Category: Autism 101

Autism and Stress

Greetings Earthlings! 🙂

Stress- it’s hard to escape it in the modern world; even more so for an autist.

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Ordinary day to day life can be very stressful to navigate. Such simple things as responding to an email, dealing with crowds, sensory triggers and social interactions can be completely overwhelming. The thought alone of these seemingly innocuous situations can be incredibly stressful for an autist.

In my case, just the mere idea of driving in Dublin city centre for example majorly stresses me out- I have genuinely told my friend that if his directions landed us there I would get my car towed and grab a taxi 😛 Any unexpected scenarios, detours or maneuvers in my car will leave me hot under the collar, praying out loud for help to keep from freaking out!

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But are there any scientific reasons why autists are more predisposed to stress?

Interestingly, autists show signs of greater biological stress than their neurotypical peers. In particular, studies have indicated that autists have higher levels of stress hormones than neurotypicals. As I’ve previously discussed, stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline are released in response to stressful situations from the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis or HPA axis. This is a complex interconnecting network that comprises the hypothalamus, the pituitary gland and the adrenal gland (i.e. HPA) to control our response to stress- a network that is hyperactive in autists.

Following exposure to a stressful situation, stress hormone levels should return to normal, however, research has shown that stress hormone levels tend to persist in autists, which can make us more susceptible to stress related outbursts and meltdowns. In other words, we’re constantly living in a state of fight or flight.

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Long term activation of the stress system can lead to a number of health problems such as poor mental health, weight gain, sleep issues, digestive and cardiovascular problems to name but a few- many of which are regularly comorbid with autism.

In addition to this, studies have shown that autists have higher levels of oxidative stress in the body. Oxidative stress occurs when there is an imbalance between anitoxidants and free radicals (unstable oxygen atoms that can damage cells causing illness and aging – not so fun fact, free radicals are thought to contribute to hair greying) in our bodies. Several studies have indicated that antioxidant enzyme levels that regulate free radicals in the body may be altered in autists. As such, oxidative stress has been linked to the appearance of autistic symptoms such as language delay in previous studies.

In addition, as with prolonged exposure to stress hormones, oxidative stress may also contribute to the development of cardiovascular disease and mental health problems such as depression. Worryingly, heart disease and suicide are among the leading causes of mortality for autists, with studies indicating that the average autist lives 16 years less than their neurotypical peers! 😲  In addition to this, research suggests that psychological stress may worsen the symptoms of ASDs.

Therefore, as for everyone, it’s very important for an autist to find ways to manage their stress levels for both their long term physical and mental health.

Hope you enjoyed this post dear Earthlings! 🙂

Have a lovely weekend!

Aoife

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Autism and Lying

Greetings Earthlings! 🙂

This week I’d like to talk about the random subject of autism and lying.

Well….I’d like to, but I can’t!

Many autists are notoriously honest and struggle to tell lies. Moreover, autists will often struggle to tell if someone is lying to them. You would be amazed at how many times the word “Really?!” comes out of my mouth before my brain catches on to a lie 🙈 We’re black and white thinkers who love rules and structure, so deception doesn’t come naturally to us, it breaks all the rules.

That being said, while most autists do struggle with lies, other autists can have tendencies towards pathological and compulsive lying. This often arises from learning how to lie through observation, or lying out of necessity to mask around others. As I’ve said in previous posts, sometimes it’s just easier to pretend that I’m not hungry in order to mask my sensory issues with food.

But is there any particular reason why lying is such a struggle?

In general, it’s not that we can’t tell lies, however, things start to fall apart when trying to maintain the lie. Researchers have found that while many autists can lie to cover up behaviours or tell white lies in order to be polite, once probed, autists struggle to maintain consistency. Would you believe, there is in fact a scientific explanation for this!

Executive functioning is our brains ability to control, regulate and manage all of our thoughts and actions. Examples of executive functioning include decision making, time management skills, prioritizing tasks, verbal reasoning, memory, problem solving etc. Up to a whopping 80% of autists may struggle with executive dysfunction. Executive functioning is essential to the art of lying- a lie must be constructed, rationalized, and planned out. If an autist struggles with any of these steps, the lie will fall apart.

So there you have it- I wouldn’t be an interesting suspect in an Agatha Christie murder mystery, I’d give the lies away instantly! 😂

Hope you enjoyed this post dear Earthlings!

Have a lovely weekend! 🙂

Aoife

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Autism and Echopraxia

Greetings Earthlings! 🙂

Leading on from my previous post on echolalia, this week I’d like to briefly discuss the phenomenon echopraxia.

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Yes I know, it’s another mouthful, but what exactly is echopraxia?

Echopraxia (also known as echomotism or echokinesis) is a type of tic disorder characterized by involuntary imitation of another persons actions e.g. waving a hand, touching your nose, kicking something, even facial expressions. Echopraxia is one of the core features of Tourette’s syndrome, however it has also been found to occur in ASD’s. It is often paired with echolalia, but it has been known to occur independently in autists.

I know what you’re thinking- imitation of actions is critical to early development in childhood and perfectly “normal” behaviour, so it seems like echopraxia might be reading into things too much. However, when this behaviour persists and becomes reactionary rather than a learning tool, then it can be viewed from a pathophysiological  perspective. As such, it can be very difficult to diagnose this behaviour in children. 

So what does the science have to say about echopraxia and autism?

There’s very limited research in this area, however experts believe that echopraxia is related to damage or dysfunction within the frontal lobe known as the action cortex of the brain- an area that is often implicated in autistic behaviours. Other’s have theorized that abnormalities in the mirror neurons located here may be responsible.

Nope, I’m afraid mirror neurons are not quite this exiting- mirror neurons are in fact a particular type of nerve cell that fires when a person or an animal acts and witnesses another person complete the same action. This type of behaviour has been particularly observed in primates, giving new meaning to the phrase ‘monkey see, monkey do’.

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In general, echopraxia is considered harmless, however if it starts to interfere with social functioning, then behavioural modifications, medications and psychotherapy are possible treatment options 🙂

Hope you enjoyed this post dear Earthlings! 😀

Have a lovely weekend!

Aoife

 

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Autism and Eating Disorders

Greetings Earthlings! 🙂

This week I’d like to talk about a very common issue, particularly for women with autism- eating disorders.

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As discussed previously, mental health issues are quite prevalent among the autistic population. Because of this, many autists can go un-diagnosed as co-morbid mental health issues often mask the root autism diagnosis. This is particularly true of eating disorders for female autists where doctors will diagnose an eating disorder, but due to social masking tendencies will often overlook their autistic traits.

In fact this should really be one of the first things that doctors should assess when patients present with eating disorders as numerous studies have shown that there is a higher prevalence rate of autism in patients diagnosed with eating disorders (up to 20%). Evidence indicates that patients presenting with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder (BED) have greater numbers of autistic traits than the general population.

Autists will often not benefit from conventional treatment for disordered eating so it is critical that it is identified early.

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So why are eating disorders so prevalent for those on the spectrum?

The reasons are varied, but tend to be either psychological or sensory related:

Psychological:

Some people on the spectrum develop eating disorders as a means to fit in, to attain the kind of figures that they see in magazines and perceive to be “perfect” or “normal”. Others develop eating disorders as a means of control, where the routine and rigidity can be a source of comfort to an anxious mind running on overdrive (interestingly this may have a scientific basis as starvation decreases levels of serotonin, which is heavily involved in anxiety and is often elevated in autism). Moreover, if exercise or particular foods become specialist interests, an autist may obsess and inadvertently develop a disorder as a result.

In some cases an eating disorder may be a simple matter of mind blindness where an autist simply does not understand that their eating behaviours are abnormal or dangerous.

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Sensory:

Sensory issues are commonplace for autists both with and without an eating disorder. An autist may be sensitive to different tastes, textures and smells which can make for a very restrictive diet depending on the severity. In some cases, eating may be so stressful that they may not eat very much at all to avoid an unpleasant sensory event.

For further information about autism and eating disorders you can check out the link below for advice and support:

https://www.bodywhys.ie/understanding-eating-disorders/key-issues/autism-eating-disorders/

Hope you enjoyed this post dear Earthlings! 🙂

Enjoy the weekend!

Aoife

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Autism and Gait

Greetings Earthlings! 😀

This week I’d like to discuss another lesser known aspect of the spectrum- autism and gait.

As I’ve discussed previously, coordination issues are part and parcel with autism, however, what you may not know is that these coordination issues tie in with an autists gait- particularly for those with Asperger’s syndrome. In fact one of the lesser known diagnostic criteria in the DSM-V is that of an odd or unusual gait.

New technologies are even using gait analysis as an early means of detecting autism:

I know it seems an unusual trait, (let’s face it, we rarely notice a person’s walk) but researchers have observed that autists can have greater or even reduced step and stride length, increased step width, have unusual posturing, tend to walk on their toes, and are lacking in “motor smoothness” when compared with their neurotypical peers.

So why is an autists gait so unusual? What does the science have to say?

Thus far only a few studies have investigated the underpinnings of gait and autism (although the association has been known for decades), but as usual, the evidence points back to the brain. There has been a lot of debate as to which region is responsible for gait differences, however there is evidence to suggest that neurological alterations in the cerebellum (regulates motor movement) and the basal ganglia (a group of nerves involved in voluntary control of motor movements) in autists are the likely culprits.

Furthermore, those autists who tend to toe walk can develop a leg length discrepancy which can also contribute to their odd gait. Gait issues such as this can have a negative impact on the body as this can shorten your Achilles tendon. Research shows that children with ASD’s tend to have a reduced range of motion in the knee and ankle when walking which may imply weakness around these joints.

It’s not all bad news however, as special orthotics can be used to help improve some of these issues.

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Hope you enjoyed this post dear Earthlings! 🙂

Have a lovely weekend!

Aoife

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Pica and Autism

Greetings Earthlings! 🙂

This week I’d like to briefly talk about an aspect of the autistic spectrum which you may not be familiar with- pica.

So what exactly is pica?

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No not that guy! 😛

Pica is a type of eating disorder where a person has an appetite for things that are not considered to be food such as dirt, dust, chalk, hair etc.

It’s often seen in pregnancy however, almost 25% of autists display signs of this behaviour.

Thankfully I’ve never really had any weird cravings like that, however as I child I did like to eat toothpaste on occasion…what can I say Aquafresh just looked too much like sweets!! 😛

Those red, white and blue stripes were just too tempting! I even think I used to recreate this Werther’s Original ad in the mirror pretending the toothpaste was the sweet! 😂

Anyway less of my weirdness, back to pica!

Joking aside, pica can be very serious if the substance that is ingested is toxic such as lead or if the item can cause an intestinal obstruction like hair ingestion.

So what does the science have to say? Why is this behaviour found in autism?

There does not seem to be one uniform cause of pica, however, pica has been associated with nutrient deficiencies (such as iron) and is thought to be the body’s subconscious way of replenishing the missing nutrients, which would be consistent with the often restrictive nature of an autists’ diet.

It’s also thought that pica may be a sensory response to stimuli in autists to relieve stress, anxiety, pain and discomfort or the item simply has a pleasurable texture. Pica may equally be interpreted psychologically as a means of seeking attention.

Science aside, experts say that the cause of pica may simply be that the autist is unaware that they are eating an item that is unconventional/unsafe.

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That’s all for this week Earthlings, hope you enjoyed this post! 😀

Have a great weekend! 🙂

Aoife

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Autism and Change

Greetings Earthlings! 🙂

David Bowie: “Ch-ch-ch-anges-”

Autism: NOOOOOOOO!

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Yes, this week we’re going to talk about autism and change! 😂It’s a well known fact that autists do NOT like change. We like routine, structure, predictability- we like to be in control.

Historically, I’ve never been the greatest with change. As a child I went into a full-scale meltdown when the school banned chocolate (it’s pretty hilarious when I picture my 11 year old self wailing “I’m a chocoholic!” at the teacher!😂), I couldn’t sleep for 2 weeks after my sister changed the angle of her bed; worse still when we sold my family home, it took years to get my head round the loss. Sure, it may have only been 4 miles up the road, and I still went to the same school, but this one simple shift was as if a ton weight had been dropped on my fragile, pubescent head.

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New things can be a lot more complicated for an autist than the average person. You have to consider the sensory implications- how might a new smell affect you; will the taste of this new food make you sick; will this new top make you want to rip off your own skin? Last year I tried paint-balling for the first time without pausing to think of any potential sensory issues. The noise of the guns, the overpowering smell of the mask, the pain when I got hit- I was completely overwhelmed! I had to be removed within 10 mins after having a meltdown behind a tree! At least I drove myself there so I could make a quick escape to the PS4 to shoot things from the safety of my couch instead 😉

It’s not that an autist is not capable of change, it’s just oftentimes it can be a lot easier to stick with the status quo for fear of the unknown.

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it! I know I like a particular dish at a restaurant, so why would I rock the boat and risk an adverse sensory reaction?

That being said, here are some tips to cope with change:

Take baby steps- you’ve got to learn to crawl before you can walk. Make small changes in your life and you’ll gradually learn to cope with bigger ones.

Challenge yourself- Setting goals to change something in your life can be a great motivator. Choosing to make a change on your terms can help to prepare you for the unexpected changes that life likes to throw at us.

Do the research– for any impending changes, take the time to educate yourself. If moving to a new place, familiarize yourself with the area- check out the amenities, the bus routes, use google street view to digitally walk around etc. The more you know about it, the sooner it becomes familiar which ultimately feels like less of a change.

Rewards and bribery– not always the best plan but it can help to incentivise behaviour change! As I’ve discussed previously, bribery worked to help me change my study habits as a teenager by trading hours of study for hours of gaming!

You can read more tips for coping with change in the link below:

https://www.autism.org.uk/about/behaviour/preparing-for-change.aspx

But might there be a scientific explanation for our struggles with change?

In 2017, researchers discovered that the posterior cingulate cortex of the brain is associated with changes in routine behaviour. As of yet this area has not been extensively studied, however the research would suggest that there is some level of dysfunction taking place in this cortex in the autistic brain. Current evidence indicates that there is poor connectivity, reduced metabolic activity and structural changes at the cellular level in the neurons within this region.

No wonder change is difficult if your brain is actively fighting against you! Perhaps the real change that is needed is our attitude towards an autists struggles with change; maybe then change won’t be so scary after all 🙂

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Have a good weekend Earthlings! 🙂

Aoife

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Autism and Alexithymia

Greetings Earthlings! 🙂

Today I’d like to briefly elaborate on something that I’ve touched on in previous posts– autism and alexithymia.

So what exactly is alexithymia?

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Alexithymia is a personality trait wherein an autist may struggle to identify and describe emotions in themselves and in others. We feel emotions just like everyone else, we just aren’t always aware of what it is we are feeling. It can be incredibly frustrating (ironically I’ve often struggled to identify this emotion in the past 😛 ) knowing that you feel something but not having a clue how to verbalize it or process it properly. I’ve honestly spent days going “The thing is…it’s just…um..I dunno!” round and round my mind until I can figure out what it is I’m feeling!

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Thankfully as I’ve gotten older this happens less and less frequently.

Aoife’s Top Tip: as I’ve discussed previously, music can be quite beneficial when dealing with alexithymia. If I can’t identify an emotion, I tend to gravitate towards songs that sound like what I’m feeling or a particular lyric that resonates with my experience which can help get you past a rough patch 🙂

As many as 85% of autists may have varying degrees of alexithymia, but is there a scientific explanation for it?

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The science remains unclear, however some neurological studies may provide us with some clues.

Early studies proposed that there is a breakdown in communication along the corpus callosum between the emotional right and the logical left hemispheres of the brain when emotional information is transferred to the language regions of the brain. In one third of autists, the corpus callosum (a thick bundle of nerves which connect the hemispheres) is either partially or completely missing which could explain the struggles to identify emotions. Another study suggests that dysfunction in the anterior cingulate cortex of the brain may contribute to alexithymia, an area of the brain associated with empathy that appears to be weakly activated in social situations in autists.

So try not to judge us too harshly when we struggle to show empathy 🙂

Hope you enjoyed this post dear Earthlings!

Enjoy the weekend! 🙂

Aoife

5

Autism and Mental Health

Greetings Earthlings! 🙂

Did you know– autistic children have higher levels of depressive symptoms and are 28 times more likely to have thoughts of suicide than their neurotypical counterparts? 😲

bitmoji1256098968In recent years our awareness of and willingness to tackle mental health issues has increased significantly, however, the autistic community is often forgotten in our discussions.

Mental health issues such as OCD, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, ADD, psychosis, personality disorders and bipolar disorder are frequently co-morbid with ASD diagnoses, but aside from OCD and anxiety, you will rarely hear about these other issues in relation to autism. In fact, such mental health issues can even obscure ASD diagnoses in higher functioning autists as clinicians often diagnose the co-morbid condition without seeing the underlying ASD.

This is a particularly big issue for women on the spectrum as experts have found that we tend to exhibit greater depressive symptoms and higher anxiety levels than our male counterparts as we tend to internalize and ‘mask‘ our struggles. Moreover due to differences between male and female presentation of ASD’s and male bias in the development of the diagnostic criteria, women with autism are often misdiagnosed as having mental health issues, but the root ASD continues to evade.

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But are there any scientific reasons why mental health issues are so prevalent among autists?

A recently published study has suggested that perhaps the gut may influence an autists mental health. As gastrointestinal issues are often co-morbid with an ASD diagnosis, and as the microbes that live in the gut can have an influence on the brain and behaviours, it has been proposed that perhaps a “dysbiosis” or imbalance in gut microbes may have an influence on an autists mental health 😲

Interestingly studies have also identified an overlap between the genes that cause schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and autism wherein certain points on these genes encode proteins that are involved in the formation and strength of synapses (which act as chemical bridges between neurons) suggesting that these disorders may act through a similar neurological pathway. Moreover, dysregulation of neurotransmitters (biochemical messengers in the brain) has also been implicated in depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, ADHD and autism (as we have discussed in multiple previous posts) indicating further neurological overlaps.

In short, it seems that the biological basis of both autism and mental health issues are intertwined, which could explain why so often the two walk hand in hand.

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Hope you enjoyed this post dear Earthlings! 🙂

Until next time!

Aoife

 

 

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Autism- Atypical Language Use

Greetings Earthlings! 🙂

This week I’d just like to briefly talk about the use of atypical or unusual language in autism.

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Now you may have noticed in previous blogs that I don’t always use the most simplistic of language to express myself- I have always been fond of big words, and have a tendency to regurgitate these randomly in casual conversation.

One infamous incident was the time that I told my Maths teacher that I intended to drop to ordinary level Maths after I had been “ruminating” on it for the previous few days- my family have never let that one go! 😛 😂 Similarly, my supervisor nearly shot me for including the word “multitudinous” in my first publication! Needless to say it was pulled during edits 😛

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I was most interested to learn after my diagnosis that my verbosity (couldn’t help myself choosing this word! 😂)  is not uncommon among autists, particularly among those with Asperger’s syndrome. In fact the tendency to use more formalized language was first observed during Kanner’s original observations of autism back in the 1940’s and is included on the common list of diagnostic criteria.

So is there a scientific explanation as to why many autists tend towards atypical language?

Studies of individuals with damage to the right hemisphere of the brain have been known to have a proclivity for verbose language. Moreover, brain imaging studies of autists have shown that there is a tendency towards “rightward asymmetry” (a tendency for certain brain functions to be more specialized in the right side of the brain) in language areas versus their neurotypical peers. Taken together, alterations to the right hemisphere of the brain may explain why some autists prefer a more formalized use of language when communicating.

Alternatively you could just enjoy using big words as I do- like I always say, why use a smaller word when there are so many glorious synonyms floating around in the back of my brain!  😛 😉

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Hope you enjoyed this post dear Earthlings! 🙂

Until next time!

Aoife

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