Welcome to From the Spectrum Podcast. This is a podcast about autism. It is my goal to
explain what is autism. I intend to use a mixture of scientific literature, personal experience,
and opinion. With opinion, I will explain why I feel the way I do and give examples.
I will provide links to various references for each episode. For each episode, we will
discuss various aspects of autism. The From the Spectrum Podcast will mostly avoid causes
of autism, and I will try avoiding the increase of diagnoses of late. This is like playing
tug of war with barbed wire, and I don't think I want to travel down that path.
For today's episode, we will cover more symptoms or traits of criteria B. Remember, criteria
B is restricted and repetitive behavior. It is my opinion autism is criteria B. It is
my opinion criteria A, the social communication and interaction deficits, or a cause, or downstream
of criteria B. What gives us criteria B? Manifest into criteria A.
Now the podcast is covered three episodes on these traits, and three episodes on the
biological explanations of what autism is. Even though neither episode, either the traits
or the biological aspects are exhaustive, but we've outlined some critical components
of what makes us, or what makes people, autistic. Remember, these symptoms or traits are crude
and intends to capture the spectrum. Criteria B, restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior,
interest, or activities. In other words, if different than you, how is society going to
handle that? Will society, or will you, no matter who you are, a parent, a teacher, a
clinician, friend, or stranger, how will you handle autistic people? Will you work to change
someone with autism because you think they need help? Is it for the autistic, or is it
for you? Does someone different from you cause you conflict? Conflict, meaning even the
slightest, that quick and brief moment that catches your attention, and maybe, or likely,
causes a reaction, a reflexive reaction. That is an example of something offending your beliefs.
If you say this is not you, look again. That's a stimulus response, and all humans have stimulus
responses. A human's nervous system loves to return to comfort, whatever that comfort
is for each of us. I'm going to start by saying, I am not in agreement with the language
used in the DSM-5, or any DSM. Guess what? And this means little, through nothing to me.
Many disagree with the language used in the DSM. Routines, routines and plans. We have
discussed they are safe and predictable. It's more than that. Examples how I do laundry,
dishes, or routes of travel. It's the planning, consisting of every exact move. Physical movements,
time. What we should expect, and what might happen, and the chances of those things happening.
The plan, and execution, is it. Here we are talking about time. The plan versus actual
time. Matching that is thrilling. Matching that in closeness or exact is thrilling.
Matching reality to the movie playing in our head during planning. Here this includes plans,
others, how we interact and integrate, and different objects. I know that is a vast spectrum,
but apparently spectrum is popular with autism discussions. I don't love it, but so be it.
The spectrum of items, the plans, the others, the objects, need to do what they intend to
do. What, where, when, why, and how they are supposed to.
That plan versus actual, thrill. If no control, this can be frustrating. If or when, things
are off plan, it does not mean it is automatic frustration. However, this tolerance is tight.
Relatives exist, and physiological responses follow. Remember the thrill attached to this.
This exists on a seesaw. The amount of thrill or pleasure you receive in life will predict
the amount of pain you experience. Pain, not limited to somatic or physical pain, but pain,
meaning disappointment, frustration, and craving aspects. This is a good source of, this does
not make sense, or why would they do that, discussed in the previous episode. And connect
this to relationships and criteria A. My morning routines were tough during a previous relationship.
They were obsessive. Remember the first two episodes too. Remember in the first episode
while discussing B2 and B3, I made comments that I have these two symptoms or traits bad.
And I am comfortable saying now that those really implicated previous relationships.
Some things to me, but I just could not see. I just couldn't understand it at the time.
It was all about my routines, whatever my routine was. And I had to have certain fixated interest,
whatever they were at that time. And it would just, everything else was secondary. Everything
else. Typically, I am punctual, but we just discuss the complications and the background
of what is going on in the parts you cannot see. I think punctual is not a source of courtesy.
So what we are supposed to do? It is how we treat others and ourselves. It allows society
to flow properly, flow efficiently. I enjoy being slightly early. And I certainly bias
myself towards action. Perhaps an EI superpower if properly utilized. Here, maybe you can
connect the propensity for breaks. There will be a need for breaks. That is a certain. To
recharge and replenish that metabolic bank account previously discussed. And so we can
attend to our fixated interest. Remember, these are not entirely abnormal in quotations.
Abnormal in interest or focus. I hate that language. It is code for others
are uncomfortable about that ability and don't want to understand it. So they label it. How
about you not be offended a reflex with a negative connection? How about we utilize
it and bias the person towards strengths and superpowers? If someone has the ability
to learn and be attached to a subject or a topic, let them be. But that offends other
people in society. Okay, rant over for now. Remember the aromatic amino acids. I have
a cheat sheet or an answer key for the listener. These special proteins activate for UVB wavelength
light. Leptin, even smaller wavelength. Leptin wasn't discovered until 1994. I believe by
Jeffrey Friedman. This recharge, this reset, needing to restore our metabolic bank account.
Go outside. Get some more sunlight. Remember, we discussed this in the third and fourth
episode. This will reset our homeostasis. I bet it will give benefits, at least minimize
the behavior phenotypes. The struggles that we can see. This is in all of the so called
disorders listed in the DSM, not limited to autism. All. If disagree, email me. I have
an anecdote. During holidays, family gatherings and such, lots of food, lots of people and
paper plates being thrown away. No, it's not a silly climate topic. People throw the paper
plates away. We eat, we dispose of the paper plate. Food side up. And it loosely stacks
up. However, well, two things here. One, if face down, it minimizes smell and sight and
mass. But two, you can push down on the backside of the paper plate and push down to get more
in one trash bag. Things like this are confusing to me. Why don't other people see this? You
want a glimpse into the inside of someone with autism. It's things like this. It's
just strange to us. And this annoys me. There is nothing about this that makes sense. Nothing.
I see this. Fill my eyebrows wrinkle up. That conflict. Here, I'm receiving the conflict
and stimulus response. I turn it over and press down and get out. I fix the trash can
and the paper plate stacking up overflowing. I fix it and I get out. And that's true. Traffic
flow. Spacing between cars is strange to me. I don't understand why the spacing cannot
be more equal. 360 degree spacing. Remember B movie. This interacts with me when driving
and trying to turn into traffic and while running. Something I notice is when. Let's
say a two lane. Two lane or more road. Two lanes traveling in the same direction. When
people pass cars or especially semis. They take their time passing. They increase their
time traveling within feet of another vehicle or even a semi. It's wild. Why would you
travel within feet of a semi? Time the passing so you can accelerate and pass past a car
or semi without staying there side by side with it and increasing your time next to it.
Now before your reflexive thought whenever I say time and accelerate within speed limit
forgiveness or acceptance of course and pass the vehicle on or especially the semi as fast
as possible. We learn about distances of following the vehicle in front of us. We learn about
that. That's pretty common information. You don't want to follow too close but it's a
360 degree consideration. We need to watch out 360. I'm blown away by people passively
passing semis increasing time and distance being within feet of it. Maybe they heard
the previous episode and they want to high five the other driver. Researching items. Researching
items I want to purchase and this is no different than the fixated interest. It is consuming.
I mean time and energy. It is not a dreadful feeling though. We just go all in. Relationship
implications are involved here too. Between fixated interest and being a so called over
analyzer or over thinker. This is happening. This is how we do things. I have examples.
Any different context. Of teaching the workers about the item and similar items. The similarities
and differences of the items. And quite frankly I love it. I have examples of teaching other
consumers about the products as they were in the store looking at the items at the same
time. I love it. I can even prompt it and do it without using words. Or sometimes I will
just ask them. I can notice they are looking for something. A favorite for me is the vitamin
and supplement aisle. There's a lot of biology within this aisle. And a lot of times people
are lost. They are searching for something. And I will just ask them. Oh iron for your
red blood cells right? Your hemoglobin or respiration. And then wonder or even tell them
that hemoglobin and chlorophyll are very similar. Hemoglobin uses the iron which is what you
are after. Chlorophyll uses magnesium. Just remember too all the discussion on sunlight
and UV light and the healthy benefits that it will provide for hemoglobin. Remember we
can talk endlessly about our interest. And it is endlessly. An example of a worker at
a store. I taught them what their barcodes mean. Their price tags. What all the different
elements of that tag means. Because I looked it up and I learned it. This is very bizarre.
And really no application in life. It's just a part of it. Hans Asperger's syndrome called
children he was researching little professors. He had nicknames for them. Little professors.
That's autism. This is what autism is. That's how you need to understand autism. Forget everything
you previously learned and rethink what is autism. See it not as a disorder. See it as
a superpower. Maybe something that you can't even think about doing. And how society can
integrate this. This is how it ought to be. That is how it can be. Look out for future
episodes about autism and education and autism and employment on how these things these two
paradigms are set up for our failure and how society can adjust to improve the situation.
Other personal examples of criteria B. Things that don't make sense to me. Pants sizes.
Come to my attention that maybe recently I don't know. I don't know when it started
quite frankly that some pants sizes some pant makers manufacturers use alpha for their size.
Why would you use alpha for your size. Small medium large for pant sizes. This doesn't make
any sense. We understand it's almost universally understood. Numeric sizes for pants 30 32
34. I get that. What's small medium large. Why would you do that. And finally something
that's something that I've encountered. I observed and I think it's strange is when
people make the decision to eat out at a restaurant. You you make a decision that another human
being or a a collection of human beings that are involved. You're going to have them prepare
a meal and just basically feed you. Now once you make that decision that somebody else
this is in somebody else's hands. You forfeit the ability to have an opinion. Or an expectation.
Of what you're receiving. That's another human being. If if you don't want that unpredictableness
of somebody else preparing or other people as a whole. Serving you and preparing food
for you. Then you do it. You don't get to complain. Remember never underestimate a human's
capacity to think. And don't try to change someone with autism. Just because it offends
you. Understand how to utilize this this phenomena for society for the person more importantly.
If you're listening and enjoy the episode or enjoy the podcast please feel free to leave
a review or rating. In podcasting reviews ratings and downloads are huge. And I very
much appreciate your feedback. If you would like to contact me please do so at info dot
from the spectrum at gmail dot com. And thank you for listening to from the spectrum podcast.