Research reveals autistic individuals are in fact superior in multiple areas

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runawaybunny

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Scientists must stop emphasizing autistics’ shortcomings

We must stop considering the different brain structure of autistic individuals to be a deficiency, as research reveals that many autistics – not just "savants" – have qualities and abilities that may exceed those of people who do not have the condition, according to a provocative article published in Nature by Dr. Laurent Mottron at the University of Montreal's Centre for Excellence in Pervasive Development Disorders. "Recent data and my own personal experience suggest it's time to start thinking of autism as an advantage in some spheres, not a cross to bear," Mottron said.

Mottron's research team has strongly established and replicated the abilities and sometimes superiorities of autistics in multiple cognitive operations such as perception and reasoning, as have others. His group includes several autistics, and one of them, Michelle Dawson, is a particular success. Dawson makes major contributions to our understanding of the condition through her work and her judgment. "Michelle challenged my scientific perception of autism," Mottron explained. Dawson's insight is the interpretation of autistic strengths as the manifestation of authentic intelligence rather than a kind of trick of the brain that allows them to mindlessly perform intelligent tasks. "It's amazing to me that for decades scientists have estimated the magnitude of mental retardation based on the administration of inappropriate tests, and on the misinterpretation of autistic strengths," Mottron added.

"We coined a word for that: normocentrism, meaning the preconception you have that if you do or are something, it is normal, and if autistic do or have it, it is abnormal," Mottron said. He points out that there's a strong motivation for this perception, as it is the standard rhetoric of fund raising and grant applications, but that it comes at a cost in terms of how autistics are designated in social discourse. "While state and nonprofit funding is important for advancing our understanding of the condition, it's exceptional that these tools are used to work towards goals identified by the autistic community itself," Mottron said, lamenting the fact that many autistics end up working repetitive, menial jobs, despite their intelligence and aptitude to make much more significant contributions to society. "Dawson and other autistic individuals have convinced me that, in many instances, people with autism need more than anything opportunities, frequently support, but rarely treatment," Mottron said. "As a result, my lab and others believe autism should be described and investigated as an accepted variant within human species, not as a defect to be suppressed."

Laurent Mottron's article claims that science should do its part to bring back autistics as members of the human community. His paper goes into more detail about the specific abilities of some autistic individuals, provides a range of real world examples, and offers some personal insights into his collaborations with Michelle Dawson.

Story Source:
The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Montreal.

Researcher Reference:
Dr. Laurent Mottron, MD, PhD, is a professor at the University of Montreal's Department of Psychiatry and the director of the autism program at Rivière des Prairies Hospital (Montréal.) He also initiated the university's Centre for Excellence in Pervasive Development Disorders (CETEDUM.) The University of Montreal is known officially as Université de Montréal.

Disclaimer:
This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ConductDisorders or its staff.
 

Marg's Man

Member
Hear Hear,
I have often said to Marg that I believe autism must have some benefits otherwise they would never survive long enough to breed. Simple evolution would remove them from the gene pool.

We've all seen stories of so-called 'savant' abilities of autistics. I often see autistic traits in my colleagues at work (I work at one of the world's major universities). These people are not (always) autistic but they DO exhibit the extreme focus on single or limited ranges of topics. Heck! Who but someone who inclines towards autism would focus on the extremely abstruse mathematics that describes the sub-atomic behaviour of the interatomic bond of the Hydrogen atom :groan:. Does your head hurt - mine does!

Autistics can be loyal, single minded and a squillion other good things we are all aware of.

It ain't all bad although we could be forgiven for forgetting it sometimes.

Marg's Man
 
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