Let's compare and contrast!

[conuly]

Some of these traits are traits of autism and some of them are traits of cancer. Let's see if you can spot the difference!

This is a disease which is marked by excessive growth, aka tumors. Answer: Cancer. Hard to tell, but the word "tumor" gives it away.

This is a neurological difference/disability which is marked by either gaze aversion or staring. Answer: Autism. People with cancer generally will look you in the eye for the appropriate amount of time.

This can develop later in life. Answer: Cancer. It should not be possible to become autistic later in life.

This can kill you. Answer: Cancer. Contrary to popular belief, autism does not snatch children, nor does it kill them.

Congratulations. You now know the difference between autism and cancer. There will be a quiz later.

Comments

[rho]

How indicative of autism is gaze aversion type things? I've always had a huge problem with that, ranging from when I was little and used to get told off for not looking people in the eyes and wondering what on earth it was I was being reprimanded for, up to last Tuesday when I found myself doing it in a conversation with disability support woman from university.

(and yes, before any asks, I'm well aware of the danger of playing games of "match the mental condition", but historically, I've found that getting information about how people with symptoms similar to my own experience conditions and what have you can lead me to a better understanding of me. if that makes any sense)

[conuly]

Very. Gaze aversion is the classic sign of autism. Many autistics are the opposite, and stare, but that's not a classic sign of autism.

[conuly]

Of course, it can be attributed to other things, notably a different cultural background.

[rho]

Of course. But still interesting for me.

[staircase-wit.livejournal.com]

There's no MRI research that shows autistics process gaze mainly with the amygdala, while NT's process it more with their somethingform gyrus.

What that means in emotional/psychological terms is that autistics feel gaze as a threat or a challenge (or a sexual signal), while NT's are looking at people's faces and doing cognitive tasts like "who is this?" and "what emotions are they displaying?" If you feel stress when looking at a person, then your amygdala is doing something. This may be due to intrinsic neurological differences (inluding but not limited to autism), or second-order "cultural" issues if you've been taught that it's "bad" to look someone in the eye.

Because of the role eye-contact plays in threat/challenge behaviors in mammals, including non-human primates, it seems to me as if the allistic is the one with the neurological irregularity.

[rho]

That's interesting. Excuse my ignorance though, but what's "NT"?

(And for myself, I think that there's a combination of simply not understanding why one is "meant" to look someone in the eye and what it actually accomplishes, combined with a distinct unease when doing so. This is despite being constnatly taught that eye contact is "good".)

[staircase-wit.livejournal.com]

NT is short of "Neurologically Typical," and refers to someone with an allistic neurology (http://www.fysh.org/~zefram/allism/allism_intro.txt).

Looking at people's faces, especially the eyes, is the sterotypical feature of allism: "marked reliance on the use of multiple nonverbal behaviours such as eye-to-eye gaze, facial expression, body postures, and gestures to express things that could readily be expressed verbally."

It took me years to actually believe that making eye contact was a good thing, and not a challenge behavior.

D'oh!

[staircase-wit.livejournal.com]

I made a typo. There is NEW evidence... not "no evidence," NEW evidence.

[wodhaund.livejournal.com]

In my case, I never used to have a problem looking people in the eye, but after spending a chunk of time in East Asia, it bothers me a great deal. The unfortunate side effect is that many people think I'm "hiding" something, when in reality, I've hit the point where I find meeting someone's eyes for an extended period of time in unbearably rude.

I'll look at your chin or your mouth though. Just not your eyes.