Causes of Autism

An interesting fact about Silicon Valley is that they have a huge Autism problem. It seems that people with very low levels of autism (especially Asperger's syndrome) are really good programmers by nature. They seem to fall into it naturally. The problem is that a lot of them are getting married and having children with much more severe autism.

Great minds think alike.

I'm just posting here to keep an eye on the thread Steve. (Your comment could be construed the wrong way to infer agreement with a "problem". I know this is not the case , but I wouldn't want to leave it open to interpretation even if this thread is best left alone ). Kris

I wonder if this could be more of a pollution issue.

Reading this article reminded me of reports I've heard elsewhere about the increasing number of autism diagnoses. While searching for information about Asperger's syndrome, a "milder cousin" of autism, I came across an article called "The Geek Syndrome. Considering the subject at hand, the title is insensitive; however, the story is intriguing.

It may well be that the incidence of Autism being noticed in America will help. The large number people working in hi-tech industry with direct experience , may lead to significant advances in research. A group of people who have all the right factors (motivation , resource , intellect ) might be the spark that leads to greater understanding. Whilst it must be terrible at a personal level , the clustering of Autism that has been noticed (and IMO lends weight to the genetic component theory) may bring about very meaningful advances. I have been astonished at some reports I have read of general lack of awareness on the subject.

The wording of the thread is well chosen Roger. As you say, there are complex issues surrounding both definition and cause. For now I will just post 1 link . I do not vouch for it's veracity , and there are some parts I question , but it is worth a read all the same. It illustrates another aspect to the topic.

Kris.

How dominant is the genetic component theory? Like Alzheimer, some genetic inclination may lead to apparent pathology, but deep-down, I have this persistent, nagging intuition that autism is a key name to a notion coined around 1900, then called "Sociophobia". This term abandoned for more "advanced" notions, letting "Sociophobia" to described grown-ups type of autism.

Does it make any sense?

As if on Autism, only replaced with Sociofobia, As if on children, only replaced with grown-ups:

Symptoms and aspects

http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=12431

http://www.changethatsrightnow.com/shortdescriptionlist.asp?phobiaid=1852

http://www.answers.com/topic/sociophobia

http://www.askmen.com/fashion/body_and_mind_60/60_better_living.html

http://www.adaa.org/GettingHelp/AnxietyDisorders/SocialPhobia.asp

Suggested treatments and prognosis

http://www.phobia-fear-release.com/sociophobia.html

http://www.changethatsrightnow.com/problem_detail.asp?SDID=652:1852

Yuval , I read your post to mean ' Here is information on Sociophobia in Adults '. Perhaps you could clarify. Your post could be interpreted as saying that Autism is a form of phobia , and can be treated in a similar manner.

If you think the two things are the same , I can not say much except that I think you are wrong.Autism is not some trndy new-age word. Autistic people certainly do have difficulties in social situations , but this is not exactly the same as a phobia . Most people experience phobia about something or other - spiders , the dark , just about anything. Generally people live with , or overcome such fears. More pronounced fears may be classed as anxiety . In both these areas , the debilitating condition can usually be overcome by therapy (in one of it's many forms) or medication. In general phobias and anxiety are regarded as acquired conditions. The inclusion of many types of condition in DSM does not mean that all conditions are linked (other than fitting my loose description of being 'what happens inside your mind ').

Autism may 'appear' like a fear of social interaction , but that is not the same as Sociophobia that you refer to. An Autistic person would show social interaction problems whatever the learnt experiences. However , many autistic people do learn to improve their ability to deal with the external world. To make a comparison , If you observe somebody unable to spell , it may be because they have never learnt or it may be because they are dyslexic. There is a mass of on-line information about autism and dyslexia . Both are still the subject of much debate . America is in the stone-age with regard to understanding autism , but I strongly suspect that recent interest will lead to huge advances in research and understanding. I hope so as desperate parents will look to any for some kind of magic answer , no matter how ill-founded it's basis. You will have read my earlier link , so there is no need to remind you of some 'solutions' (if indeed anybody regards an autistic person as being a 'problem')

I seem to have rambled on a bit ! The subject is very complex , so I will leave this thread to those with other perspectives who may chance this way.

"...could be interpreted as saying that Autism is a form of phobia..."

Sociofobia, not merely a phobia.

Leave for now if you please, any generalities in the definition of symptoms of various forms of phobia. Sociophobia is not about hallucinations of insects crawling or anything like that. The links above were provided to clarify symptoms as well, but what the heck:

Sociophobians, are those who shunt their trivial communication with fellow-men, yet maintaining a full, rich, inner circle, as they are usually intelligent, they read a lot, they are also informed or very informed in the ways of the world, but dis-engage, avoid, talking to other people, avoid social gathering, and in general feel unease with the company of man. The feel somewhat more connected to toddlers (nonspeaking humans) and animals.

In answer to the question above: yes, to a limited degree.

The medical debate was similar to that of Alzheimer, and Schizophrenia (totally unrelated BTW) in the sense that on one hand there is no clear cause to this collection of symptoms, yet in spite of this unclarity, another fierce debate was going on about the cardinal question: "Is it hereditary, or is it environmentally induced?"

My aim was to point to my intuitive observation to likeness of of apparent symptoms, in both autism in children and sociophobia in grown-ups

"...can be treated in a similar manner..."

This I never suggested, since the origin of the condition is not clear, and I consider myself empirical in thought.

The currently fashionable phrase 'Autistic spectrum' is perhaps more useful in indicating how blurred the definitions of autism are.

This link provides further information on related areas.