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A new article that challenges mainstream ideas about autism has attracted the input of more than 30 specialists in the disciplines of psychology, anthropology, education and neuroscience.
The authors argue that many of the behaviors common to autism, including poor eye contact, repetitive movements, and textual repetition of words and sentences, are misinterpreted as a lack of interest in autism. ;social engagement. On the contrary, they say, many people with autism express a deep desire for social connection.
Co-authors Nameera Akhtar, a professor of psychology at the University of California at Santa Cruz, and Vikram Jaswal, badociate professor of psychology at the University of Virginia, presented provocative ideas from their paper titled "Being vs. Social Demonstration: question badumptions Social Motivation in Autism. "The article appears in Behavior and brain sciences, which publishes in an innovative format called "open comment by peers". The journal specializes in "particularly significant and controversial works", which publishers publish with commentaries on each article written by specialists within and between disciplines, as well as the authors' response to their comments. Free online access to the document is available here.
Akhtar and Jaswal praised the commitment of specialists, who have almost subscribed to their approach, which relies heavily on "testimonials" from people with autism.
"This work began with questions about widespread badumptions that people make about the fact that people with autism want – or about – to want to interact with others," Akhtar said. "We have explored these issues by turning to what people with autism say about themselves."
According to some people with autism, low eye contact can help them focus their attention, thereby strengthening social engagement, Akhtar said. Likewise, repeating sentences – even though the meaning may not be immediately obvious to others – may also be behavior designed to connect to others. Repetitive movements can just be comforting, she noted.
"When you interview people with autism about these behaviors, their responses shed new light on the range of desires of people with autism in terms of social link and express their frustration about the misinterpretation of their behavior," Akhtar said. "Familiar stereotypes about social aversion are a great injustice to people with autism."
The following excerpts are part of the published "testimonials" of autistics quoted by Akhtar and Jaswal in their article:
* "You may have been told that people with autism do not want social or romantic relationships, but it is a myth." It is true that many people with autism do not want social or romantic relationships, but it is a myth. between us struggle to create or maintain them, it does not mean that we do not want them. "- from an adult with a diagnosis of autism
* "I can not believe that anyone who is born as a human being really wants to be left to himself … The truth is that we would like to be with other people. never go, well end up being used to being alone … Whenever I hear someone noticing how much I prefer to be alone, it makes me feel hopelessly alone. " why I jump
* "Once I meet people or when I know that I will meet people who only know me by my writings, my level of anxiety is so high that I can act in a very strange way. I can also seem indifferent, but it's just a mask of self-preservation I find it difficult to communicate even though I have a lot to say. "- strong hands: autistic people, talking
The other researchers were generally enthusiastic about the approach of Akhtar and Jaswal, and in the general view, autistic testimony is an essential and surprisingly underutilized resource for understanding social motivation in l & # 39; autism. Some worried about the need to minimize the significant differences in autistic cognition and social motivation of autistics, which the authors specified was not their intention. Many commentators have called for a more systematic study of autistic perspectives regarding social engagement, which the authors have endorsed.
Akhtar and Jaswal particularly appreciated the contributions of several autistic scholars who commented on their work. The leaders of the disability rights movement say, "Nothing about us without us," said Jaswal, which is particularly rewarding for people with autism at this stage of research.
"If we want to reduce the social isolation experienced by many people with autism, the next step is for autistic and non-autistic people to learn about each other's social goals and social cues," said Jaswal. "It's the path to greater understanding and greater inclusion."
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