Un-learning Asperger?

INTRODUCTION AND DISCLAIMER

2010-01-31T23:59:00.000Z

What is the bottom line of this site? - that Asperger syndrome is 'hyper-systemising', and in particular that AS tendency people are trying to interact in the hugely complex social world by using logical analysis and data. The resulting system running in their minds works poorly, is deafening, and stops any more intuitive NT functioning be heard. Some AS people may be able to stop doing this 'wrong' systemising, including stopping collecting and storing data for it to feed on, and may be able to rediscover NT (mirror neuron) functioning - as I believe has happened with me.

BACKGROUND. I exhibited many Asperger (AS) tendency indicators (*), and was concerned to stop 'crashes' of my communication and empathy systems(**) that occurred during or after periods of high social complexity.

I share here a thesis on AS tendency and un-learning, and some resulting approaches and exercises. Since adopting these I have not experienced a systems crash, including in high risk situations, and have experienced a lot more communication and joy in social situations.

DISCLAIMER. However please note that I do not want to raise any hopes that may prove false: I was only informally diagnosed as likely AS (*), and what I have experienced has not as yet (to my knowledge) been experienced by others who have tried it, and may not be applicable to all or even any AS tendency people, I am not in any way formally qualified in this field, and the content in this site is in no way formally scientifically proven. Please do not use any content of this site if you feel it may cause harm of any kind. I hereby disclaim any liability for any adverse result arising from the use or application of any content on this site.

In addition AS impacts seem to vary significantly by individual, so approaches, ideas, attitudes, key words etc may need to be significantly bespoke developed for a particular individual.

Note to returning visitors; I have updated details on the site as the discussion has developed, although the central thrusts and layout are unchanged. See the end of the 'Updates' page for where the discussion has reached.

Best wishes.

(*) score c.40 on the Baron-Cohen AQ test (found e.g. at http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.12/aqtest.html), typical Asperger social difficulties, systemising background in work education and family, intense interests, informally diagnosed as likely AS by a very experienced AS specialist therapist I worked with.

(**) More if interested, including book recommendation, on the 'Belt & Braces...' page.

A5: SCHIZOPHRENIA, MENTAL HEALTH, SIGN-OFF

2010-01-31T15:33:00.016Z

SCHIZOPHRENIA

Schizophrenia Thesis

1. Human brain can slide between various positions; one position is a very practical, reality-based normalcy. At the other extreme all self-checking, 'is this reasonable?' functioning is turned off (perhaps by prediction errors becoming large; Phil Corlett, Paul Fletcher), and all thoughts become apparently 'reasonable', including internal voices and hallucinations.
-

2. Forces pushing people to the extreme end are
- coffee (§) and other drugs; reduce internal checking buttresses
- ability to escape reality e.g. availability of support, no need to work, no challenge
- pressures to escape reality e.g. high self-demanding.

3. Can people come back, to a more normal position?
Some times people lose their strength, and cannot return until they find strength again.
Sometimes an apparently awful situation (psychosis, delusions) is actually better than a normal life, as it includes no need to face reality, and no responsibilties.
However sometimes a person finds reasons to come back, to recover;
Boredom of being 'out there', having a non-life.
A hunger for normality.
An acceptance of inefficiency, that the world will not be perfect.

4. Can one more directly turn back on self-checking, 'is this reasonable?' processes?
Possibly, if one asks self all the time 'is this reasonable?'
Possibly if one takes up real world activities - e.g. look after a pet, garden, work.
(E. Fuller Torrey,, Surviving Schizophrenia, 1988, p253; work males schizophrenics behave more responsibly)

5. What about genetics and brain differences?
Some people may be more likely, due to their genetics, to go to the extreme end.
Brains change due to use and other factors, meaning that brain differences (e.g. larger ventricles) may be the result, rather than the cause, of schizophrenia.

§ Coffee and Schizophrenia.

Correlations:

• by geography
Nordic areas have high schizophrenia prevalence (E Fuller Torrey, Surviving Schizophrenia, 1988, p352) and high coffee use (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_coffee_consumption_per_capita).

• by historical growth .
Torrey (p339-342) comments that very early mental illness descriptions do not seem to fit schizophrenia , there is a ‘sporadic presence’ from 17th century, then c.1800 “suddenly… it appeared.”
This mirrors growth in coffee usage in West – “With the explosion in the popularity of coffee houses the European powers were soon competing against each other throughout the 17th Century to establish coffee plantations in their respective colonies”, “by 1668 coffee had replaced beer as New York's City's favourite breakfast drink, and "The Boston Tea Party" of 1773 made drinking coffee a patriotic statement.” www.cofei.com/history/the-rich-history-of-coffee-and-its-religious-brew.html, “Merchant account books document coffee’s sale to mariners, brewers, labourers, widows, and even free blacks by the 1760s; … even enslaved labourers received coffee as payment for overwork in Virginia iron works by the 1820s.” Conf10_TopikMcDonald.pdf

• by social class
“high [schizophrenia] prevalence rates among high-caste Indians, higher class Japanese, and well-educated Taiwanese” (http://www.mentalhealth.com/mag1/scz/sb-time.html, also Torrey p351 ref. India), then “Early in the process of development, the illness appeared to be more common among the upper classes and later, more common in the lower classes.” This explained by initial use of coffee by higher classes, then spreads to lower classes?

• by time of coffee scarcity:
the schizophrenia rate went “down in many countries during WWII” (Torrey, p157), when coffee “was scarce” (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_front_during_World_War_II).

• by individual coffee use
“Excessive coffee drinking is frequently found among persons with schizophrenia and is of concern to families.” Torrey p295), “A study published in the September 2006 issue of "Schizophrenia Research" confirmed that people with schizophrenia smoke more and have a higher intake of caffeine when compared with the general U.S. population.” www.livestrong.com/article/460309-schizophrenia-caffeine/

Also:

• Past research work on psychosis and coffee has indicated linkage. “Several clinical studies have shown that increased caffeine consumption can exacerbate schizophrenic symptoms. A case study published in the September 1978 issue of the "Journal of Clinical Psychiatry" showed that increased caffeine consumption caused a significant increase in schizophrenic symptoms. Another study, published in the July 1990 issue of the journal "Biological Psychiatry" confirmed that, when compared with a placebo, caffeine caused a significant increase in manic symptoms, thought disorder, unusual thought content and euphoria-activation in schizophrenic patients.” www.livestrong.com/article/460309-schizophrenia-caffeine/

• Possibly explains typical age of onset in late teens, early adulthood, - explained by increasing coffee consumption at this age?

• Possibly explain the surprising finding that schizophrenia recovery rates are higher in less developed countries than in developed ones – because less coffee is freely available in their residential mental health facilities?

• Possibly explains the surprising finding that schizophrenia prevalence is 5-15% higher if born in late winter and early spring (Torrey p142) – because mothers drink more coffee in cold winter months, pre-birth?

• A survey would show individual recovery correlations with lower coffee use? E.g. “TW was pleased to see me. He immediately said he had bought a box of green tea and that he preferred it to coffee or tea, and felt better for drinking it. “ www.schizophreniarecovery.net/articles/lalievre.htm

It is possible there may be inter-generational correlations.

[Suppressed by the coffee industry?]

---

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TO PREVENT AND REDUCE MENTAL ILLHEALTH SUFFERING:

SOCIETY
Increase social worker and resources to protect young children from abuse.

PARENTS
Parents love your children and give them a normal average and balanced start.
Do not love one child more or less than others.
Do not let your children be abused.

PERSON:

DO NOT TAKE IN DRUGS.
In particular do not take in large amounts of alcohol or cannabis.
Includes avoiding coffee, tea and lots of sugar also.

DO NOT SYSTEMISE.
(Asperger)

DO NOT SELF-DEMAND, 'MUST/SHOULD', OR 'AWFULIZE'.
REBT
Extreme Reverse REBT e.g. Let Everyone Do Better Than Me.

OVER-PREDICT LIKELY UPCOMING ANXIETY AND STRESS CAUSORS.
Have a worry time

EAT GOOD, NATURAL FOOD.
Not sugar, additives, manmade stuff.

STAY IN WORK AND IN A NORMAL LIFESTYLE.

KEEP AN EXTERNAL PERSPECTIVE ON YOURSELF
Do you want to get better yet?

TRY ALL SORTS OF THERAPIES.

-------

SOME SIGNING-OFF THOUGHTS.

Messing around inside your own brain can cause disturbances, and lots of self-narrative also seems negative. Carefully put inputs into your brain, but let the silken complex swiss-watch machine run on its own.

Immense value in using tools (e.g. REBT, EMDR) to stop persistent thinking errors.

Keep trying things. You may find various tools that help you. Your brain is massively complex; fixing this is like peeling an onion, layer after layer. EMDR, REBT, etc etc etc etc etc. Keep going!

Notice moments and phases when you feel good, when things are working - work out why - and repeat!

A1b: MECHANICS VIEW - KEEPING THIS BRAIN PURRING ALONG

2009-10-12T19:36:00.015+01:00

Mechanics view - keeping this brain purring along.

Introduction

This brain is a 1960 model - it needs some Tender Loving Care to keep it running well, and to get the best out of it.

It's a bit antique perhaps in that it needs these external inputs and fixes to keep it humming, but once it is humming it runs beautifully; there's nothing wrong with the basic capability in there if you treat it well.

We apply the following fixes and techniques;

ASSS - ASperger Systemising Stopping.
We stop the brain running a systemising routine over the base capabilities. Such systemising just causes the brain to snag up and overload - the base capability is much more subtle and better.

REBT - Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (Albert Ellis)
We use this to recognise, go after and eliminate any irrational beliefs, any 'awfulizing' and any self-esteeming. It's also great for eliminating anger (by switching to flexible attitudes, bias towards love).

EMDR - Eye Movement Densensitization and Reprocessing (rapid eye movement) (Francine Shapiro)
This is great for freeing up trapped and half-processed trauma memories, so they can be fully and correctly processed. This massively de-powers related anxieties, and causes blockages to be released.

SCP - Selection and Clarification of Personalities
This helps stabilising on preferred behaviours; we can dump some old behaviour patterns that lead nowhere but trouble, focus down on a few personalities or behaviour sets that we like, and maybe try adding some new behaviours to see if they will stick.

RAAP - Reasonable Anxieties Action Plan
We scan ahead for upcoming NIE (Negative Impact Events - e.g. decisions to be made, difficult tasks to be done, presentations to be prepared for), and commit 'think time' and then action effort (normally doing them tiny step by tiny step) to do them ahead of time and thus de-power any anxiety.

DMT - Decision-Making Tool.
We roll out this structured approach (we list our key values, list key arguments for and against different options; score each argument out of 10 for each of short-term and long-term value, see if the arguments fit our values, make the best decision we can, and stick with it) when a decision is to be made; it helps keep the thinking well directed.

SNPE - Social No Power Exchange
We remind that social encounters are not power exchanges, which helps keep expectations low and the self stable - and thus enables more fun!

Our programme is;

1. We 'de-frag' every morning - running EMDR and REBT on any issues, and then EMDR and REBT again on subsequent issues that come up... to cleanout the tubes before the day. This can take 30-60 minutes sometimes. If happiness is not up at 8.5/10 then we work to understand and attack any issues that are blocking up the tubes. We also do this during the day if anything comes up. Sometimes the happiness rating rises after a delay (maybe 30 mins after the de-fragging).

2. We run a daily mini-process where we run RAAP (if necessary this may include a DMT run) and we remind on SNPE and SCP to keep them tuned.

3. Once in a while we run an REBT check, to see if any irrational beliefs have crept in - they're often hilariously ridiculous when you isolate and look at them.

4. ASSS seems to have been applied and be working well, but when we're going into, in or just after an intense social thing, we keep remembering to 'vent to heaven' to clean out the brain of any Aspie-type social note-taking or analysis or data.

This programme gives us an increasingly good, happy and smooth running performance from this brain - so, so much better than when it is was hiccuping along, unloved and untuned, making mistakes, on its own.

.

A4: HAPPINESS: THESIS & METHOD

2009-10-10T22:36:00.014+01:00

Happiness - Thesis & Method:

1. No self- or other-demandings.

2. Do what is required to meet the demands of your Monkey Man limbic system (or REBT it's demands).

3. Work relentlessly at doing 1. and 2..

A3: ANXIETY: THESIS & METHOD

2009-10-10T18:57:00.015+01:00

Thesis and method:

Anxiety; what is happening?
A non-conscious part of the mind is considering what is going on, may decide a situation matches a previous danger situation, and send signals to the amygdala saying 'activate physical symptoms, to get the attention of the conscious' (i.e. an emotion - e.g. see discussion in Mapping The Mind by Rita Carter, books and writings of Joseph Ledoux etc).

Why do some people suffer particularly?
Some amygdalas become hyper-potentiated; 'conditioned' - perhaps partly due to genetic predisposition, partly due to extreme experiences (e.g. perhaps as a young child) (see Gregory Quirk research, e.g. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1749-6632.2003.tb07087.x/abstract ). Such amygdalas 'over-do' the physical symptoms (e.g. sweating, high heart rate), possibly overcoming the balancing abilities of the frontal cortex systems, so creating an 'amygdala hijack'.

Can the amygdala be un-conditioned?
No, research and experience indicate that the amygdala will remain potentiated, once it has become so.

However
1. Some of the beliefs, often irrational, that are triggering the amygdala hijack can be exploded - see REBT, Albert Ellis.

Sub-fear approach; identify each specific fear and REBT it.

BIG BAZOOKA: be brave enough to trace your fears right to the limit end fear e.g. 'It would be nice if I did not finish dead, with my naked body lying in the street, but not the end of the world if that does happen." Exploding the ultimate core fear short-circuits the huge variety of sub-fears and nuances along the way.

(Note: Dorothy Rowe books may help on fear.)
2. Some triggerings result from stuck, incorrectly processed memories from past traumatic experiences. These can be freed and then correctly processed - see EMDR.

3. You may become aware of specific circumstances that will lead to triggers (e.g. undone jobs at home or work, or a decision that needs to be taken) and maybe you can get strong and organised enough to address these situations early, avoiding unnecessary triggering.

4. If you 'expect the worst', you will experience less/no anxiety if/when the situation actually arrives.

5. You may find it illogical, but your 'Monkey Man' limbic system may demand you do some things (e.g. get some sort of job done) to be happy. It may be sensible to just do what is required to keep this system in you happy.

Do these methods stop anxieties?
In my experience

- Sub-fear approach - yes in some cases (e.g. the most ridiculous false beliefs, which REBT destroys), and in the others no but (a) they are de-powered, and (b) they may be reduced or avoided by taking actions early. This route is limited because the brain consistently creates more sub-fears.

- BIG BAZOOKA - yes.

Note: Early hours wake-up - how to ease/stop
1. Stop taking drugs associated with anxiety and sleep disturbance, e.g. alcohol (known to disturb sleep, cause early hours wake-up), caffeine, chocolate.

2. Just accept you are in an amygdala hijack. Accept this will shut down your frontal lobes functioning (see Dean Mobbs research on spider fear). Accept this is lost time.

(3. A technique some people find useful is, when you wake up heart pumping, sweating with anxiety; start counting and controlling your breathing e.g. calm and slow count to 5 as you breathe in, 5 as you breathe out. Your mammalian panic amygdala will be disrupted in its process - 'hang on I thought we were in panic mode but our breathing is calm - this does not compute' and may well switch off the adrenaline pump etc, and just cool down - and if you do this regularly you may just stop bothering to wake you up...)

A2: HUMAN BRAIN - SYSTEMS, AND WHAT GOES ON - MY VIEW

2009-10-03T12:32:00.032+01:00

HUMAN BRAIN – SYSTEMS, AND WHAT GOES ON - MY CURRENT (EARLY STAGE) VIEW.

SYSTEM 1: LIMBIC SYSTEM

Motivators :

Basic needs of the organism
- survival, including defence against danger
- food and drink
- reproduction (recognise attractive partner, seek partner, look attractive, procreate)

Also links to frontal cortex desires (see below), including trauma memories, irrational beliefs

Methods :

Emotions - physical limbic
anger, anxiety, quick involuntary moves, e.g. towards food

NOTE: Some frontal cortex derived drivers can be de-connected and de-powered by e.g. REBT and EMDR- consciousness can interact here.

SYSTEM 2: FRONTAL CORTEX

Motivators :

Human needs - drivers, but maybe without passion unless near extreme levels
- Earn enough £ to live.
- Develop to earn more £ in future.
- Keep commitments e.g. clear house, see people, go to work

Human rewards - drivers; invoke some passion, energy
- Power (to be in charge, to control, dominate) (rare in my view)
- Achievement (to succeed, to find things can do and do them) (maybe to gain approval)
- Affiliation (very common in female)

- Respect (very common in male)
- Love and intimacy (female)
- Maternal procreate (female)
- Excitement - find things exciting due to influences and/or absolutes (football fan at game, skydiving)
- Interest
- Compassion
- Security (find and stick in a safe role)
- To avoid pain (prevention of situations that lead to criticism, anxiety)
- Service (to code, tribe, belief)

Drivers come from influences and genetics.
This area may include irrational beliefs.

Methods :

Behaviours
Pick up behaviours, e.g. from parents, peers.

Repeat those that give rewards.

May only have a few behaviours (in 'tool-bag') to utilise. These behaviours may not fit or align with desires/drivers exactly or even at all.

NOTE: can use conscious to check if behaviours fit with drivers, and to introduce new behaviours that may fit drivers better.

Emotions - frontal cortex created
May be non-physical, or may trigger physical through limbic system.

Result from drivers being met/not met e.g. joy/sadness if achievement attempt or affiliation relationship goes well/badly.

WHAT GOES ON ALL THE TIME

.
Experiencing

- physical inputs (sights, wind...).

- emotions, both physical (limbic system) and mental only (frontal cortex). NOTE that if our amygdala becomes over-potentiated, we can experience feelings that are inappropriately strong, e.g. anxiety about things that are logically trivial or unimportant (such as situations which include little real danger, or will have little real impact on our future life).

Assessing/analysing/doing

- assessing and analysing what has been going on

- behaving according to behavioural habits

(some not useful)

- behaving according to frontal cortex drivers, and plans to achieve them (see above)

can include behaving to depower limbic actions (EMDR) or destroy irrational beliefs (REBT)

can include assessing behaviours and brain processes, and stopping some or introducing new ones can include other matecognition (managing of thinking) e.g. regular reminding of preferred mindset.

- behaving directly due to limbic system drivers (frontal cortex not active or overpowered)

For example, at any point, I may

a) decide what to do based on

- what are external drivers on me (e.g. someone demanding some work is done)

- what mode do I choose or feel I am in (e.g. pleasure/getting stuff done) ; act in accordance with mode.

- what are the internal drivers on me (self commitments to get something done, self-desires to get to a pleasure)

- feeling; limbic driver

b) separately, at all times, other thinking may also come into my consciousness; - recent events (review and analysis of), aims, dreams, plans, emotions. This thinking may or may not affect who I do.

MODE

There are a range of ways in which we may do things. Our typical mode may derive from a learned pattern and/or intrinsic drivers. E.g. we may operate in an 'absolute' mode, trying to do everything 100% well and maximising every life moment, or we may operate in a laid-back mode allowing room for outside interventions. Changing our mode may have big impacts on how our life experience matches our expectations, and thus on our anxiety and satisfaction levels.

NOTES

- Consciousness seems only a small part of all that's going on in the human brain - the 'snowball on the tip of the iceberg' of brain activity (Tim Wilson). Consciousness may be useful for logic thinking (e.g. solving certain problems, designing and making machinery) and thus massively helpful to civilisation development. However for much of the rest of life consciousness may have limited use for us - we actually operate most of the time using all sorts of unconscious thinking and brain activity as well as conscious thinking - and our conscious may seem, and be, quite incoherent for most of the time. Consciousness not a very useful or important concept in how we are managing ourselves.

- The concept of our having a 'personality' seems inaccurate and possibly unhelpful if it limits us; people are complex, can act in different ways in different situations, and can change behaviours over time.

- The brain sometimes creates inaccurate narrative, 'stories' to encapsulate what it thinks is going on. These can be false (e.g. eye-witnesses disagreeing about an actual event).

- A real step of progress for humanity would be to limit negative limbic system impacts (e.g. over-worrying about things) - this would both reduce suffering and possibly enhance effectiveness. Another might be to maintain (or enhance) positive limbic system impacts (which form many of the great real pleasures of life, e.g. lovely tastes and other experiences).

A1a: WIDER PICTURE: “A personal journey in the brain” article.

2009-10-02T20:21:00.031+01:00

-
The following is an article giving a wider picture of my journey and vision. Very best wishes, JC.

“A personal journey in the brain” JC

A personal journey

Like most people I spent many years bumping up against the walls, like a toy car in a pen. I had not committed to taking real effort and pain to achieve change, and my self-analysis and attempts at self-change were inaccurate and shallow.

I think the key moment for anyone is when they tip from this sort of state to one of seriousness. In my case it was seeing in the eyes of my wife that she was getting hurt, really hurt, by my behaviours. This was no longer some early-marriage working out of things.

So in early 2003 I told the doctor at my annual medical that I had head problems – lock-downs, in which my whole socialising ability would shut down, often for several days, especially after complex social events.

Thankfully the psychiatrist I was sent to suggested, just as I left, that maybe I look at Simon Baron-Cohen’s book, The Essential Difference. In a holiday cottage that summer I took the questionnaires and faced Asperger.

A couple of years later, after another large lock-down hurt to my wife, somewhere deep inside I decided to have a go at this thing. Again I am deeply thankful for the lady counsellor I telephoned with, who listened and gave me perspective, although my sense from her was that there was little hope. Thankfully my work inculcated a disposition to question any consensus, and I saw no reason why this thing could not be overcome. After all, mankind is moving forwards. I intensified my reading – books, scientific papers - and conjecturing. In March 2007 I stopped Asperger social systemising, and stepped into a world of clean fresh air, like after rain, where maybe I could be with people, where a slight pause in a conversation was not a major stress point, and where there was a chance of real communication. I have not had a lock-down since.

I began to look forward at fixing other problems. My family history (including a couple of suicides) of depression and anxiety again came with some bleak messages of infixability, but again, after a particularly bad spell, I reached out to dig into the serious sources. I am very thankful that the health service website mentioned REBT. Albert Ellis’ message to go after and eliminate irrational beliefs (for example from “I must do well”, to “it would be nice to do well, but it’s not the end of the world if I don’t”) was revelatory, as was his exposure of “awfulizing”, his rejection of self-esteeming, and his destruction of the rigidities and lack of love that cause anger. This man was a huge, huge bonus for mankind, and I believe in time we’ll find that it is his insights that underlie all the other CBT’s that have been so rapidly overlain.

This exploded many concerns, but I was still left with early hours anxiety. My limbic system would trip into causing wakefulness, sweating and high heart rate when I was approaching previously traumatic situations, such as returning to work after holiday or a decision needing to be made. REBT had destroyed the rationality of these fears, but that didn’t matter at night when my frontal cortex systems were sleeping and my amygdala could reign free. EMDR is a wonderful thing, and again I am deeply thankful, this time for Francine Shapiro’s discovery. Brain scans, so powerful a new tool for mankind, show reduced activity after EMDR in the top middle piece of the cortex, the motor centres, and this is just what I feel has happened in my brain. Memory research is showing that initially memories are stored short-term and later processed fully. I think trauma memories get lodged in the motor cortex area, and rapid eye movement allows them to come free and be fully and normally processed – and be massively depowered as distress causers. I had found the previous non-systemising and REBT techniques wonderfully easy to apply, but even so EMDR took my breath away – some thirty-five rapid eye movements and these deep, deep things that had held and blocked me for decades just floated away.

Discussion

Maybe I’m lucky in having some feeling for what’s happening in my brain and some facility for applying these techniques, and my life circumstances have been good, but I believe that others can follow these sorts of roads also. Different tools will work for different people.

The 'tight' feeling of my early years has gone, and new vistas open up. I’m feeling joy. But it has been a long and hard road. Every day I read, conjectured, applied new thoughts and perspectives, and tested what worked for me. My process is to send myself emails, to capture and build on thoughts and for later collection and comparison. Lots of very small steps, looking at things different ways, opened chinks and enabled small changes in alignment. It’s felt like a deeply knotted problem, peeling back one tough root after another. I have been sometimes exhausted, and particularly broken-brained after working on how our brain systems work. But latterly I’ve also increasingly been surprised by thoughts that make me smile and laugh.

Some may say all that’s happened here is that in later middle-age I have become more mellow, that my expectations have lowered. Others may say I’m in a complex process where mental constructions have masked some form of psychosomatic healing or release. But I think there’s more to it than this. I think the above analysis is what has actually happened.

The future

And I think this is a pattern we’ll see more of. My basic starting point as an engineer is that the human brain is a wonderful machine, but makes many mistakes.

The brain’s activities are complex, fluid - and largely invisible. I love Timothy Wilson’s quote (in Strangers to Ourselves); "When he [Freud] said... that consciousness is the tip of the mental iceberg, he was short of the mark by quite a bit - it may be more the size of a snowball on top of that iceberg". Our consciousness has no internal insight (for instance I can only make informed guesses of my motivations for writing these words). I do not expect my consciousness to be coherent.

But we can use our consciousness as an access into our full brain activities; to apply techniques such as REBT and EMDR to stop unhappinesses, and to introduce new behaviours which may help us better achieve our real desires.

Perhaps some desires cannot be changed, but perhaps we can harness them for better purposes. For instance a desire to fight and win could be harnessed to make money which could then be used for good purposes.

I believe the next stage for mankind is now to step up to a better metacognition; to gain perspective above our desires and misfunctions, and, by using our brains better, to have better lives.

My long-term vision and desire is mankind managing his/her brain as a great but flawed tool;

- having regular de-fragging to strip out viruses, misconceptions etc

- accepting the limitations of the brain, and managing round them

- enjoying the pleasures of the brain

- using the drives and desires of the brain for higher purposes.

___

UPDATES, including comments for PARTNERS

2009-09-09T21:03:00.006+01:00

10th June 2007

I am continuing to find things very good (after 11 weeks now), with no system crashes/lock-ups.
One individual has told me he is AS and tried this treatment:

He stopped the systemisation and 'pattern prediction' he normally uses for daily living. He found himself stammering, stimming and being unable to hold a conversation at more than the most basic level, with his work and social performance suffering greatly.
He thinks the method may only work for very mild AS conditions.
It would seem to me that he did not find any NT functioning beneath his AS systemising.
I wonder if he should try this method, rather than across his whole life in one big go (including demanding situations such as work), first in 'safe' situations such as with a family member or friend who is sympathetic to what he is trying to do. In this easier situation he might be better able to find NT functioning. Alternatively his and my NT functioning capability may be different - see 'Possible Errors, Limits...' page.

26th August 2007

I am continuing to find things very good (after 22 weeks now), with no system crashes/lock-ups.
I am systemising much less in social situations, which is leading to changes in my social performance - I am seeking more genuine, real human interactions.
However this is proving not always easy to find with many existing relationships, perhaps because my capabilities and skill levels are still low (and perhaps in some cases because they have been used to my old ways of programming).

23rd September 2007

Continuing to find things very good - 6 months now! - with no system crashes/lock-ups.
In addition having eliminated the AS systemising, I am able to progress on other fronts.
(In my case I am now finding am able to attack tendencies to anxiety, anger and depression - am finding CBT (particularly REBT) insights very helpful - very exciting to be able to see, and prevent or quickly recover, my mind making false thinking choices).
(This is also feeding and enabling social situation handling progress - disarming people by agreeing with them, using 'I feel...' sentences, and stopping trying to solve everyone's problems for them - am really enjoying some social situations now.)

24th October 2007

Continuing to find things very good - 7 months now - with no system crashes/lock-ups.
Life is feeling way, way better. Beginning to even lose the fear of social interaction, beginning even to look forward to life ahead, to genuinely enjoying things.
I think a useful thought in social interaction is to be less intense, just slow down, wind down. As mentioned elsewhere, I think there's a lot less going on in NT's than you imagine.
I still remind myself sometimes to let go of the data that has built up in my brain, especially after complex social occasions.

26th December 2007

Continuing to find things very good, even in this very busy and social Christmas period, with no system crashes/lock-ups.
I do think it is very powerful to stop collecting data, and to just let go any data that has collected (I feel it 'flying out' of my brain) - data on who has said what, what expressions people had on, etc etc. If there is no data for the Asperger tendency to feed on, you will tend not to systemise - so let the data go!

7th January 2008

Continuing very good for me.
A lady called Kate has tried to cease AS systemising, and found 'nothing', no NT functionality to replace it (see bottom of 'Exercises to Turn Off Systemising' page). Her testimony is very similar to the first tryer (see above).
One clear potential conclusion is that AS people have no NT functionality - and that either (a) I did not have AS, or (b) I am AS and am currently fooling myself that I am using NT functioning.
However my own belief is that at least some AS people do have NT functioning that they may be able to switch to, as I believe I have - and that, if they want to, (i) some may be able to use the techniques here to make the change, and (ii) for others we need to find new ways in which they can enter non-systemising; ways which will give them enough security and thus time to (re-)discover their NT functioning.

23rd March 2008

I am continuing to find things very good (after 1 year now), with no system crashes/lock-ups.

5th August 2008

Continuing very good for me - I still sometimes feel 'noisy' in my head when in a heavy and complex social environment, but I just keep on dumping the data.
Feel my thesis is maybe supported by attempts to create artificial intelligence; my understanding is that this has gone in 2 directions:
1. Expert systems; set up systems of rules and try to operate by referring to and applying them - consistently run into 'framing' issues, due to the massive (impossible) scale of computing power needed to be intelligent that way.
2. Strong AI; neural networks, learning as human brains learn at base level, through neurone networks being strengthened along right answer paths and weakened along false ones.
Maybe at some level Asperger/autism brains switch from neural learning and try to live in the expert systems way - rules based - leading to framing difficulties, jam-ups, meltdowns. This which would also fit with autism/Asperger attempts to simplify their lives (reduce complexity to operate their rules based systems).

13th September 2008

All going very well, with no meltdowns.
I am still finding social and empathetic inputs deafening (I do wonder if Aspie's start with too much brain white matter, making empathic inputs deafening, so they switch to systemising as a less deafening way of interacting with the world). I still often find myself steering away from interpersonal contact - but even here I sometimes sense change coming, and find myself looking forward to interaction, with my wife or one of the children or a friend. Amazing. I find the idea of 'collaborating' with another person, rather than the old isolationism, helpful, exciting and interesting.
As I review my breakthroughs interestingly they have not come from doing new things, or doing things differently - they have come from stopping doing old things- stopping systemising- stopping collecting data to systemise with.

6th October 2008

All going well
An interesting case study here of Asperger escape, very similar to my own - http://www.wrongplanet.net/postp1752524.html#1752524
As I watch Aspie's talking I am increasingly feel, as above, that over-loud inputs may well be a key trigger in at risk people going down the Aspie route (you can sometimes sense most Aspie's wincing at the intensity of the social inputs coming into them); is there some way the excess white brain matter in at risk babies could be made only normally effective, so they would choose the NT route ...

7th October 2008

The two Fernando's it seems to me have both 'surprisingly' found some NT functioning, whilst being focused on something else.
I have added a page on possible 'Methods Other' of finding NT functioning, including this and some other possible (unproven) methods.

14th October - where are we now, after 18 months?

No system crashes in the last 18 months.
I experience less pain and more relaxation in social situations- I am happier just to 'hang' with people.
I have experienced a few very pleasant moments of genuine human connection.
So life is much better than before.
However I still can't claim to look forward to most social situations, and I still feel many people don't yet find me easy or enjoyable to talk to.
But I feel I can move further forward from here; being more optimistic ('what is funny here?') rather than defensive ('how can I make this least painful for this other person?'), rooting out all selfish elements of conversation content, making more long connections, going for more humour.

18th March 2009 - very nearly 2 years after switching off interpersonal systemising

No system crashes - hallelujah!
Less pain in social situations.
Some very rare but pleasant moments of human interaction - however I look for these less now - treat human interactions as information exchange and/or humour opportunities, rather than looking for a meeting of souls every time.
I still find interacting with people deafening - huge clanging in my mind - possible approaches (a) just let all the data out of head, vent it, (b) let data stay in head but deaden it, inflate shock absorbers, (c) lead a quiet life! This thread interesting - http://www.wrongplanet.net/posts80037-start15.html

Comments and suggestions for PARTNERS -

Read relevant books, dialogue with other people in similar situation (e.g. on wrongplanet.net), etc.. I also recommend paying to talk (telephone) with Kristina at coachingasperger.com.
I suggest being brave and looking for moments when you can gently raise Asperger with your partner, and help him/her realise they have it. That could lead to enormous relief, understanding and hopefully progress.
In terms of friction over 'getting things done' communication, my suggestion is that he/she needs and wants your respect. Try subtly to 'show' him/her the job that needs doing, e.g. do the ironing in front of him/her using the ironing board that keeps collapsing, but let him/her have the 'idea' of fixing it. You could ask his/her 'advice' on how you can possibly overcome some problem (e.g. get all these jobs done in this time), and let him have the 'idea' of the obvious fix (e.g. pay for some help). That way you get what you want, and he/she gets to keep/build his/her self-respect.

Comments on relationships with PARTNERS

Accept that your NT partner really is different to you. In some ways the more 'alien' you see them, the easier it is to go out of your way to fulfil their needs. No need to 'rationalise' their needs by seeing these as things you need also. Just do it because they need it. (And also because if you do it, you'll likely get some good things back...)
Ask your partner to understand and accept some of your 'odd' behaviours, e.g. intense interests, as normal within your relationship. Some (great) partners can do this.
Build meeting their needs into your regular daily/weekly schedule - that way it gets done smoothly and without great thought. E.g. I go for walks with my partner very regularly; talk, time together.

22nd March 2009

Some people feel Simon Baron-Cohen has distanced himself from his systemising and extreme male brain theories. He told me (21/3/09) that

he is continuing to test the extreme male brain (EMB) theory that autism/AS is an extreme of the Type S brain. the Type S brain is where systemizing is stronger than empathy. in his terminology, the Type S profile is described as S>E, and the extreme Type S is S>>E (i.e., systemizing is intact or above average, whilst empathy is below average).
he wishes to clarify that this theory says nothing about sex drive, violence, or machismo. (these male-linked characteristics may be more related to current testosterone, whereas S and E appear to be related to foetal testosterone).
finally, he told me that believes the EMB theory is still relatively young and that in science it often takes many years for enough data to accumulate to evaluate a theory. For example, he is only now beginning to test the neural correlates of S and E using neuroimaging, and to test if at the neural level the brain in autism/AS is an extreme of the neurotypical brain.

10th September 2009

All good. So good to do 'no retention' on conversations; just let them happen, move on...

2nd October 2009

All good. Have posted a 'wider picture' article covering my wider journey - everyone has their own journey - I hope yours goes well. Very best, JC

18th November 2009

All good for me, but not for Kate Gladstone who has tried the method (see her comment on 'Method 1' page). I have made my disclaimer even stronger. As far as I know my method has not worked for anyone else. So maybe I don't have Asperger, or only a very few people in Asperger pain could benefit from it. I wish you all the very best in your search.

11th June 2011

Excellent.

METHODS OTHER: TO TURN OFF 'WRONG' SYSTEMISING, AND HEAR NT FUNCTIONING

2008-10-08T20:04:00.009+01:00

SOME OTHER POSSIBLE METHODS.

These could be tried in combinations with each other and with aspects from Method 1.

1. Stopping systemising being active in some communications.
Fernando1 on http://www.wrongplanet.net/postp1756527.html#1756527, and Fernando2 on http://unlearningasperger.blogspot.com/2007/06/updates.html appear to have used a scenario involving stopping systemising from being active in some communications.
This was done by
(a) distracting the systemising by giving it something more 'major' to be working on (e.g. Fernando1 - doing his mental exercises, Fernando2 - various considering of self) and helped by
(b) being tired.
With systemising distracted and reduced in power, and yet without the fear of feeling naked which Aspie's have if they are not systemising, there was then for both an element of 'surprise' as they found they were NT empathising in another bit of what was going on around them at that time ('wow, then I found I was empathising, using my mirror neurons').
i.e. maybe if the Aspie-system is absorbed (distracted) by something interesting and heavy, the person automatically uses his/her NT functioning for some secondary communication?

So; maybe if you give your systemising an absorbing task to do,
- think about some college work?
- concentrate on maintaining an 'empty mind'?
- repeat counting to 1000?
- remembering past events or holidays?
- trying really hard to imagine and hear lovely jungle birdsong in your mind, or a beach sea-breeze
- holding a hand-held computer and playing a nice game e.g. one where you jump from stone to stone as you go down a valley, or ski from side to side down a slope
- writing into your mobile
- repeat-squeezing a tennis ball.
- maintaining a perfect body balance
- repeating a mantra; 'I don't care what happens here - but it might be fun' 'I don't care what happens here - but it might be fun' 'I don't care what happens here - but it might be fun' 'I don't care what happens here - but it might be fun' 'I don't care what happens here - but it might be fun' 'I don't care what happens here - but it might be fun' 'I don't care what happens here - but it might be fun' Maybe one could say it at a different note each time, rising up a scale and then down and then up...

If you focus all your systemising on this, then maybe you will find that you will do seemingly unimportant 'aside' communications using NT routes.

2. Stop data input? (starve the systemising)
(a) sensory block; dark, sound-deadened room, after a while you will stop systemising? Perhaps not - maybe you will still systemise on back data?
(b) meditation, restful, water-bed? Perhaps not -maybe you will still systemise on back data?
(c) mentally just throw data away, let it pass straight through and out of mind. Possibly yes - it's what I do.

3. Creating a super-loving environment which will enable 'turning back' to empathy.
This seemed to work in 'Let me hear your voice' by Catherine Maurice (including intense hugging) and 'Son-Rise' by Barry Kaufman (including great efforts to go to meet the child in their world).
For a while feel choose to be very optimistic about your life, your relationships, your financial situation, and all the goodness your life can have.

4. Crashing the systemising programme, so it can't work *** SEE IMPORTANT NOTE BELOW ***
i.e. overload, create a situation that is too hard to systemise. This may result in meltdown/crash that hurts a lot, but I feel NT functioning may emerge from within you when in Aspie crashed state in some situations.

IMPORTANT NOTE: These are untried. Please do not pursue if you feel there is any danger of hurt etc.. As I say in the disclaimer; Please do not use any content of this site if you feel it may cause harm of any kind. I hereby disclaim any liability for any adverse result arising from the use or application of any content on this site.

COMMON Q&A

2007-06-10T12:26:00.004+01:00

What is your aim here?

No aim other than to share with and reach out a helping hand to others whom AS has hurt and who might want also to find an escape route. I am not seeking money, fame or anything else - I'd be more than happy if others picked this up. (As I leave the Aspie sphere I don't actually want to keep being dragged back into it. I don't like remembering how it felt.)

I'm troubled by this 'un-learn' phrase; I don't feel I have 'learned' AS?

Yes apologies if this 'unlearn' phrase is causing problems - it's not ideal. I feel AS tendency people have developed a way of relating to the world by logic, with each step being a conscious logical step.

Perhaps forget 'unlearning' - it's just STOPPING, stopping the great crashing logic system going on in our minds - and in the quiet after that (a bit frightening maybe, but not for long), then finding that we DO have alternative routes to offer. 'Un-learning' does capture the mental journey I believe AS tendency people have taken to get to AS systemising functioning, which needs to be reversed out of. Maybe 'reversing out of the Asperger cul-de-sac.'

I'm unclear what we mean by 'empathising' in these discussions?

For me the key issue is using the mirror neurons in our brains (studies show AS brains do not seem to have their mirror neurons working). When these are fired up, they seem to track what other people are feeling and experiencing, and thus thinking, - they imagine being inside that other person's head - and therefore are able inform our own thinking, enabling us to operate in a much more connected way when we interact with those people.

This may be different from 'empathising' as used sometimes to describe recognising a particular moment of a major single emotion (e.g. 'I cried when my dog was hurt'); the mirror neuron activity is is rather a continual general awareness of what others are experiencing; a more subtle, living and changing flow.

But it is wonderful being AS - because I'm a great system thinker.

I believe you can still be a great system thinker whichever tools you use in managing social and other aspects of your life.
The good thing is to use the right tool for the job; a jackhammer is a great tool for rock-breaking, but it is simply the wrong tool for oil painting.

But it is wonderful being AS - because that is what I am.

I disagree. You are not AS. That does not define you. AS and NT are channels people use in relating to the world. Neil Young is Neil Young whether he's using a heavy electric band or a solo acoustic guitar to relate to his audience.

I find it sad that so many people bind up their identity in their AS - and thus trap themselves in it. People don't say 'I am a stammerer', they work to get rid of the stammering tendency.

But it is wonderful being AS - because we have better lives than NT's.

I think this is a defensive posture you don't really, way down, believe.

I think AS systemising is a bad thing when used for socialising; it causes difficulty and hurt to us and our loved ones; it makes life harder, more lonely, and more hurting. Can anyone really argue that AS tendency people have better relationships, more empathy, more sharing, more joy, more support, than NT's?

(The world and people are too complex and subtle to do logically. You don't have enough conscious processing power and categories to do a good job - your tool is not subtle or powerful enough. It is better in every way to 'feel' what is going on, to use the mirror neurons and other bits of your brain to do the processing subconsciously rather than consciously.)

But I don't want to change - I'm satisfied with where I am.

Absolutely understand - for instance you may have been on a long hard journey to the relatively satisfactory place where you now are, and not have the risk appetite to try this at this time.

Do you think there is anything good about being Aspie?

It does seem to help structured thinking and analysis ability - but (a) maybe we would have those abilities even if we hadn't gone the Aspie route for social interaction (many people seem to have good analysis skills and good social connectedness skills), and (b) even if not, I might well rather be able to connect socially with people than have those abilities.

A good thing is our sensitivity to tactile things e.g. I really enjoy the feel of wearing soft cotton shirts!

Is this another coping strategy?

I am not talking here about a coping strategy, a treatment, a band aid. I am talking about stopping the problem happening, cutting it off at it's source.

But everyone knows AS can't be healed.

I disagree. You have accepted as a truth something that is not proven. Things are moving, changing, and we can be optimistic. Simon Baron-Cohen only put his hyper-systemising thesis out in 2006 (last year). For how long was it that mankind thought the earth was flat?

You are contorting or brainwashing yourself.

It doesn't feel that way. Surely if I was overlaying more complexity on my brain it would feel more complex and even harder work to me, with more rules - rather than free-er and emptier?

Is creating a new theory, being right, important to you?

No. I do not want discussion of a theory to divert from the fact that I seem to have found a way out of AS - and therefore perhaps others could also. My theory may be entirely wrong.

Jesus healed a blind man - the Pharisees interrogated the man, saying Jesus could not be from God because He healed on the Sabbath - the man replied (John 9:25): "Whether he is a sinner or not, I do not know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see..."

Is the key thing here that you have lowered your expectations - and then being more human, and less 'hyped' and systemised, can naturally follow?

I think lowering expectations is a key part of entry. But I think the systemising and overload issues would still build up for me, even in low-key environments. It's stopping systemising and stopping collecting data that I think have been really powerful in releasing me.

I'm not aware I'm systemising, so how can I switch systemising off?

Please see the 'To Turn off....' page.

But I'm frightened of 'becoming NT' - would I suddenly only care about gossip and fashion? and would my IQ drop 50 points?

We are not talking about 'becoming NT'. You would just have NT skills and approaches available to you in addition to analytical skills and approaches - and be able to use the right skills and approaches for the right situations. I suspect some people are at this place already. I also suspect the 'extreme NT' gossip etc caricature is pretty rare.

There is a risk that without the very intense 'continual training' of AS systemising, then performance may be lower in other systemising areas of life. However conversely performance may improve strongly in other more intuitive areas of life.

I haven't noticed any clear changes as yet in my own case - I will hopefully post comments on the Update page on occasion in future.

I'm worried if I relax into non-systemising I will blurt inappropriate things out?

Good question. See my response in the comments at bottom of 'Possible Errors' page.

How has it been for you so far?

The big initial thing for me was not getting crashes/meltdowns when my AS system couldn't cope with the complexity of a long multiperson social situation.

What then surprised me also though was the joy of communication - instead of desperately watching someone, trying to work out their facial expression, check it against the data bank and work out what might be socially appropriate to say, I tried to relax and 'go with' what was going on - I found myself sometimes genuinely laughing with people, sharing moments, at ease when there are pauses in the conversation, having moments of connection and of sharing.

What is the bottom line?

- that Asperger syndrome is 'hyper-systemising', and in particular that AS tendency people are trying to interact in the hugely complex social world by using logical analysis and data. The resulting system running in their minds works poorly, is deafening, and stops any more intuitive NT functioning be heard. Some AS people may be able to stop doing this 'wrong' systemising, including stopping collecting and storing data for it to feed on, and may be able to rediscover NT mirror neuron functioning - as I believe has happened with me.

POSSIBLE ERRORS, LIMITS, PROBLEMS, WAYS FORWARD

2007-05-15T12:19:00.000+01:00

POSSIBLE ERROR IN THESIS:

My experience is due to another explanation: e.g.
1. I am NT and had some other condition that has now improved, e.g. some sort of social problem.
(However I personally do not believe this, see Introduction page footer). Or
2. I have AS and still have AS; I am merely acting NT, perhaps through fooling myself somehow. (However I personally do not believe this; I have not had a systems crash, which I used to have regularly, and my brain feels very different.)

POSSIBLE LIMITED APPLICABILITY:

1. The thesis may be applicable to only a small subset of AS tendency people:

- Maybe I unusually had NT functioning but had also developed AS systemising on top, whereas most AS people do not have any NT functioning potential beneath. See the conversation in the comments on the 'Exercises to Turn Off' page. (However even if so, some AS people may have NT functioning potential and thus be able to benefit from this).

- Maybe I found NT functioning unusually easy to get going when I stopped AS systemising, but others may find it much more difficult. (Even if so, others may with persistence get NT functioning going).

- This treatment may only be effective for some AS conditions. I understand that AS treatments include a wide range of approaches, with a wide variability of effectiveness for different AS people.

POSSIBLE PROBLEMS WITH APPLICATION:

1. The medical and caring professions generally pass to AS tendency people assumptions and mindsets about AS that do not offer hope; e.g. that AS brains are not capable of NT functioning, and that there is no hope of beating AS tendency.

2. AS medical specialists seem wary of encouraging AS people to turn systemising off, perhaps because of an initial fear that 'there will be nothing else there', and thus patients will all experience discomfort and failure.

3. Many AS people draw great comfort from their Aspie-ness - it explains difficulties they have had in life, it gives them an identity, and it gives them an excuse for continuing difficulties. They also have limited vision of the benefits of NT empathising, communication etc.. This can make it difficult for them to imagine and embrace a better future.

4. Many AS people do not seem to have any awareness of their own systemising.

5. My language on this site is wordy and difficult for some - it may need others to re-present and re-word some of these ideas in other, better ways (please feel free to do so).

6. AS conditions seem to vary widely between people - ideas, techniques and word-forms may require significant adaption and experimentation to become meaningful and beneficial for a particular individual.

POSSIBLE WAYS FORWARD:

1. Research project.
I feel it would be easy to run a research project in which a group of 'solution-seeking' adult AS tendency people sought to apply this and other theses to eliminating harmful effects of AS tendency from their lives.
Such a project would include
(a) bespoke adaptation of this and other theses to particular individuals, probably with coaching help, for a period of months, and
(b) monitoring of life behaviour patterns and of brain usage patterns (e.g. MRI scanning) at the start and end of the programme, and ideally during the programme (I believe in very early stages I could have 'done AS thinking' with my brain and then a few minutes later 'done NT thinking', and seen the differences under MRI - unfortunately appropriate facilities did not appear to be available).

2. Application alternative - data collection and database functions.
Data collection and sorting in AS tendency brains may be a much more important factor than indicated so far.
It may be that if data collection and sorting is turned off, this will naturally reduce systemising, because the systemising processes have no raw material to work on.
In particular some people who want to escape AS tendency but are unable to turn off systemising (perhaps because they do not recognise they are doing it) may be able to escape by turning off data collection and database activities (their brains collecting data, situations, factors, and then storing it and sorting it).
It may be worth someone exploring (a) if brain areas involved in data collection and database activities show high usage in AS brains, and (b) how to turn off these processes.

3. Analysis alternative: conscious vs. sub-conscious brain processes.
An alternative analysis that may bear fruit is whether AS tendency people try to do some things consciously that are better left to the sub-conscious. For instance when talking with someone, an AS person may be following a conscious (e.g. involving 'a furrowed brow') process of thinking 'what does that expression mean? where have I seen it before?' and 'what should I do or say now?'. The alternative may be a sub-conscious process in which they 'feel' their way through the conversation; 'feeling' what the other person is thinking and feeling, feeling where the fun could be in this conversation, etc.., like riding a bike.
Possibly exploring with AS tendency individuals how they use sub-conscious processes in other areas of their lives may give them insight in how they could do the same in social situations.

4. Helping ex-AS tendency people get 'over the hump'.
It may be that some AS tendency people prove able to turn off the systemising, but find
(a) they may tend to turn off all systemising, rather than just turn off extreme AS tendency systemising (e.g. interpreting other people in social situations), and
(b) they find nothing else is there, i.e. there is no other functioning in their heads.

It may be that help (coaching, trial situations, groups) will prove valuable to
(a) help them turn off only extreme AS-tendency systemising, and
(b) help them to re-awaken and develop the ability to 'feel' where other people are when in conversations.

SIMPLER, DESCRIPTIVE VERSION

2007-04-30T11:17:00.000+01:00

This describes what I think may happen in AS tendency, and how to turn it off.

The start

When very young, people begin to explore how to relate to the world.

Most people use 'feeling' parts of their brains, develop skills to use these. This includes easily imagining what other people are feeling and thinking. This helps them 'connect' easily with other people.

However some people do not develop this way (maybe they don't find it easy at first, or because both their parents don't use this approach very much).

Instead, they try to use logic and analysis. Instead of 'feeling' what is going on, they try to 'work out' why people are doing things, and what is the right thing to do and say.

What develops from then

After a while these brains stop trying to imagine what other people are feeling and thinking. (The abilities to do this are still there, but are drowned out by systemising, and become un-used.) Instead all the attention moves to trying to collect data, to sort it, store it, and to use it to think out what is going on.

However as they grow up the world becomes very complicated, and trying to get by using logic and analysis becomes very hard.

As a result:

These people don't know what to do in complicated social situations, making being with other people awkward, difficult and sometimes painful.
Their brains try to collect any data that might be useful; huge amounts of data, filling up their minds. They often need time alone for their brains to 'sort' this data after a busy time.
These brains become very sensitive (as they are trying to capture all the data they can), so noises, feelings, and other senses become loud.
Life can become hard, especially dealing with other people. The world can seem difficult and mad, and the logical efforts to understand it keep crashing over, filling the brain with failure to understand and with frustration and anger.
These people are often very interested in particular topics, because these mean they can be in a place where things are logical and easy to sort, at least for a while, and this gives them a rest from the world.

Each of these people now has a helmet on, is in a bunker, trying to work everything out logically. (A picture for what has happened is that whereas most people develop a way of getting around by walking with one foot stepping in front of the other, these people have developed a different way of getting round - by cartwheeling. This is hard to control, demanding, tiring, and makes talking difficult.)

But I believe this can be recovered

I believe that these people, at least in some cases, can turn off the logic and analysing they do in trying to relate to the world and to other people. Instead of thinking and analysing everything, they can stop that.

When they do so I believe they will, at least in some cases, be able to re-find the skills and 'feeling' parts of their brain they turned away from a long time ago. This will mean they can 'connect' with people in the same way most people do. They will be able to enter and be in the 'river of communication' going on.

How to turn it off?

Very young;

Firstly I think if maybe the parents can go to the child in their world, get alongside them and do the same things, and see things as the child sees them.
Then I think that child, as it is doing things and seeing things alongside it's parent, may begin to see that the parent is also using other tools - and then may sense that they could also use those tools - and then may begin to explore doing so - and gradually may change across to the other way. (See the two 'healing case-study' books mentioned on the Thesis page here).

Near-adults and adults;

I think the first step is to watch yourself and realise you are using logic and analysis for nearly everything, including being with other people. Are you always watching, checking data, thinking, trying to work out what's going on and what to do?
Then you can explore just stopping doing this, particularly when you are with other people. Part of this is not capturing and storing the data - just letting all the mountains of data in your brain just go away. This may seem a bit frightening, but you won't stop being (just because you don't logically analyse, you don't stop being you) and I think, at least in some cases, you will find the other ways of operating will come in soon.
You can then try to develop the new bits of your brain that you will be using, by doing some exercises. These include letting yourself be much closer to what is going on (not watching from behind a wall in your mind), feeling for the overall picture of what is happening, and imagining how other people are feeling (imagining being in their brain).
Hopefully you will begin to experience some moments of connection and joy with other people that you have not experienced before.

POEMS, FEELINGS: HOW IT FELT WHEN I STARTED TURNING OFF SYSTEMISING

2007-04-13T23:14:00.000+01:00

POETRY

1. Early days after stopping 'wrong' systemising.

Hang

hey just to hang
when something is said, not
to run in the cave and delve and check
instead to hang, chill, wait
until maybe my NT stuff
will give something back,
maybe not

I find myself laughing, all the time. I'm happy. I might be in this
game.
Daylight after rain

I'm splashing in the puddles
the air is so clean - is the air always this clean?
the other people don't seem so excited
but this is my first day ever
of splashing in the puddles, in the daylight after rain.

2. In the two months after switching off 'wrong' systemising.

Setback

fear, uncertainty, noise beginning in my head.
suddenly I'm swimming in the sea.
no longer on that palm tree island with the beaches.

but it's ok
swimming I can do. this water's ok. keep steady, keep engagement low,
maybe rely on their love.

in time we'll be back over there, on to that golden beach again.
No looking back to that other island behind me - old, grey, slab-like.

We know that too well. No going back there.
Alcatraz.

New toys

with the grey fog lifted
space adventurer in a land of beauty
so much time to make up! joys to have

and new toys now can use

Emotional understanding of others
bright metal tools - exciting!

Empathy understanding of others
another gun to play with!
do these things really work?
wow!

Hurts

some say it doesn't hurt?
it does hurt, this healing, my brain.
like learning new ways, new limbs,
like using legs if I'd never walked.
Being Brave

keep on going
sometimes feels like a cartoon character
off the cliff, running in mid-air
or someone suddenly in darkness, feeling round in inky black.

but keep on going
- small meaningless questions to others
- doesn't all depend on you; others may fill the spaces

keep empathizing, using these mirror neurons, making the long
connections in your brain, opening the bottleneck between the visual
region of your brain and your mental-strategy network, work your brain,
in the new ways!
exercise
you will walk again, in the fresh air.
Electric

So good to be without that thing, after so long.
Electric

3. Between 4-5 months after switching off 'wrong' systemising.

In between

having leapt from the old jungle darkness
but the other side of the river? - I don't seem to be quite there
instead in some nothing-ness, inbetween

systemising lost, NT not fully gained, a bit spacey

Note: see below and Updates page for other feelings from 3 months on - generally very good.

FEELINGS

From poems above

the pleasure of just 'hanging' with people; when someone says something not running in the cave to delve and check, but instead waiting until maybe my NT stuff will give something back - I might be in this game...
the freshness of experiencing the 'new' world without AS systemising there - like the cleanness of the air after rain
setback: fear, uncertainty, noise beginning in my head - but just continuing swimming, keeping steady, keeping engagement low, maybe relying on other's love - even when feels tough and uncertain, not wanting to go back to that grey old place of before.
experimenting with new 'toys' - NT tools in my head, empathising - wow!
it does hurt - like using legs for first time if had never walked.
keeping on going, sometimes feeling like a cartoon character off the cliff, running in mid-air - but keeping on trying to develop these skills
feeling so good to be without that thing, after so long.
feeling like 'nowhere man'; had turned off systemising, but sometimes nothing else there - need to keep trying to 'feel' where the other people are.

Other feelings (from 3 months on)

have I lost my 'punch' (systemising edge)? - am still functional - only time will tell whether the 'edge' is still there
still not easy. people not easy.
life feeling way, way better.
beginning to lose the fear of social interaction, to look forward to life ahead, to genuinely enjoying things.
being much less intense with people, just being easy, going slow (with little, if any, systemising!).

BELT AND BRACES: OTHER INTERVENTIONS TO MANAGE ASPERGER TENDENCIES

2007-04-13T22:38:00.000+01:00

Other ideas I found helpful in managing AS tendency:

PLANNING

> if difficult and complex social situation ahead, cartoon it (draw a child’s level 'stick-person and captions' picture of very basically what is going on and will happen) - this can help contextualising

> build islands of 'own' activities within group plans.

> if your brain will face an extended period of complex social activity, then make available more mental 'cycles' to integrate all the incoming data by not using 'cycles' on other things - e.g. do not take heavy books on social holidays.

RAGE/SYSTEMS CRASHES/TANTRUMS ETC

AS tendency people often seem to have emotional control issues, including rage/tantrums.

> Ask yourself
- what is the 'deafening' level in your head (is it 2-3 as normal, or has it creapt above 5?)
- are you raging about something? what might it be? once identified; when you are 85 and look back at this situation, how will the current priorities look - what is actually real and important here?
- are you stressed about anything (stress weakens other resources)

> See book by Brenda Smith Myles - 'Asperger Syndrome and Difficult Moments'.

My systems crashes/lock-ups experiences did not feel like 'optional refresh' times. At these times the communications and empathy systems were not really working, were knocked out. It did not really feel like me inside, but rather a wooden, broken person with little language or ability to feel anything - about their own life or anyone else's. The very act of forming words, inside to myself or externally, was difficult, if it involved any 'feeling' context (I could do fairly mechanical talking e.g. at work). It was also very noisy, crashing, I couldn't think (no awareness), the wrong routines were running; I couldn't seem to relate to the world or indeed anything.
One specialist opinion to me was that this was classic AS behaviour, and that at these times one became 'more Aspie', and that was my experience (maybe even more autistic in those times).
Recovery normally took some days, including periods of time when I could be 'in myself' (fairly alone, apart from others).

METHOD 1: TO TURN OFF 'WRONG' SYSTEMISING, AND HEAR NT FUNCTIONALITY: EXERCISES, WORDS, CASE STUDIES.

2007-04-13T22:22:00.001+01:00

>> PREPARATIONS

1. Change your general expectations and attitudes:
(a) Lower your expectations.
I believe AS tendency people are often very perfectionist and demanding of perfect, optimum outcomes, in all areas of their lives. A key first step is to junk this attitude, relax, and expect much, much less. 'Just an average nice time would be fine'.
(Be aware too that AS tendency people seem to often think there is a lot more ‘going on’ in NT conversations and social situations than there actually is. There may actually not be a lot going on - and if you do miss some nuance, it won't be the end of the world.)
(b) Do not expect socialising NT's, or yourself, to follow systems, to be logical, or to be extremely precise over every word being used.
(c) Do not expect to control conversations, or other people. Let that go.

2. I am also in favour of starting to take magnesium & vitamin B6 pills - not strongly proven, but may be helpful, no adverse side effects I'm aware of, and may also be a good daily signal to yourself.

3. Recognise that you do 'wrong' systemising;
'Step back' and observe your own brain in action; do you see it...
- active, watching, checking, analysing, working out, all the time?
- referring to past examples, to rules and to logic?
- in a conversation, watching the other person very intently, storing the data, and then thinking 'what does his/her expression mean?' and 'what is it appropriate to now do or say?' (as opposed to 'feeling' what he/she is feeling, and 'feeling' where the conversation is going?)

Alternatively, recognise that you collect and sort data;
- does your 'brain feel full' after complex passages of life?
- are you aware of your head then needing to take quiet time to 'sort' such an inflow of data?
I believe this data is used by systemising, for reference in future situations.

>> SET YOUR EXPECTATIONS REALISTICALLY

1. Do not assume that ALL systemising should be shut down.
The systemising to stop is only that used to interpret people.

2. Do not expect immediate results, and do expect some uncertain times.
My immediate experience was of the joy of getting rid of the AS systemising in my head, but I then experienced many months of ups and downs as mirror neurons began to be heard (this can include some uncertain moments - see the bad poetry on the 'POEMS, FEELINGS...' page).

These mirror neurons have not been used, perhaps for many decades! - it's a bit unfair to expect your brain to find pathways to them and fire them up instantaneously, and to then expect them to immediately start working perfectly!

NOTE: Disclaimer repeat; please note it may be that for many, many people, recovery of NT functioning is NOT possible. I am not able to comment on how long is sensible to persist for. One option might be to make occasional short attempts.

3. Do not assume that NT functioning will feel as secure as AS functioning.
In my experience NT functioning feels less stable, and more fluid, than AS functioning. NT is happening in real time and is thus always moving. It feels like surfing or bicycling, in comparision with the AS certainty of walking.

>> EXERCISES

I suggest running through these brain exercises initially (a) once a day (2 minutes max), and (b) as you approach and join in a social situation (especially the first exercise).

1. REFUSE, REFUSE TO DO 'WRONG' SYSTEMISING.
Just do not go there. Do not begin to enter the analytics loops, just 'hang', be happy with not a lot going on (Aspie people often think there is a lot more 'going on' in social situations than there actually is).

See below for some words that may resonate, and case study example situations.

What to do instead?
The logic elements of a conversation can go on, as before.

Hopefully at some point some appropriate feelings and thoughts will come from inside - go with them. Empathising, 'having a go' and risk-taking, risking pauses in conversations (in fact not long to NT's), finding that things sort of hold together, that acceptable feelings and things to say do bubble up.
However note, again, this just may not happen for some people, who may, even after some time trying, just find nothing, an absence of functionality, no tools.

It may be easier initially to de-systemise in 'safe' and 'quiet' environments, e.g. on one's own, in tiny cameo situations like paying for something at a store till, or just hanging, e.g. in the kitchen, with a parent, sibling or friend. It may be right to say to such a loved one 'can we do an experiment? - I'm going to switch off my 'wrong' systemising and just going to try and surf in this conversation - I apologise in advance for any pauses, any random and illogical things, any rude or inappropriate things, and over-lyrical or emotional things - but if you could just be with me here I would really, really appreciate it'.
Even so de-systemising may be frightening and difficult for many AS people, because the systemising will be replaced by - nothing. It may take time for many AS people to find some NT functioning, as it has barely been used before, and it it may prove impossible for some/many.

2. LET EXTERNAL INPUTS FLOOD DIRECT INTO YOUR MENTAL-STRATEGY NETWORK.
(in brain; open bottleneck between visual region and mental-strategy network).

Just take down the barrier, the 'input manager' that has been checking every input into your mind, and just let the inputs flood straight in. Just 'be there', hearing everything, feeling everything.

3. OBLIQUE YOUR INPUTS, IF IT'S TOO NOISY.

Letting the external inputs in may not be easy because the amplifier system in the brain is still set high, meaning that the inputs are still LOUD. It's like taking out earplugs in a noisy factory.

I found the inputs very loud and strong when I passed them deep into my brain, as above (rather than systemising them). Particularly strong and charismatic people would 'deafen' my inner attempts to sense their feelings,especially if angry.

I now 'oblique' the inputs, by which I mean I metaphorically (and sometimes physically) turn at an angle to them, to only half-listen to them. I believe AS people can let some of the noise that they normally capture pass over them; they can be less vigilant. They will still capture the key points of what is going on.

(Other ways to manage over-complex and deafening inputs are (a) cartooning (draw a child’s level 'stick-person and captions' picture of very basically what is going on and will happen), (b) engineering a time out (‘this is complex, let’s all have a think and talk about it later’), and (c) maybe if appropriate to use humour, which can break up and change entrenched positions people have taken.)

4. IMAGINE THE WORLD THROUGH SOMEONE ELSE'S EYES.
(in brain: fire up your mirror neurons.)

Just taking a step towards imagining being in someone else's world is very powerful. Is she/he feeling happier or less happy than yesterday? Is there something that may be exciting or worrying her/him today? How would it feel to be her/him? Is she/he confident? strong? sure? alert? happy?

5. LET DIFFERENT ASPECTS MERGE, AND THEN LET THE BIG PICTURES EMERGE.
(in brain; develop the long connections, which builds up synchronisation, enabling integration of the particulars)

Let all that's going on merge together - what is happening, where you are, what you're doing, what's going on. And I think you'll begin to feel what the big pictures are, what the right directions are.

6. FEEL WHERE OTHER PEOPLE ARE (NOT ANALYSE IT).
When you are with other people, do not 'work out' what the other is thinking or feeling (you will always be behind the curve); instead 'feel' where they are, stay in the communication river.

7. REMIND YOURSELF THAT THIS IS WORTH IT, AND THAT YOUR ASPERGER TENDENCY IS NOT YOU.
It is a worry that if we 'dumb down' our hyper-vigilant and systemising level in the social sphere, will we still have the analytical and perceptive strengths that have helped in other areas of our lives, e.g. work? I think that we will still have good analytical and perceptive brain power attributes in other areas of lives, as long as we keep using our brains hard, and we will gain new intuitive abilities. I think 'you' will still be 'you'. The gain in our social lives and those of our loved ones will be worth it.

8. REMEMBER TO KEEP LETTING THE DATA GO.
In the early months, and still now, I found my mind was still collecting data for AS systemising, evenn though I was not using it; my mind sometimes still felt 'full', almost exploding, after e.g. a complex social encounter. (On Simon Baron-Cohen's 2003 film the mother of one of the boys says, ref. him being grumpy after school and then spending 7-8 hrs on his computer, that he 'needs to process the day').

Just keep dumping that data, letting it go, metaphorically 'throwing it out' of your mind. (p.s. If the AS system has nothing to feed on, that helps you switch it off.)

>> SOME WORDS THAT MAY BE HELPFUL - on turning off systemising thoughts.

Aspie's typically probably over-intensify everything, imagine too much, try to make everything too optimal.

We do not need to systemise. No-one requires it of us.

If we stop systemising, the world will not fall apart. Our bodies will not fall apart. We will still be ourselves.

You may feel "If I stop systemising, who am I?" - but 'you' are not your systemising.

Maybe we have to give ourselves approval, or take the risk, to turn the systemising off for a while and just see what happens.

Switch off systemising, take a pause, and just see what comes - whatever! - 'this shirt I'm wearing feels nice' - 'my mother used to make great cheese flan when I was a child'...

We should not be frightened of turning off our systemising. If we do turn it off we will find ourselves, in our heads, in a world of normal humanity, where it's ok to be logically fairly inactive, and where actually thoughts and ideas do crop up in our minds, things do emerge, sort of by themselves - (and these things are often surprisingly accurate and relevant to what's going on.)

You do not need to replace systemising with anything; it's like sort of stepping out of the grey concrete bunker and taking a walk in the air on the green grass - and some thinking will probably happen along as you do that.

You can stop being an 'exhausted imposter'. If you stop 'trying' to be an NT, you take off the helmet you're wearing, then maybe you'll find you can empathise and connect. Another model might be riding a bike; if you consciously stop trying to work it out, stop concentrating on what each of the parts of your body is doing, that you may just find you have another (semi-subconscious) tool-kit available for managing things like balance, and then you can bicycle.

It's not trying to be zen-like empty of thinking. The aim is not to stop all systemising. It is rather to use empathy as well as systemising, within the complex fugue that is human conversation; you keep systemising on lots of levels, but not to the extent that, in feeling what the other person is feeling, you drown out NT empathising. It is quiet enough in your head for the empathising to be heard too, as well as the systemising, because the particular 'wrong' systemising is turned off.

Now that I am hearing from my mirror neurons, I am seeing and feeling what is going on, and I am increasingly able to surf along very very enjoyably - whereas in the past it was like I was only receiving still photographs of what was happening, and was head-down busily trying to arrange these photos and work out from them what might be happening - and then occasionally popping up to say something I thought might be 'right'. So much better now...

>> CASE STUDY EXAMPLE SITUATIONS

1. My partner and a friend are having tea when I came in.

I consciously turn systemising off as I approach - find myself giving them a warm smile (GOOD) (I guess now this was because I actually really love these people, and it came through - and maybe also because I was actually, although rather nervously, looking forward to an interaction with them; it might prove to be human and fun).

Friend - (surprised!) - gives a warm smile and response back to me. She says "We were talking about your holiday". I say "Yes it was great".

Then there is a slight pause (my partner did not notice it - another example of Aspie's over-sensitizing and exaggerating the importance seriousness of social situations), and I worry - 'What do I say now?' - systemising kicks in; logically the right thing to do, the thing I can't be blamed for, must be to take turns, to not let the situation be selfishly focused on us, so I say "How was your holiday?". This is actually BAD - she hadn't finished talking about ours - she really wanted to connect more on our holiday.

Her face fell - she started listing where they'd been, but without enthusiasm - the moment of joy and connection was lost...

What should I have done? Paused, refused to systemise, and waited for a genuine empathetic response to emerge.

She wanted to share at an 'enjoying feelings' level, and so did I too really, so my second idea; "Well, we really love Yosemite - it's so clean and beautiful and quiet - but you know the children were bored stiff there!" still doesn't feel right.

I now feel a good response/continuation would just have been "Well I think the high point for us two was... - it's just so natural and pure and quiet there - do you know what I mean?..." - this would have been unexciting intellectually but actually would I feel have likely kept us in the empathising river.

The other option is always just to wait for someone else to speak - I suspect AS people feel a three second gap in a conversation is an agonising age, where as NT's hardly notice it.

[Note how the above strategies would I believe have helped if I had kept them up: Kept refusing to systemise ('feel the fear, but do it anyway'), let the inputs flood straight into my strategy cortex (feel!) (crucially I believe this allows the brain to speed up: it takes out checks/balances processing time - speeding conversation response time), let all aspects of the situation come together (e.g. sense friend is not in a rush, is enjoying catching up with our family news - this will colour how the conversation could go from here), and try to feel friend's situation - sense she would really like a bit more on our holiday - (get those mirror neurons going!)].

2. I was with someone recently who was very wound up and angry, mostly with me.

She was talking with someone else, looking together at a piece of paper, and I just wondered up behind them, NOT thinking consciously or calculating, and just put my hand on her shoulder, just briefly, as I shared a brief positive word on what they were saying - tears literally came to her eyes.

There were no words, no logic - I don't want to characterise it as forgiveness or acceptance or love or anything (I don't know if the situation is fully resolved or not) - but it just 'was'; something meaningful and right for that particular moment. I didn't analyse what I was doing - and I would never have done that pre March 07 - even if I'd tried to act it I would have misjudged the weight of hand or the timing.

3. Before and after: socialising, lock up

Before: group of people, I engage in a conversation with one or two, I try to keep track of their moods by watching them intently, I try to think what is the good thing to say now, it's getting very complicated, noisy in my head, a lot of data building up.
I say a wrong thing (outside the flow), there is a bit of discomfort round the group, conversation carries on.
Someone gets upset, stressful, cross-emotions flying around, who is feeling what now? what should my role be?... and on..
At some point I begin to feel like I'm becoming less emotional, more grey, less articulate, beginning to get 'locked up' thoughts, 'get me out of here' thoughts and then pretty soon inability to think at all; crashed.
My partner is saying to me 'where are you, where have you gone, why aren't you communicating?', I can barely think. Locked up for a few days afterwards.

After: group of people , I engage in conversation with one or two, a word here or there, happen to sense maybe that one is being a little left out, have a word, let the conversation flow, find myself laughing (genuinely - NOT pretending as so often before) at some of the fun things that come up, I'm carrying no baggage in my head, I'm not referring to past data and saying 'he was like that last time', I'm surfing. (Feel I'm adding less value, less logic, this conversation is not saving the world, but... maybe it's moving these relationships forward, giving us human fuel).
Someone gets upset, I don't react too much, give them a little space, continue seeing the big picture, all is soon ok.
A really good day.
And no baggage in my head afterwards.

4. Hello Bogo!

A friend of my son's has come round. It's the first time we've seen him for a while; he's been away in France. I normally call him by the name his parents use for him, Boris, rather than his nickname.

I feel pleased to see him, I like him, and he and my son have good positive times together. I am walking up to him, I have a feeling/idea of how I'd like to greet him, I think about it briefly; it feels appropriate so I take a risk and go ahead:

I raise my hand in the air, offering him a high-5, and say 'Bonjour Bogo!' - he smiles, pleased, and high-5's back. (Bogo is his nickname).

Clearly this is not a heavy intellectual scene, I have not made a meaty and valuable comment, but it has worked for Bogo, worked for me and worked for my son; we have had a moment of real communication, and our relationships have been deepened. It was appropriate.

THESIS: ASPERGER TENDENCY

2007-04-13T20:23:00.001+01:00

THESIS

1.That Professor Simon Baron-Cohen's 'hyper-systemising' theory of Asperger ('AS')/autism is true. Further, that AS brains particularly 'wrongly' systemise by trying to use logical analysis and data in interacting with other people - this (a) works badly, (b) prevents their NT empathising being heard, and (c) creates heavy mental load.

2.That the differences between AS and NT brains are largely results of those brains being used differently (rather than due to major inherent differences) - just as a tennis player's playing arm will develop into a very different form than their non-playing arm.

3.That it is possible, at least in some cases, to turn off the 'wrong' systemising in the AS brain, and to find and adopt alternative NT-type social functioning.

DISCUSSION

1.
That Professor Simon Baron-Cohen's 'hyper-systemising' theory of AS/autism is true. Further, that AS brains particularly 'wrongly' systemise in social situations, which (a) works badly, (b) prevents their NT empathising being heard, and (c) creates heavy mental load.

What do you mean by AS 'wrong' systemising?

For the Baron-Cohen paper see http://www.autismresearchcentre.com/docs/papers/2006_BC_Neuropsychophamacology.pdf.

NT brains seem to operate socially in a fairly intuitive, subconscious manner. They seem to easily pick up a wide range of inputs and factors, and then do and say some things without logic or other checking, because they just 'feel' right.

AS tendency brains seem to adopt a 'hyper-vigilant', hyper-systemising approach to socialising (and perhaps everything), in which they watch other people extremely intently, and then consciously analyse each tiny clue picked up, relating it to past situations, to guess/work out/think what the right next move in the social situation might be. This is what I refer to here as 'wrong' systemising.

As well as the process of analysing, 'wrong' social systemising also thus involves the collection of vast amounts of observations, which are noted, stored and then used later for referral.

Can you describe what you mean in terms of what AS and NT brains are doing in a conversation?

My perception is

(a) logic of topic;

both AS and NT use some analysis and systemising; e.g. "shall we meet up next week?" - both analyse diaries etc

(b) emotion of topic;

AS just analyses and systemises, NT does a mix of this plus emotional intuition etc; e.g. "shall we that new film next month?"; AS thinks about topic, plus and minuses, etc, NT does this but also feels "Yes, I really want to see it, I'm not sure why!" (e.g. may have been influenced by the advertising).

AS systemises, NT empathises - to me this is the REAL big difference area. AS is watching the face, analysing where has seen a furrowed brow like that before, referring to mental database for what it might mean. NT just FEELS other is not feeling good.

(d) working out why the other person may be feeling whatever they are feeling;

AS analyses, e.g. what is happening in other's life, have we been talking about something upsetting etc. NT also analyses, but will also do some intuitive stuff, trying to FEEL what the other person may be upset by.

(e) ongoing emotional input into the conversation;

AS is uncertain, working hard, and thus has little ability to uncover and bring emotional energy to the conversation. NT feels, and takes risks by leeting these feelings and empathise drive the conversation - e.g. see my Bogo example in the 'Exercises to Turn off Systemising' page.

The key issue is that AS people use systemising in interpretation of other people - this (a) does not work well, and (b) creates huge mental load.

What are the problems with 'wrong' systemising?

Because the way people socialise is very complex, subtle, fluid and fast-moving, trying to systemise it rapidly results in great logical and rule complexity and very heavy volumes of complex data for the AS brain to process.

The resulting poor performance in interactions, compared to NT intuitive approaches, means the quality of human social interactions is impeded, and the very heavy workload imposed on the brain can lead to mental fatigue and 'lock-ups'. Systemising generally feels difficult, defensive and like 'clinging to the seat', in contrast to the NT 'flying free/surfing' approach, which is quite able to cope with the pace and changes.

One picture is that AS people are trying to take a nice stroll, but are having to calculate the physics of each movement, referring to past similar situations, before each step. Another is that they are trying to use a jackhammer to make an oil painting, which (a) leads to poor painting, (b) stops intuitive artistic skills being used, and (c) is exhausting.

How does this relate to the experiences of AS people?

AS people are known to often feel that thinking (systemising) is tiring, that they think too much, and to be interested in calming their minds. However I believe that many AS people do not have any vision of another, more 'intuitive' way of navigating life (and particularly social situations) because, as below, the AS systemising system has been so deafening in their heads that they have not been able to develop and hear quieter, more subtle intuitive thoughts.

2.
That the differences between AS and NT brains are largely results of those brains being used differently (rather than due to major inherent differences) - just as a tennis player's playing arm will develop into a very different form than their non-playing arm.

When do most differences between AS and NT brains emerge?

Work by Eric Courchesne of University of California, San Diego suggests most abnormal autism brain growth occurs between birth and age 3 (i.e. not before birth) (Science, June 2005). I suspect that we'll find that most differences are to do with usage and occur after birth.

Are there also some brain differences at birth, as well as differences caused later by usage?

This also seems likely. There may be some inherent differnces which 'tilt' people towards going the AS route. Geraldine Dawson, a senior autism researcher at University of Washington, Seattle, has suggested that a prior brain defect, leading to difficulties in social development, may result in autism (Science, June 2005). Uta Frith mentions a study in 'Explaining the Enigma' which showed autism correlation with prenatal and birth difficulties.

However
- I suspect usage also leads to big changes, as above.
- I believe it is still possible for people with an inherent AS 'tilt' to go down the NT functioning route, either as a child or adult.
Consider a partially sighted person faced with a choice of (a) a white stick and a blindfold, or (b) partial sight and no white stick. The latter choice, using partial sight, might bring pleasures of sight that, although less than those experienced by the normally sighted, might still be very considerable - and far outweigh the hurt of an occasional stumble.

Is this thesis compatible with observed differences in physical make-up between AS and NT brains?

Martha Herbert of Harvard Medical School has found a large excess in autistic brains of white matter (which is understood to be used in information transmission, whereas grey matter is mainly responsible for information processing). This was particularly in frontal areas, and concentrated in short- and medium-range nerve fibres, and suggests hyper-efficient internal communications inside some brain areas (Science, June 2005).
Hendry, DeVito et al's findings were similar (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=16214373&dopt=Citation).

In my view this seems compatible with brains seeking to capture and process every tiny cue and piece of data, and thus building an unusually ‘amplified’ receptor and data handling system (at the expense of greater perspective and ‘long connections’). This may also explain the sensory overload commonly experienced by AS people.

Is this thesis compatible with observed differences in brain processes between AS and NT brains?

>> Areas of the brain that NT brains use for socialising are used by AS brains for something else:

The "Failure to deactivate" research papers by Kennedy, Redcay and Courchesne (http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1472462) and by Iacobini (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=16934520&query_hl=9&itool=pubmed_docsum) looked at a part of the brain that was active when NT's socialised, but was not active when they were not socialising. In AS brains this area was active at both times.In my view this activity may well be systemising processes, being applied to all areas of life, and using up brain resources (cycles).

>> AS brains try to put in place a control system, wheras NT’s ‘live in the now’.

Uta Frith’s 2002 research showed that in autistic brains the visual region of the brain was not in synch with the mental-strategy network (Science June 2005). In my view this seems compatible with autistic brains trying to put in place a control, checking mechanism; a step between ‘seeing’ and ‘reacting’.

>> AS brains are not committing resources to empathising.

‘Mirror neurons’ fire up in an NT brain when an action is undertaken and also when another person is observed carrying out the same action. However Iacobini research (http://www.psychology.iastate.edu/faculty/almorris/519%20readings/Iacoboni_Dapretto.2006.pdf) shows these mirror neurons do not fire up in autistic brains. In my view this seems compatible with AS brains trying to focus on working out, systemizing, an understanding of others, rather than 'feeling' into their position.

>> AS brains are not committing resources to synchronising inputs, to seeing ‘the big picture’.

Uta Frith’s 1980’s view was that many autistic behaviours can be explained by over-focus on details, and lack of integration of the particulars to determine broader meaning and perspective in social situations. More recent MRI scans have also shown show very little co-operation between brain areas in autistic brains, and Marcel Just of Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh states that “in study after study, we see a lower degree of synchronization in autistic brains” (Science, June 2005).
In my view this seems compatible with AS brains focusing resources on processing detail data and logic, rather than making 'long connections'.

I similarly understand that if AS and NT people are both asked a ‘put yourself in someone else’s shoes’ question, such as “why did she say that, when he did this?” (the sort of question that AS brains find very hard), then brain activity for NT’s will happen below the logic areas of the brain, but for AS brains the activity will be in the logic areas – i.e. AS brains try and put everything down the ‘logic routes’ in the brain.

What may cause people to start systemising?

AS/autism in many children is not initially visible, and in some cases does not develop until age 2-3.

I suggest the AS systemising approach may be developed by children due to either or both of the following;

(a) the child encounters initial lack of success or other difficulty using the NT approach to social functioning.
(This may relate to an inherent 'tilt' in the brain, mentioned above).

(b) the child sees and experiences a systemising approach being used, particularly if both the parents are systemisers.
(I believe this would fit with (i) the perceived family and genetic link commonly seen in AS/autism, and (ii) the currently increasing AS/autism incidence rate, which I believe may relate to the increasing prevalence of systemising and analysis approaches in many general areas of life).

I think AS tendency people gradually 'self-teach' themselves to systemise; they pick up these tools in their mind, use them and develop their use of them.

3.
That it is possible, at least in some cases, to turn off the 'wrong' systemising in the AS brain, and to explore and adopt NT type social functioning.

Could this thesis fit with the rare recorded instances of apparent good recovery from AS/autism?

Examples of good recovery are described in 'Let me hear your voice' by Catherine Maurice - including intense hugging – and 'Son-Rise' by Barry Kaufman - including great efforts to go to meet the child in their world.

I believe that perhaps in these cases the parents gave the child the confidence and the warm environment to stop building the AS system in their minds, and instead to 'bridge' across to developing the better (more fun, more enriching, better communicating, but more exposed and frightening) NT approach to social interaction.

I thus believe that the deep connectivity and bridging being offered into the child's mind were the critical aspects of the environment, although the ABA or other techniques and exercises may have been part of the dialogue.

How may it be possible to prevent children developing down an autistic/AS route?

I believe it thus may prove possible to prevent autism/AS, in many cases, by identifying at-risk babies/toddlers early (as above, at pre-natal; are both parents systemisers? and at post-natal; is the child having social engagement problems?), and then giving them the right environment and encouragement to enable them to 'choose', at a deep inner level, the NT route.

How may it be possible for adults to switch off 'wrong' systemising?

My suggestions are
(a) that simple awareness of what one is doing is a very material step towards progress, and
(b) that simple mental exercises can help, both as preparation and in live situations.
See later page.

Can Aspie's have or develop the natural mind-reading or empathy brain mechanisms that NT's have?

My thesis, which I feel is supported by the above mentioned healing cases, is

- that at least some AS people do have the same brain mechanisms, or the same abilities to build them, as NT's. (These mechanisms may prove to be sub-standard, but I think these will prove largely workable even so, and the net benefit positive of operating sub-standard NT rather than AS).

- that these mechanisms and abilities have been buried, un-used, because the person turned away from them and went down the AS route from a very young age. This created a crashing noisy AS hyper-systemising system that gave these more subtle mechanisms no chance of being heard and developing.

- that these AS people can uncover and develop these abilities once they have turned off their systemising.

In particular, these people may be able to fire up the mirror neurons in their brains, and then be able to track what other people are feeling, experiencing, and thinking - be able to imagine being inside that other person's head. This can then inform their own thinking, enabling them to operate in a much more connected way when interacting with other people.

Will switching off AS 'wrong' systemising lead to a dimunition of mental power, IQ, etc?

This is unclear as yet, and a serious issue; many AS people find security, identity and earnings power in their systemising ability. In theory the brain should remain the same brain with the same ability. Stopping the very intense 'continual training' of AS systemising may lead to lower performance in other systemising areas of life. However it may also enable this brain to perform much better in other more intuitive areas of life.