It’s true that autistic people have the brain/mind of a child even when they are older?
Nope, that’s an outdated conceptualization of autism and has been for quite some time.
I’m actually very fascinated by this, but you seem to have forgotten your context. I have a severely autistic brother in law with down syndrome. He’s non-verbal but definitely comprehends much of what is going on around him beyond how a child reacts to the world. Can you tell me where to read more about this? Honestly, I’m not sure what I would google to find this study.
I don’t have a professional understanding of the subject tbqh but I frequently talk to people who do and while we both kvetch about work, they often mention how autism spectrum disorders are understood much more granularly now and focus more specifically on the types of cognitive impairments or areas of difficulty. Someone can have poor audio processing but still be able to visually identify and categorize stimuli. They may be able to process information easily in the moment but struggle to retain said information. In the past, this would simply be categorized as child-like, but that doesn’t really give a good understanding of what’s happening in the person’s brain.
As far as further reading… I can’t really make any recommendations, but I know there’s a great deal more study now than there was, say, 30 years ago.
He’s non-verbal but definitely comprehends much of what is going on around him beyond how a child reacts to the world.
How do you know what he comprehends if he hasn’t told you?
How do we know anything? I spend a lot of time around him, observed his behaviors and interactions with the world, and have taken away that he is more capable than some people understand. I’m not making a general observation, just a personal one, hence why I am asking for further studies to imperically show me the general data.
As a bit of a rant, what you’ve said is pretty silly in any context. Are you telling me body language and physical interaction are not inherent forms of communication? We evolved and worked together for millions of years without spoken word.
I confess I misread your comment; I thought you said he “comprehends much of what is going on around him how a child reacts to the world.”
As an autistic person, no. Not in any literal sense anyway.
If you’ve only ever been exposed to the depiction of non-verbal, extremely sensitive-to-stimuli, routine-oriented, potentially-violent, autistic kids, that you see on TV, you could be forgiven for thinking this.
But, no, that’s only an exceptionally small window of what autism is. Most cases of autism aren’t so severe, and most people learn coping strategies as they grow up that let them live relatively-normal lives. Even severe cases can do this, but it tends to take more time, and more focused, expert care.
You probably know autistic adults, and aren’t even aware. Or, potentially, you just write them off as being loners or not good with people or having some other character flaw, that ultimately stems from their coping mechanisms.
No.
Some of them do. See: Elon Musk
Some of them don’t. See: Albert Einstein, Anthony Hopkins, Emily Dickinson, Bobby Fischer, Bill Gates, Lionel Messi
You forgot Dan Aykroyd
Welp, someone has been listening to RFK…rip.
Did rfk actually say this? Those worms in his head are hard at work.
He said they will never hold a job or go on a date, and of course they will never pay taxes
It’s a spectrum for one thing, you’re not going to have any broad generalizations like this across the population
Answer: No.
Also I think this would have been a better fit for the No Stupid Questions community, but I also believe it doesn’t deserve this many downvotes.
It kind of degrades my respect and trust for this community. The fact that we need a completely different subreddit so people can try to educate themselves on sensitive subjects is pretty sad. I’d get it if this guy was asking in bad faith, but it seems like a sincere question.
I think the down votes are due to the phrasing, saying it’s instead of is it.
