EmpyClawMar 31
chronohart

Re: the article linked in the post below:

I am livid. I can't believe those words came out of the mouth of a cognitive development *researcher* who has been in the field for *decades*. The linked thread is a good place to start in ripping apart the article, but there is so much more in there. If you have the spoons for it, I highly recommend you read it yourself.

I'll post more specific thoughts in this thread.

1/?

@KatyElphinstone https://mas.to/@KatyElphinstone/116206524414480658

K.J. Elphinstone (@[email protected])

The Times article: https://www.tes.com/magazine/teaching-learning/general/uta-frith-interview-autism-not-spectrum Her podcast with Naomi Fisher: https://substack.com/@naomicfisher/note/p-189989936?r=ql236

mas.to
Mar 31 at 5:00pmWeb
Show threadchronohartMar 31

My main thought reading through this article is that Frith misunderstands the meaning of "spectrum" and that it's perhaps intentional because she wants fewer people diagnosed. She kind of seems to be leaning toward the idea that *everyone* thinks differently, so autism isn't real for most people diagnosed that way, but she completely neglects the fact that society deems only a very limited range of that different thinking as "normal" and healthy. Even assuming that's true and that there isn't something actually *biologically* broken, it isn't practical to act on that until society changes to accommodate the variations of thought.

Like, there's nothing intrinsically wrong with being hyper focused on a task that means a lot to you (as long as your biological needs are still being met). It's only a problem because the society we live in has generally decided not to learn how to integrate that way of thinking, particularly when it affects other people.

2/?

Show threadchronohartMar 31

I recently learned that I struggle immensely with forced changes of priority at work and having to shift through many different types of tasks in a single day. Much more so than nuerotypical folks. It's probably a *major* cause of the burnout that put me on short term disability leave for the last 3 months. This way of thinking isn't something I feel is wrong in my brain at all, but rather something that can be managed by changing how I do my work and how my manager assigns it to me, but managing will depend on this little part of my society deciding to work with me on it. If my manager refuses to change how he manages me, the problem will largely remain.

3/?

Show threadchronohartMar 31

Frith also keeps talking about how "unscientific" our understanding of autism is because so much of it is based purely on *observations*. What the actual fuck??? *Science is observation*!!! That is precisely how you do science! You see how things work, notice a pattern, form a hypothesis, then observe more intentionally to see whether the hypothesis proves true *through observation*.

This whole article absolutely *reeks* of "society is broken, and breaking people every day, but capitalism doesn't want us to make things better for them, so here are all our excuses for why it's actually *wrong* for us to care about taking simple steps to improve society for a vast array of non-rich people".

4/?

Show threadchronohartMar 31

My therapist recently diagnosed me with autism in connection with my need for short term disability leave from work. I hadn't decided how I feel about that diagnosis yet, nor whether I feel it to be true for me, but this article I think has pushed me over the line and I think I want to make it totally officially official now because this lady is off her fucking rocker.

5/5 end

Show threadK.J. ElphinstoneApr 3

@chronohart

I'm sending this to those I thought might be interested, you among them, I hope that's alright!

I've just been guest on the podcast that hosted Uta Frith.

Here's my podcast episode:

On substack (but I think anyone can listen to it):
https://neurosense.substack.com/p/why-we-need-to-reframe-autism-with

On Apple podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/lets-talk-neurosense-the-psychology-of-neurodiversity/id1883007944 

On Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/19fSshl0XkXqiKPCp3uyzO?si=gDBCV9koQHKqvEMHqrZJnw&t=2249 

Pass it on if you like it.

Comments can be made on the Substack version, & very welcome! ☺️

Why we need to reframe autism with Katy Elphinstone

In the fourth episode of Let’s Talk Neurosense, we talked to Katy Elphinstone, autistic advocate, researcher and author of How to Raise Happy Neurofabulous Children: A Parent’s Guide.

Let's Talk Neurosense: the Psychology of Neurodiversity
Show threadchronohartApr 3
@KatyElphinstone
Oh, thanks for this! I'm *very* intrigued that the podcast followed up Frith's interview so quickly with interviews more critical of Frith's views. I'll definitely listen to your episode and likely follow up with the rest of the podcast.
Show threadK.J. ElphinstoneApr 3

@chronohart

The other ones are very good, too, I'd recommend it.

I think they'd underestimated the backlash, tbh, and are trying to mitigate the damage. That's my interpretation, anyway.

Show threadK.J. ElphinstoneApr 3

@chronohart

Thank you for this - I so agree!