FW: (NZASD) Does autism exist?
Neil <n.clark <at> clear.net.nz>
2011-03-14 02:29:17 GMT
What is Autism?
`Aut' means or suggests `Self' apparently.
Everyone is born with Autism. I see traits of it in everyone.
There's no-one better to see these traits than
someone that has the syndrome or dis-ease of Autism itself.
Autism: Genetic, environmental or developmental?
Different types of Autism with different unknown causes,
but with one uniting label.
They have some common symptoms characteristics
but as individuals are totally unique.
Genetics tells us we are all different apparently,
even identical twins have a different character.
Even a genetic code can be rotated;
parts switched on or off to give different results.
We are all affected by the environment external to us.
Also our internal environment is important
to our health, feeling and survival.
We don't know what Autism is. It's just a label of an unknown.
What is the cause of Autism?
It's very hard to say what the cause is,
if one doesn't also know what `Autism' is.
Let's go down the developmental route
that many sociologists and females use.
Autistics are at a disadvantage in social, emotional areas etc.
Let's ignore the physical and tiredness impairments for now
and assign them as just (secondary?) symptoms.
Emotions and sleep are very important in forming memories.
Development is dependent on a normal ability to create,
retrieve and imagine with memories.
Also memory is needed to create an image of `self'
(which seems different in Autistics).
There is one very important developmental step in a baby's life,
in which, as a prelude to learning from others,
he learns what self awareness is.
It basically is the very first step from the womb.
Awareness then learning is processing inputs and
creating or imagining from the infinite of possibilities
some sense or pattern.
Autistics will often create pattern or order
by lining up plastic animals.
They are still stuck at this early developmental stage.
Until they master it perhaps they can't move on,
it's like an essential building block.
This is probably worth talking about.
What is this `self'
and what has it got to do with how everyone forms memories?
What has emotion got to do with it all?
Also how can one ultimately learn how to be `normal',
an active involved part of society?
You may find an Autistic doesn't want to.
`Self' is something that the Autistic is working on.
Also you may find that `he' tries to control the environment,
or others; in some instances, to be left alone.
My son Sais `Bye'
(the only word he has retained, after speaking and regressing
back to this present Autistic stage of development).
An Autistic is self absorbed mostly
in a world of his own, doing his own thing.
Sometimes he will be on the fringe of a social group
interested in what is happening
(perhaps in case it affects him).
Self is important to know about
because it is a vital reference point to compare it with others.
I.e. No appreciation of others is possible without an awareness of `one self'.
You many say that all Autistics do is involved with their `self'.
So why haven't they moved on?
Their abilities to form (normal) memories (I reply myself)
How does one form (normal) memories?
They simply require combining an event with a suitable emotional tag.
If one is in pain all events are associated with pain.
Who wants to remember pain?
An Autistic doesn't want pain so he tries not to imagine it.
He feels attacked from whatever, perhaps environmentally; externally or even
If the perceived attack is internal
he will produce an autoimmune response to protect himself.
This is a cyclic chicken & the egg problem.
Which came first?
Was it the autoimmune problem or the memory problem or is it some other cause
that came first?
I don't remember.
Consciousness, fear and pain is something that is learned, it takes time.
Things that take time are labelled as developmental.
Regressive Autism takes time.
Paul developed normally until others noticed a difference
(I didn't initially until others told me).
Then he became less social, more afraid, lost this language,
ability to speak and understand.
I suppose if you don't use speech you lose the ability to speak also.
It is only recently that we have discovered he does understand some of the
He picks out a keyword that he translates into something that makes sense to
I have always done that myself,
but was able to select three keywords and make sense of that.
It takes a lot of processing and is tiring,
hence the craving for certain sweet things (Coke) and food!
(MacDonalds, KFC, luncheon meat).
All those things that have additives (like msg), that can create hyperactivity
Those three words used to mean an infinite number of things,
hence very good for new ideas etc.
But now I'm old and tired, I time out quickly.
Basically my understanding is very literally based.
I have to work it out each time someone talks.
I don't have a good memory to recall what those three words mean.
I.e. I do such things manually compared to others automatic understanding of
The memory is poor because my emotions are suppressed.
I felt nothing when my wife died, but I feel guilty for that.
Why are my emotions suppressed?
Because I don't want to remember my constant background pain,
that can be significant.
It's a bit like putting petrol on your leg and lighting it, if you can imagine.
My son and I may not be Autistic any more;
perhaps time has removed the cause, whatever that was.
But what remains are the residuals and symptoms.
In my case I've always been able to cope,
in my own way, in a `normal world'.
I think I probably have an advantage or an emergent ability
from my disability that supersedes the ability of others (et al).
But that is my self identity saying that.
Silly logic Sais: if one can imagine everyone else is inferior,
then logically, one can be considered superior.
That's binary logic: like saying things are either true or false.
True and false don't exist; one has to imagine they do.
In my world, everything is both true and false.
Everyone has his own unique beliefs and truth,
even though they may be opposite to others.
Aren't they after all valid and co-existing?
All my senses give me different and often conflicting perspectives.
They arrive with different timings, not simultaneously;
memory often delayed a year or more, recalled in a sleep perhaps.
Can't I accept them all as valid? Can you?
How could one truth or perspective exist, it doesn't make sense to me.
One thought nags me; perhaps Autism doesn't exist at all.
It was you who wanted to give it a label hence some existence or truth.
It was you, not me; as I'm a good boy, because my Mum said so.
She believes in me
Sounds like I've wandered off topic.
I don't even remember what it was, so remind me.
Well don't, I like to keep to myself.
All mad people like to talk to themselves.
Feedback would be a nice change though.
I love it when people disagree with me;
hopefully it means that they thought about it manually, by themselves,
without resorting to an automatic programmed response.
I realise challenging others beliefs can be dangerous.
(The `twin towers' are no more)
That's why I hide behind email as I'm afraid of people.
I am an echo station, I have said this all before.
Neil Clark :- http://3service.freeservers.com/autism.html
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/nzasd/ a support group