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Asperger's syndrome: Difference between revisions
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The diagnosis of Asperger's syndrome is/was dependent on the subject meeting the criteria for a certain level of autistic symptoms such as social deficits and obsessive interests while having an [[IQ]] in the normal range or higher and not experiencing any developmental delay in language acquisition. | The diagnosis of Asperger's syndrome is/was dependent on the subject meeting the criteria for a certain level of autistic symptoms such as social deficits and obsessive interests while having an [[IQ]] in the normal range or higher and not experiencing any developmental delay in language acquisition. | ||
People with Asperger's often experience difficulty socializing and blending in with [[normies]], apparently due to being bad with emotional recognition and expression, the condition sometimes being co-morbid or conflated with | People with Asperger's often experience difficulty socializing and blending in with [[normies]], apparently due to being bad with emotional recognition and expression, the condition sometimes being co-morbid or conflated with prosopagnosia (face-blindness).<ref>https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/my-life-aspergers/201303/how-much-aspergers-is-really-face-or-emotion-blindness</ref> | ||
On the other hand, they are often exceptionally good at recognizing patterns and investigating specific topics with intense focus. People with Asperger's are also vulnerable targets of [[PUA|pick up artists]] who scam them into buying into their ineffective programs, with Aspies being particularly susceptible to the "[[ | On the other hand, they are often exceptionally good at recognizing patterns and investigating specific topics with intense focus (''hyperfocus''). People with Asperger's are also vulnerable targets of [[PUA|pick up artists]] who scam them into buying into their ineffective programs, with Aspies being particularly susceptible to the "[[attraction ambiguity problem]]".<ref>https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0191886918300941</ref> | ||
==Origin of the term== | ==Origin of the term== | ||
The condition is named after Hans Asperger, an Austrian pediatrician who first described the disorder in a medical context, dubbing the condition "autistic psychopathy" (in German the word " | The condition is named after Hans Asperger, an Austrian pediatrician who first described the disorder in a medical context, dubbing the condition "autistic psychopathy" (in German the word "psychopathisch" was often used to refer to any type of mental illness).<ref>"Die 'Autistischen Psychopathen' im Kindesalter", Archiv für Psychiatrie und Nervenkrankheiten (1944), 117, pp. 76-136 German:http://www.neurodiversity.com/library_asperger_1944.html English translation:https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1992-97284-002</ref><ref>"The term psychopathy itself gained a specific and notorious meaning of a condition of amorality and anti-social or violent behavior. | ||
Such a morally pejorative concept is said to have not been intended by Koch; he had applied the term 'psychopathic' to mean originating from an organic defect in the brain, and the term inferiority to simply refer to dysfunction. However, it was probably his concept and terminology that provided the unfortunate conglomeration of aspects of inferiority, amorality and socially harmful behavior." https://peoplepill.com/people/julius-ludwig-august-koch/ </ref> Asperger is now a highly controversial figure due to revelations he contributed to the Nazi Aktion T4' euthanasia' program, with Asperger sending several of his child patients off to be killed. <ref>https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-05112-1</ref> Given this controversial legacy, the recent discovery of his role in the T4 program may have also been a factor in the redefinition of the disorder by the APA. | Such a morally pejorative concept is said to have not been intended by Koch; he had applied the term 'psychopathic' to mean originating from an organic defect in the brain, and the term inferiority to simply refer to dysfunction. However, it was probably his concept and terminology that provided the unfortunate conglomeration of aspects of inferiority, amorality and socially harmful behavior." https://peoplepill.com/people/julius-ludwig-august-koch/ </ref> Asperger is now a highly controversial figure due to revelations he contributed to the Nazi Aktion T4' euthanasia' program, with Asperger sending several of his child patients off to be killed. <ref>https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-05112-1</ref> Given this controversial legacy, the recent discovery of his role in the T4 program may have also been a factor in the redefinition of the disorder by the APA. | ||
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===44.6% of high functioning adult autistic men remain virgins, despite high sex/relationship drive=== | ===44.6% of high functioning adult autistic men remain virgins, despite high sex/relationship drive=== | ||
A group of high functioning autistic men and women were evaluated and compared with healthy controls to assess their sexual and relationship desires and capability to achieve those desires.<ref>https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5789215/ | A group of high functioning autistic men and women were evaluated and compared with healthy controls to assess their sexual and relationship desires and capability to achieve those desires.<ref>https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5789215/</ref> | ||
</ref> | |||
44.6% of autistic men were found to be virgins among a sample, with the average age being 35.7 years. (Note: This figure is likely understating the number of ASD men who are incel, as there are a disproportionately higher number of homosexual/bisexual men with ASD compared to | 44.6% of autistic men were found to be virgins among a sample, with the average age being 35.7 years. (Note: This figure is likely understating the number of ASD men who are incel, as there are a disproportionately higher number of homosexual/bisexual men with ASD compared to [[neurotypical]]s (NTs). The researchers lumped these men into a single group.) | ||
Autistic men were found to masturbate more and have a greater desire for a relationship than normal men. So their perpetual virginity couldn't be attributed to a lack of interest in sex. However, despite their strong desire for sexual relationships, only 16% of autistic men were in such a relationship, while 82% of NT men were in a relationship. Thus, NT men were 5x more likely to be in a relationship than their autistic counterparts. | Autistic men were found to masturbate more and have a greater desire for a relationship than normal men. So their perpetual virginity couldn't be attributed to a lack of interest in sex. However, despite their strong desire for sexual relationships, only 16% of autistic men were in such a relationship, while 82% of NT men were in a relationship. Thus, NT men were 5x more likely to be in a relationship than their autistic counterparts. | ||
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Autism did not so greatly reduce women's ability to find relationships with men, as 46% of women were able to have relationships, while only 16% of men were. The Researchers noted that Female ASD individuals were significantly younger at the time of first sexual intercourse (than males with ASD). | Autism did not so greatly reduce women's ability to find relationships with men, as 46% of women were able to have relationships, while only 16% of men were. The Researchers noted that Female ASD individuals were significantly younger at the time of first sexual intercourse (than males with ASD). | ||
This may be due to autism reducing an individual's capacity for emotional interaction. However, normal men also crave emotional interaction less than normal women, so this will disproportionately impair an autistic man's attempts to find a relationship vs. an autistic woman's. Another possible explanation is that autists, due to their atypical behavior and emotional recognition deficits, find it difficult to navigate complex social dominance hierarchies, and are also socially excluded because of these atypical behaviors. Due to women's preference for male status and the fact that men are expected to take the dominant, initiating role in sexual relationships, this would be expected to affect autistic men more than autistic women | This may be due to autism reducing an individual's capacity for emotional interaction. However, normal men also crave emotional interaction less than normal women, so this will disproportionately impair an autistic man's attempts to find a relationship vs. an autistic woman's. Another possible explanation is that autists, due to their atypical behavior and emotional recognition deficits, find it difficult to navigate complex social dominance hierarchies, and are also socially excluded because of these atypical behaviors. Due to women's preference for male status and the fact that men are expected to take the dominant, initiating role in sexual relationships, this would be expected to affect autistic men more than autistic women.<ref>https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10803-019-04101-1#aboutcontent</ref> | ||
The researchers also discovered that autistic men were burdened with a dramatically higher number of paraphilias, which are considered socially taboo. These paraphilias, which appear to be part of their condition, likely compound their difficulties in finding sexual and romantic success. | The researchers also discovered that autistic men were burdened with a dramatically higher number of paraphilias, which are considered socially taboo. These paraphilias, which appear to be part of their condition, likely compound their difficulties in finding sexual and romantic success. | ||
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A study in 2013 examining a total of 2.3 million individuals born in Sweden in 1950-1970,<ref>https://incels.wiki/w/Scientific_Blackpill#Mental_disorders_significantly_reduce_male_fertility.2C_substantially_more_than_they_do_for_women</ref> using government health care records, found evidence for substantially lower fertility among sufferers of various mental illnesses. The fertility of the mentally ill was computed by measuring the fertility ratio (e.g., a FR of .5 would mean that the diseased group had on average half of the children of the general non-affected population, a FR of 2 would mean double the offspring on average). This ratio reflected the mean number of children that individuals with various mental disorders had, as compared to control individuals of the same age and sex, also accounting for variables such as family size, affected status and parental status. The youngest individuals involved were 40 years old, and had thus likely largely completed their reproductive careers. | A study in 2013 examining a total of 2.3 million individuals born in Sweden in 1950-1970,<ref>https://incels.wiki/w/Scientific_Blackpill#Mental_disorders_significantly_reduce_male_fertility.2C_substantially_more_than_they_do_for_women</ref> using government health care records, found evidence for substantially lower fertility among sufferers of various mental illnesses. The fertility of the mentally ill was computed by measuring the fertility ratio (e.g., a FR of .5 would mean that the diseased group had on average half of the children of the general non-affected population, a FR of 2 would mean double the offspring on average). This ratio reflected the mean number of children that individuals with various mental disorders had, as compared to control individuals of the same age and sex, also accounting for variables such as family size, affected status and parental status. The youngest individuals involved were 40 years old, and had thus likely largely completed their reproductive careers. | ||
The researchers found evidence of substantially intense selection pressure against autism with a male FR of .25 vs a female FR of .48. Since there is evidence that female autism is underdiagnosed due to the condition being stereotyped as male,<ref>https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/sep/14/thousands-of-autistic-girls-and-women-going-undiagnosed-due-to-gender-bias</ref> it is even conceivable that many milder cases of autism in females go unnoticed, who presumably have higher reproductive success. This should imply that these figures only give us a lower bound on the sex difference in how autists are | The researchers found evidence of substantially intense selection pressure against autism with a male FR of .25 vs a female FR of .48. Since there is evidence that female autism is underdiagnosed due to the condition being stereotyped as male,<ref>https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/sep/14/thousands-of-autistic-girls-and-women-going-undiagnosed-due-to-gender-bias</ref> it is even conceivable that many milder cases of autism in females go unnoticed, who presumably have higher reproductive success. This should imply that these figures only give us a lower bound on the sex difference in how male autists are comparatively disadvantaged. Even though the low FR should not surprise provided this sample contains low functioning individuals, the stark sex difference evidences may serve as soft evidence that women have a [[tutorial mode|easier time finding a partner]] (albeit these data do not rule out the possibility that most female autists get [[pumpend and dumped]], i.e. their higher FR may not be indicative of a much higher quality sex life). | ||
==Autism and suicide== | ==Autism and suicide== | ||
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==Neurodiversity vs. autism as a pathology== | ==Neurodiversity vs. autism as a pathology== | ||
There is a debate in the | There is a debate in the autistism community as to whether or not high-functioning autism, in particular, should be treated as a health problem or not. The "neurodivergent" or "neurodiversity" crowd maintain the label is stigmatizing. Some even imply that autism is neutral, good or even adaptive at least in mild cases of autism (i.e. that it is an evolved trait that increased [[reproductive success]] under certain conditions). Those opposed to the "neurodivergent" and "neurodiversity" movements claim that these movements downplay the behavioral and social issues often found in those diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders. | ||
Providing some evidentiary support for those that argue that autism is not necessarily a deficit in and of itself, there is research that suggests much of the dire social, employment and relationship outcomes autists often face may be substantially due to acts of discrimination and ostracism committed against them by [[NT]]s. | Providing some evidentiary support for those that argue that autism is not necessarily a deficit in and of itself, there is research that suggests much of the dire social, employment and relationship outcomes autists often face may be substantially due to acts of discrimination and ostracism committed against them by [[NT]]s. | ||
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This suggests that autists may generally get on reasonably well with each other, but differences in presentation style, flatter affect, and difficulty expressing expected dominant or submissive social dominance hierarchy based behaviors may cause even very high-functioning autists to be commonly be perceived as 'creepy', 'weird' or, more charitably, eccentric, leading to social exclusion and thus the social deficits the condition is known for. | This suggests that autists may generally get on reasonably well with each other, but differences in presentation style, flatter affect, and difficulty expressing expected dominant or submissive social dominance hierarchy based behaviors may cause even very high-functioning autists to be commonly be perceived as 'creepy', 'weird' or, more charitably, eccentric, leading to social exclusion and thus the social deficits the condition is known for. | ||
=== Mutant vs slow life history strategist === | |||
As an instance of a theory that regards autistic traits to be adaptive, Del Giudice and colleagues (2010) argued that high functioning autistic traits (especially systemizing and obsession with details) may be maintained in the gene pool due to their relevance to slow [[life history]] strategies that involve high investment into the offspring.<ref name="Crespi2014">http://www.sfu.ca/biology/faculty/crespi/pdfs/171-Crespi2014-See%20Pages%20322-324.pdf</ref> Indeed, Jobe & White (2007) found that autists indeed tend to have longer relationships than neurotypicals (though shorter friendships).<ref name="Crespi2014"></ref> There is, however, a general agreement that low-functioning autism is maladaptive.<ref name="Crespi2014"></ref> | |||
==Extreme male brain theory== | ==Extreme male brain theory== | ||