Two articles about autism

[conuly]

An article suggesting - surprise, surprise! - that autistics feel empathy just like other people do. Well, duh. We'll just file that one under "not exactly news", why don't we.

And one roughly on genetic testing and ASAN.

Read comments at your own risk. I haven't waded through to see them, certainly.

Comments

[ancarett]

Regarding the first article, I am pleased that we're seeing the mainstream media move away from the "autism means no empathy". Youngest has always been more sensitive and reactive to emotional states and others' possible problems than most other children I know -- she can't watch some stuff on television or in the theatre, even though she knows it is fiction, because she feels their worries and fears too intensely.

[conuly]

I get up and leave the room during various types of scenes (anything embarrassing a sympathetic (or even not-sympathetic) character is a major issue for me), which prompts my mother to freak out every damn time. 26 years she's known me, and she still... Oh well.

[carlanime.livejournal.com]

AHA! That first article sounds exactly like my experiences with a-significant-person-who-probably-wouldn't-wish-to-be-named-here. I keep trying to explain that to people who don't know him well.

[catboymercutio.livejournal.com]

I remember my mother claiming that 'I did not really feel emotions for anyone'... to my wife.

Yeah, great going mom! Be sure to trust those articles!

It is sad that there really need to be articles to prove otherwise... X.x

[queenlyzard.livejournal.com]

*blink* The first article is news? Among other things, did people not realize that being able to tell how someone else is feeling and caring about how they feel are two different things? *facepalm*

The second article brings up some fascinating points too. Thanks for posting!

[conuly]

No, they simply assumed that having difficulty expressing your feelings and sympathy the way a NT would, and possibly having difficulty understanding when others are upset* == not having any empathy whatsoever. Total lack of common sense...!

*Not all autistics report being unable to understand other people's feelings. When this was posted in asperger many of the comments indicated that people perceive themselves as feeling other people's emotions more strongly than NTs, not less. (This leads to overload, which can look a lot like lack of caring if you don't know.) However, understanding that your mom is sad doesn't necessarily mean you understand what made her said and why (and even if you understand it intellectually you may not understand it more emotionally), nor does it mean understanding or being able to take the steps to help comfort her or make things better in the normal NT way.

[queenlyzard.livejournal.com]

*nods* Yes. All that stuff you just said.