A Little Autism in All of Us?

by Kristina Chew · 2009-01-22 00:52:00 UTC
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A recent  study of 8000 chlldren suggests that many children have "autistic symptoms"---in the areas of social skills and communication in particular---but not to the extent that they are diagnosed. Yesterday's BBC News reports that researchers from the Institute of Child Health have found

.....further evidence that the same [autistic] traits do not begin and end there, but continue at into the whole population of children, just at a level which does not lead parents to seek medical help.

Seeing autism as a "distinct illness" was probably wrong, they said.

Even at this mild level, however, these characteristics - particularly problems communicating with peers and teachers - can be a disadvantage.

The Social and Communication Disorders Checklist was administered to participants, with boys scoring 30% higher than girls. From the study's abstract:

Social communicative deficits were associated with functional impairment at school, especially in domains of hyperactivity and conduct disorders. A sex-by-verbal IQ interaction effect occurred: verbal IQ was protective against social communication impairments across the range of abilities in female subjects only. In male subjects, this protective effect did not exist for those with above-average verbal IQ.

Girls, that is, seemed more able to "compensate" for "social communicative deficits" provided that they had sufficient "verbal IQ" or a "natural ability to use language well," according to the BBC News.

What results might be found if adults were studied: Would we all be found to have "autistic symptoms"? Certainly it's not uncommon that some parents, after learning of their child's diagnosis on the autism spectrum, realize that they have Asperger's Syndrome and are themselves on the spectrum. For the record, Jim and I have considered whether or not we might be on the autism spectrum; while we find ourselves overlapping in certain areas with Charlie---Jim has ADHD and, like our boy, often thinks and feels best when in motion; I tend toward the obsessive and am drawn to structure and order (mixed with spontaneity). We've both become aware of our own sensory sensitivities in learning about Charlie's. I have synesthesia for colors, letters, numbers, textures, sounds, words, and I don't think it's a coincidence that both Jim and Charlie have been wearing those black suede Merrell slip-on shoes for the past few years, and very happily: No annoying shoe strings and just shove your foot in and go......

Knowing there's yet another way that Jim and Charlie and I are alike----that's something valuable I'm glad to know about.

Photo by eralon.

Kristina Chew
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