Tag: lies

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 “Cures”?

Greetings Earthlings! 🙂

Many of you may have come across articles or ads online claiming to have “cured” or found a “cure” for autism.

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Notice my use of air quotes? 😏

According to both the medical and scientific community- there is no cure for autism; fact!

Autism can be managed; but it cannot be cured.

In truth, these purported “cures” are unproven, and in some cases, quite dangerous. Here are the facts about some of these products/techniques:

  • Raw Camel Milk (whhhhyyyy!!!) & Essential Oils are just some of the many products retailed as a “cure” for autism. Neither have been proven safe or effective by the FDA
  • Hyperbaric oxygen therapy: Remember those stories about Michael Jackson sleeping in an oxygen tent? Some have claimed that breathing oxygen in a hyperbaric chamber can “cure” autism, but this is completely unproven
  • Detoxifying clay baths: These are mixed in with bathwater to supposedly draw out toxins, pollutants and heavy metals in order to “dramatically” improve autism; but again, these are entirely false claims
  • Diet Change: Some articles report that following a specific diet can “cure” autism. As I’ve previously discussed, many people report improvements in autistic symptoms following gluten (a protein found in grains like wheat), casein (a protein found in dairy) and sugar free diets, but there is insufficient scientific evidence to support this. Many doctors have recently spoken out against these fad diets as they can be very bad for your health if you unnecessarily remove these foodstuffs. Gluten free diets for example can increase your risk of cardiac problems through decreased intake of essential wholegrains
  • Chelation therapies: This is a medical procedure where chelating agents are administered to bind and remove heavy metals and toxins from the body, such as in the case of mercury and lead poisoning. These are often marketed as “cures” for autism, coming in the form of suppositories, sprays, drops, capsules, and clay baths. These are NOT approved for the treatment of autism, and should only be used under medical supervision, as they can remove important minerals from the body which can cause serious life-threatening issues such as deadly kidney damage!
  • Miracle Mineral Solution (MMS): This is perhaps one of the most dangerous “cures” for autism. A solution that claims to cure HIV, cancer and malaria in addition to autism, MMS contains 28% sodium chlorite solution- equivalent to industrial strength bleach! People have reported vomiting, diarrhea and symptoms of severe dehydration after taking this, but the labels claim that this means that the product is working!! This can also cause life threatening low blood pressure and death in severe cases. Naturally, this has not been proven to cure autism.

The bottom line, these so called “cures” are nothing but

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For those struggling parents out there, I know it’s difficult. I wreaked havoc as a child and did not make life easy for my family; but seeking a cure is not the answer. Love and acceptance are the best way forward 🙂

This stuff is dangerous and can make your child very sick indeed.

Always be wary of what you read/buy on the internet dear Earthlings!

Aoife

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