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A non-pathological definition of autism written by Dr. Nick Walker (full text linked below):

"Autism is a genetically-based human neurological variant. The complex set of interrelated characteristics that distinguish autistic neurology from non-autistic neurology is not yet fully understood, but current evidence indicates that the central distinction is that autistic brains are characterized by particularly high levels of synaptic connectivity and responsiveness. ..."

https://neuroqueer.com/what-is-autism/

WHAT IS AUTISM? • NEUROQUEER

Nick Walker, PhD I wrote this piece back in 2014, because I'd seen so many attempts by others to briefly define autism––in presentations, websites, brochures, academic papers, etc.––and they'd all been dreadful.
Nick Walker (NEUROQUEER)

jec& reshared this.

Jae Erwin
Wow! How different does that feel? "...particularly high levels of synaptic connectivity and responsiveness."
jec&
Well... it's kind of hard to say since to us it's simply our normal selves. We weren't NTs in the past and then transformed, so, we can't really say how it feels with respect to a neurotypical experience.

I guess it'd be like asking a bat how echolocation feels with respect to e.g. human vision. They wouldn't have any frame of reference to answer that question.

I just *am*.

Jae Erwin reshared this.

jec&
And to my #Autistic peeps: yes, we're assuming this hypothetical bat has the intellectual capacity to learn human languages, has the ability to understand and formulate abstract concepts and a theory of mind, and is able to modulate and generate human speech with their vocal structures.

The fact that I already know some autistic folks would be taken aback by my bat example and start wondering and ask all these questions, is the kind of neurodivergent experience that, I could describe in words or explain to NTs, but only other neurodivergent will be able to relate with and understand at the most basic fundamental level, that of the shared subjective experience.
#autistic
Jae Erwin
@jec I was just mulling this same thing and then wondering how do non-autistic people experience the world.
I'm currently reading 'An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us' by Ed Yong which explores this idea but between us and animals. It's fascinating.
I can still remember how it felt to realise how different a bat experience would be.
@jec&
Jae Erwin
@jec
That was a weird synchronicity. We posted at almost the same time using bats as an illustration.
@jec&
Auscandoc
This is really useful. Thanks for boosting it @dramypsyd
@Dr. Amy, Psy.D.
Paskajärven kaunis Charlotta
Thank you for sharing, this whole text is very beautifully articulated and accurate. I think I’ll show it to my son who’s 11 and such a brilliant mind that not all adults always understand and appreciate him.
wb x64
this was wonderful to read, thank you!

I immediately identified strongly as a kid with the "Flowers for Algernon" story not just because it's tragic and a mind seeing itself decay is super scary, but because I've experienced those two extremes of "wow so you think you're so smart huh?" and "you're really incredibly stupid" without any in between of just having typical human experiences... nearly every week of my life. His extra brain capacity is sort of a curse!

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