what we thought we knew about autism and... whatnot

'For decades, researchers had been measuring the wrong thing. Conflating communication style differences with empathy deficits produced dramatically inflated effect sizes and an illusion of empathy impairment'

#autism #actuallyAutistic #science #psychology

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/positively-different/202601/what-the-world-got-wrong-about-autistic-people

What the World Got Wrong About Autistic People

For decades, autism research compared autistic people to animals, denied them moral sensitivity, and assumed autistic traits made them miserable. All wrong.

Psychology Today
@oscarjiminy
This alone should be shouted about: "researchers had assumed impairment, they found autistic people applying moral principles more consistently—even to strangers, even when costly. In a world increasingly damaged by in-group bias, this isn't a deficit; it's a collective-level fail-safe feature."
@Andii @oscarjiminy I came here to post this exact quote.

@Andii @oscarjiminy so here's another gem:

researchers interpreted autistic moral consistency as "undue concern" about ethics. Because of the enduring assumption “autism=bad,” they pathologized conscience and treated principled behavior as a symptom rather than a strength.

@grant_h @Andii @oscarjiminy What this is essentially saying, is that failures to conform to a core defining principle of conservatism (in-group must be preferred), was ”developmental failure”.

It tells more about the unmatched levels oppression practiced by western socities at large, than it does about neurodivergent people.

We judge people who fail to be good imperialists as defective.

@grant_h @Andii @oscarjiminy

The attitude also implies

Social conformity “normal” = morals

It seems like the very wealthy, especially the most notorious one at the moment, likes to clothe himself in autism to lay claim to specialness and characterize his outrageous behavior as autism, but the accurate description would be dark triad.

@grant_h @Andii @oscarjiminy Aren't these the same people currently insisting that empathy is bad? (Because accepting empathy would argue against the morality of their actions.)
@Andii @oscarjiminy @wearywulf describes this in their posts.
@Andii @oscarjiminy Unusually robust moral integrity is a common feature of autistic folks that I know.
@cford @Andii @oscarjiminy "Do not underestimate one who has nothing but time, and a sense of justice." ~Old Proverb I Made Up
@Andii @oscarjiminy This has been the ultimate point of tension in every group I've been a part of. Also a good way to find like-minded people!
@Andii @oscarjiminy wait, so all the stories about being nice to others exist because most people just aren't? 

@efi @Andii @oscarjiminy Short answer: Yes.

Long Answer: How many random acts of kindness have you encountered in your life so far vs how many random acts of fuck you just because?

@efi @Vaneshi @Andii @oscarjiminy It's worse in some places than others but yeah, a strong built-in tolerance to hypocrisy is a bad thing.

@Vaneshi @efi @Andii @oscarjiminy

I have experienced thousands of acts of random kindness for each act of random fuckyouness

From actual people, I mean, not governmental policies

This might be cultural. I think being kind to strangers is a huge thing in the culture where I live. I miss it, when I travel!

@Andii @oscarjiminy much of the evidence in support of my Son's diagnosis confused me. "If that makes you autistic," I'd ponder, "then half my friends and most of my family are autistic, Heck, even I might be." Guess what? Many of those people I referenced are now diagnosed, on diagnostic pathways of their own or self diagnosed. As for me I now have a better idea of what my traits are and and am lucky enough to be in a role where I can advocate for what helps me without a label. Nonetheless I'd be less put off about getting a professional opinion on whatever Neurospiciness I might have, if the D in ADHD and ASD stood for Difference rather than Disorder.

@Andii AI slop much? "this isnt X; it's Y" phrasing

@oscarjiminy

@bweller @Andii @oscarjiminy
you know these phrasings happen in real texts as well? what do you think where AI "learned" them from?

it's just *one* indicator of AI slop. if a text has many such indicators it's most likely slop, but by itself the indicator means nothing

@Andii the psychopaths of our society knew we were 2 powerful so they tried everything 2 nerf us

2 bad we have the internet now >:)