autistic people.
• Additional Challenges: Autistic people with DPD are more likely to experience higher anxiety and depression, more difficulty with social interaction and communication, and more repetitive behaviors and special interests.
• Need for More Research: Understanding the connection between autism and DPD is complex, and more research is needed to uncover the full picture.

Versions of this article for Academic/Scientific Audience and #PlainSpeak for Lay Reader

Self Referencing and Self Projecting

[Concepts in Sensorimotor Research]

Within the context of multisensory integration, self-referencing and self-projecting skills play important roles in our perception of time. 

• Self-Referencing:  general capacity of using one's own position in time to estimate/situate events in time. This skill relies on internal cues such as memory and self-awareness to place events within a temporal framework. By referencing our own experiences and the temporal context in which they occurred, we can make sense of the timing and sequence of events in our environment.
• Self-Projecting: ability to mentally move back and forward in time, maintaining the competence of correctly situating events in time. This skill allows us to anticipate future events, plan our actions, and make decisions based on the temporal context. Self-projecting skill involves mental time travel, where we can mentally simulate and project ourselves into different points in time, drawing upon past experiences and knowledge to predict and shape future events.

Both self-referencing and self-projecting skills are closely intertwined with our sensory experiences. Our senses provide us with temporal information through various cues. For example, visual stimuli provide temporal cues through motion and changes in spatial patterns, while auditory stimuli provide temporal cues through changes in pitch, intensity, and rhythm. By integrating these sensory cues with our self-referencing and self-projecting abilities, we can accurately perceive and situate events in time.

Suicide Mortality in Autistics

 

No surprise, a Taiwan study found higher rates of suicide in autistics vs non-autistics. #MentalHealth

"autistic individuals had increased risks of all-cause mortality, natural-cause mortality, and suicide mortality compared with non-autistic individuals. Furthermore, autistic males were more likely to die by suicide, and autistic females were more likely to die of accident compared with the non-autistic individuals."

Oh deer!

Early morning deer chilling in front yard. 

 

Autistic Inertia

Parallels to Newton's Law of Inertia

Newton's first law of motion, the law of inertia, states that an object at rest remains at rest, and an object in motion continues in a straight line at constant velocity unless acted upon by an external force. This principle implies that an object maintains its state of motion or rest until a force induces a change.

Autistic Inertia

Autistic inertia can be conceptualized by drawing parallels to Newton's law of inertia, characterizing the difficulties some autistic individuals encounter in initiating and terminating tasks across behavioral, cognitive, and attentional domains.

• Initiating Tasks (An Object at Rest Will Stay at Rest): Autistics frequently exhibit significant impairments in task initiation, akin to a state of behavioral or cognitive inertia. This may resemble catatonia [post on catatonia], necessitating substantial external stimuli to overcome the initial inertia and achieve task commencement.

• Terminating Tasks (An Object in Motion Will Stay in Motion): Conversely, autistics often demonstrate difficulty in disengaging from tasks once initiated. This persistent engagement can lead to repetitive, unproductive behaviors or ruminative thoughts, paralleling obsessive-compulsive tendencies. Certain forms of stereotyped behaviors (e.g., stimming) may also reflect this aspect of inertia.

Neuroscientific manifestations of autistic inertia include:

• Task Transitioning: Deficits in neural mechanisms underlying task switching and cognitive flexibility, potentially involving the prefrontal cortex and parietal regions.
• Environmental Adaptation: Impaired adaptability to dynamically changing environments, possibly linked to disrupted sensory integration and motor planning circuits.
• Sustained Attention: Challenges in maintaining attention on tasks, which may involve dysregulation of the fronto-parietal attention network.
• Attention Mode Switching: Difficulty transitioning between focused and diffuse attention states, implicating the default mode network and attentional control systems.
• Executive Dysfunction: Impaired executive functions, including initiation, planning, and decision-making, associated with altered prefrontal cortex activity.
• Mental Health: Elevated anxiety and depression levels further complicate these cognitive and behavioral impairments.

These challenges contribute to a significant cognitive load, where initiating or stopping actions depletes cognitive resources ("spoons") [post on Spoon Theory], potentially leading to autistic burnout.

Etiology

Autistic inertia may arise from multiple neurobiological factors:

• Sensory Overload: Excessive sensory input leading to neural hyperactivity and cognitive overload.
• Motor Apraxia: Impairments in motor planning and execution, potentially involving the premotor cortex and supplementary motor area.
• Coordination Issues: Disruptions in motor coordination circuits, including the cerebellum and basal ganglia.
• Executive Dysfunction: Dysregulation of prefrontal-executive networks impacting task initiation and cognitive control.
• Anxiety: Heightened amygdala reactivity and dysregulated stress-response systems exacerbating cognitive and behavioral inertia.

These factors hinder the ability to complete tasks, adhere to schedules, and maintain employment or academic performance, often culminating in autistic burnout [post on autistic burnout].

Advantages

Paradoxically, the same neural mechanisms contributing to autistic inertia can facilitate hyper-focus, enabling intense concentration and expertise in specific areas.

Misconceptions

Autistic inertia is frequently misattributed to laziness or lack of motivation. Such misconceptions disregard the underlying neurocognitive and motor coordination challenges. Inertia is not exclusive to individuals with low support needs; it may be pronounced in those with concomitant movement disorders, sensory dysregulation, and motor coordination difficulties.

Interventions

Addressing autistic inertia necessitates targeted interventions:

• External Cues and Reminders: Utilizing external prompts to aid in task transitions.
• Personalized Support: Tailoring interventions to the individual's specific neurocognitive and sensory profiles.

Implementing these strategies can mitigate the impact of autistic inertia, enhancing daily functioning and reducing the risk of burnout.

2 Versions of this Post

For the Academic/Scientific Audience

PlainSpeak. In Plain Language For the Lay Audience 

Related Terms: A Chara ,    Allistic,    Aspie,    Atypical,  Autistic Burnout,  Autistic Inertia,  Catatonia,   Crip Time,   Critical Disability Studies,   Disability Justice Movement,  Disability Rights Movement,   Disability Eugenics,   Feeble-Minded,   Imbecile,   Inspiration Porn,  Masking/Camoflauging,   Microaggressions,   Neurominority,   Ofa Ahi Latu,   R-Word,   Savant,   Spoon Theory,   Takiwatanga,  Trains,  Ubuntu,    Ugly Laws,   Upstander

Catatonia in Autism

Catatonia in autistic individuals is characterized by significant motor abnormalities, which can include immobility, rigid posturing, repetitive or stereotypic movements, and a markedly reduced responsiveness to external stimuli.

Catatonia in autism can present through various symptoms:

• Mutism: The inability to speak, which may be due to disruptions in neural circuits involving speech production and motor planning.
• Echolalia: The repetition of words or phrases, potentially linked to dysregulation in the neural pathways associated with language processing and executive function.
• Stereotypic Movements: Repetitive, non-functional movements that may involve neural dysfunctions in the basal ganglia and motor cortex.
• Posturing: The adoption and maintenance of unusual body positions, which could indicate abnormalities in motor planning and proprioceptive feedback systems.
• Stupor: A state of severe unresponsiveness, possibly associated with altered activity in the thalamocortical and limbic systems, affecting consciousness and responsiveness.

These manifestations suggest complex interactions between various neural systems, including the motor cortex, basal ganglia, cerebellum, and prefrontal cortex. Understanding the neural underpinnings of catatonia in autism can inform the development of targeted therapeutic interventions.

---------------

Plain Language Version

Catatonia in Autism: What You Need to Know

Catatonia in autistic people means having big problems during a catatonia episode with movement  and responding to the world around them. This can look like:

• Not Speaking (Mutism): Some autistic people with catatonia can't talk.
• Repeating Words (Echolalia): They might repeat words or phrases they hear.
• Repetitive Movements (Stereotypic Movements): They might move in the same way over and over.
• Holding Strange Positions (Posturing): They might stay in unusual body positions for a long time.
• Not Responding (Stupor): They might not respond to things happening around them.

These symptoms show that there are problems with how their brain controls movement and responds to the environment. Understanding these issues can help us find better ways to support and treat autistic people with catatonia.

Related Terms: A Chara ,    Allistic,    Aspie,    Atypical,  Autistic Burnout,   Autistic Inertia,  Catatonia,   Crip Time,   Critical Disability Studies,   Disability Justice Movement,  Disability Rights Movement,   Disability Eugenics,   Feeble-Minded,   Imbecile,   Inspiration Porn,  Masking/Camoflauging,   Microaggressions,   Neurominority,   Ofa Ahi Latu,   R-Word,   Savant,   Spoon Theory,   Takiwatanga,  Trains,  Ubuntu,    Ugly Laws,   Upstander

Compassion is the wind that carries us to new heights of understanding

 

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

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

Trait Anxiety vs State Anxiety

Trait anxiety represents a person's general predisposition to experience anxiety, while state anxiety refers to the temporary and situational experience of anxiety in response to specific events or circumstances.

CSBS - Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales

Lexicon [Measures] - CSBS

The Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales (CSBS) is an assessment tool used to evaluate the communication and symbolic behavior skills of infants and young children (6 months -24 months).

The CSBS is designed to assess three key areas of development: social interaction, communication, and symbolic behavior. It focuses on early communication skills and the ability to use gestures, sounds, and symbols to convey meaning.  It is administered through direct observation by a trained professional who interacts with the child and scores their behaviors related to social interaction, communication, and symbolic play. The assessment may involve the use of toys and props to facilitate communication and symbolic behavior.

Limitations of the CSBS include the reliance on direct observation by a trained professional, which may limit its accessibility and feasibility in certain settings. Additionally, the CSBS primarily focuses on early communication skills and symbolic behavior, and may not comprehensively assess other aspects of development or potential co-occurring conditions.

Three sub-measures of CSBS:

• Social Interaction Scale: evaluates the child's ability to engage in social interactions, joint attention, and social reciprocity.
• Communication Scale: assesses the child's use of gestures, vocalizations, and words to communicate with others.
• Symbolic Behavior Scale: measures the child's understanding and use of symbolic play and the ability to use objects in a representational manner.

Scoring and Interpretation:
The CSBS uses a scoring system that assesses the child's behaviors in each of the three sub-measures. The scores are based on specific criteria and rating scales. Interpretation involves comparing the child's performance to normative data for their age group. The CSBS provides descriptive information about the child's skills and identifies areas of strength and areas that may require further attention or intervention.

The CSBS was developed by Amy M. Wetherby and Barry M. Prizant in 1993. 

Citation:
Wetherby, A. M., & Prizant, B. M. (2002). Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales Developmental Profile (CSBS DP™) First Normed Edition. Baltimore, MD: Brookes Publishing.

Disability Rights Movement

The disability rights movement (DRM) refers to a social and political movement advocating for equal rights, inclusion, and improved quality of life for people with disabilities. The movement seeks to challenge and eliminate discrimination, stigmatization, and barriers that prevent disabled folks from fully participating in society.

DRM emerged in the late 1960s and gained significant momentum in the 1970s and 1980s. One of the key milestones was the passage of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 in the United States, which prohibited discrimination on the basis of disability in programs receiving federal funding. This was followed by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990, which further strengthened protections and rights for individuals with disabilities in various aspects of life, including employment, transportation, public accommodations, and telecommunications.

DRM focuses on promoting the principles of accessibility, independence, self-determination, and inclusion. It advocates for reasonable accommodations, accessibility in the built environment, educational opportunities, employment opportunities, healthcare access, and overall social acceptance and support for people with disabilities.

DRM has made significant advancements in raising awareness, changing societal attitudes, and implementing legal protections for people with disabilities. However, there are still ongoing challenges and areas for improvement to ensure full inclusion and equal opportunities across all aspects of life.

Compassion is the bridge that connects us to our shared humanity

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

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