Theme: Education

UNDERSTANDING ASPIE DIFFICULTIES – AND OVERCOMING THEM

The problem with understanding the autism spectrum is two fold: first, we have to understand that this ‘exaggerated maleness’ is the product of damage to the brain, or at least, inhibited growth to the brain, in utero. And second, that with that damage, comes a very narrow means of obtaining normal chemical rewards. Furthermore, the normal process of male maturation via testosterone in puberty further decreases the ability to obtain rewards. Leaving information as one of the only available forms of stimuli.

So, with very narrow means of obtaining positive rewards, the maturing male aspie is highly susceptible to simple depression if he cannot find any means of stimulation, or to information based obsession if he finds a sufficiently rewarding interest, or to mania if he encounters frustration, exhaustion or depression followed by extremes stimuli as a means of escaping frustration, exhaustion or depression – to the same degree that many males are susceptible to periods of aggression, or risk taking to obtain their rewards. Whereas their female counterparts have the opposite problem – they can’t shut off all the sensations.

The only cure I know of is, if one cannot find a sufficiently obsessive interest, is to limit chaotic over-stimulation which can easily cause exhaustion or depression, and get regular exercise, rest, and neurogenic stimulation via SSRI’s. SSRI’s are called anti-depressants, because that’s what we use them for, but a good number of them largely facilitate neurogenesis. And whether we are generating new neurons, or just improving the connectivity of neurons, we have greater success in creating rewards by experience and association with better neural pathway generation.

I finally got control of mine after a great deal of effort. And my distraction was that I actually love working. I love everything about it. Because work is physical and social and aspies want social contact, even if we are bad at it. We will usually try hard to learn. And people will help you if you ask them, and don’t take yourself too seriously. I mean, some people are hard of hearing, some are color blind, and some of us just are a bit clueless. But most other human beings are pretty forgiving if you’re just honest with them and say “Did I just say or do something stupid? Oh..Ok. Sorry. Thanks.” Laugh when everyone else does. Always support the group decision even if you don’t agree with it. Voluteer to help or work at every opportunity. And pay the tolls that we must pay for social participation when we have less to contribute to social signals.

Aspieness is pretty easy to grow out of, but through your twenties, it’s pretty difficult to live with. And it’s tyranny to live with between twelve and twenty two.

But we would be much better off if we understood that it is caused by a difference in the rate of growth of areas of the brain. And that until we create new neural pathways that allow us new means of positive solutions, we are, like those who are tone deaf or color blind, equally unable to perceive many of the senses that others take for granted, many of those senses contain reward and punishment signals we cannot learn from, and we are extremely susceptible to problems that arise from the lack of rewards and information.

If we restated therapy as tutoring for aspies, then I’d accept it. I don’t have much respect for the profession. But neurogenic drugs, and education, will grow new means of achieving stimulation. It’s kind of unnecessary and unpleasant to wait until your late twenties or early thirties before you start experiencing life comfortably.

I hope this helps someone, somewhere, just a little bit.

Curt Doolittle