Autistic
Joe's Page Joe's Autistic Page
Joe's Autism Page
Okay – to start with – this page is really just my speculation about autism spectrum disorder.
This page does not contain:
useful information,
facts (unless they slipped in when I wasn't looking), or
personal experience. (If I 'have' autism – which, being an engineer, is likely - it is a mild 'case'. But then most men seem at least mildly autistic, don't we?)
I recently read Prof. Simon Baron-Cohen's book, The Essential Difference. I found his ideas about the difference between empathic and systematic brains, though I have used slightly different terms than the author does, credible. My interpretation of the author's hypothesis is captured below.
All individuals can be characterized as having an 'empathic intelligence' and a 'systematic intelligence'. (Again, not quite the author's terms.)
The ratios are different in different people.
The more empathic brains, more often than not found in the bodies of women, are optimized for interpersonal communication, much of which is non-verbal.
In contrast, the more systematic brain (the model in my skull – and in the heads of most men) is optimized for observing patterns in existing systems and constructing new systems. I use the word 'systematic' to imply “system's oriented”, not as a compliment to imply that men are organized.
Statistically speaking, empathic and systematic intelligence seems to be zero-sum – the more 'skilled' a population is at one the less skilled it is at the other. On the other hand, for an individual the 'S-IQ' can not be inferred from a knowledge of the 'E-IQ'.
Finally, tying this to autism, the author claims that the extremely non-empathetic brain – which may still be good at observing or constructing systems – is found in people we label 'autistic'.
This theory addresses numerous questions about which I have wondered. For example:
Why are almost all serious conspiracy theorists male? Why are most believers of statements such as “there are UFOs and extraterrestrials in hangers at Area 51” male? Perhaps both are examples of over-active systematizing brains finding patterns where not exist? [For a look at this second group – see Phil Patton's book Dreamland.]
Why is physical aggression, murder being an extreme instance, so frequently associated with males? It may not be just 'testosterone' – it may be that we (typical males) are empathetically retarded. Most of us (males) have brains that are just not optimized for understanding the feelings of others. Instead we tend to be 'in touch' with fuel-injection, home heating systems, differential geometry or talmudic law. That is, with systems.
More controversially, Prof. Baron-Cohen asks why are so few women are working in areas such as math, physics or engineering? While there may be some cultural factors (e.g., sexism in the home, in school or in the workplace), the conclusion that he reaches is that these areas are concerned with systems. Thus they appeal to the systems-oriented brain, i.e., the Mark IV model more commonly found in men.
I encourage you to read the book – it is well written and accessible (i.e., non-technical). However, despite my favorable impressions, I do have some complaints. The book could have been much better if it were more technical. There is often insufficient information to allow the reader to evaluate the strength of the author's arguments. References to primary sources are made (thank you). But finding issue '1' of a journal named Autism will challenge any reader without access to a medical school's library. If the author had supplied 100 pages of supporting endnotes – 100 pages that could be ignored by those less interested in evidence – this would have been a more satisfying book.
My second complaint is more substantial. I believe that the author misrepresents his own theory by using poorly thought-out graphs. This complaint gets its own page. See why I am complaining about those dumb graphs! [click here]