Russell Barkley's summation of what autism is

Post Reply New Topic

Fair enough, but I think there's something to this "specialness" though. It's like a shorthand for belonging that I don't have. I see people as active objects that need to be managed to my benefit. I don't see any specialness.

That sounds like a very superficial description of autism by a psychologist who does not like people with autism very much. Some peoples' description of autism comes closer to a description of a sociopath.

The lack of empathy that researchers like Simon Baron Cohen speak of it not an inability to have feelings for other people. It is an inability or deficit in the ability to naturally and spontaneously understand other peoples' thoughts and feelings very well. That does not mean that it is an autistic trait not to have a heart - or not to love or care.

I don't hand flap and I never have. I also don't believe that I can't relate to others as humans. I know that my ability to have relationships in a traditional fully functional NT way is very impaired but I am not that impaired. I also know, acknowledge, respect and honor that some Autistic people don't relate to other people as fellow humans but as objects. I am fine with that. But that is not the case for everyone on the Spectrum. So I don't agree that "that is what Autism really is underneath" and that "the rest of it is just the most superficial set of symptoms." From what I know, what Autism really is underneath is an inability to process input at a rate of speed which matches the intelligence functioning level of the brain. And I believe that even those who are "low functioning" have the same core issue. And the symptoms and traits are a manifestation of that. So I think that Russell Barkley needs to rethink his statement. Perhaps a little more education on the subject will do him well.

Yes, I think underneath that is precisely what autism is - stimulus hits us harder and faster than it does most people - This tendency to sensory overload does impair the ability to relate to others and it tends to lead those across the full length of the autism spectrum to retreat into their own world. These issues of course make relating to others more difficult. We are still nonetheless human capable of love, caring, sympathy and feelings just like anyone else. Like every other group - there is a range from the indifferent to the very nurturing.

I totally agree with you ending statement, So I think that Russell Barkley needs to rethink his statement. Perhaps a little more education on the subject will do him well.

While making a impassioned and persuasive against oversimplification and looking a symptoms not the condition he does exactly that.

I agree he is oversimplifying, and doing so in just the way he is warning others not to do in regards to ADHD.

I think what he is referencing are the eye tracking studies that have shown autistic people process information about faces in the same way that neurotypical people process information about objects...whereas NTs have distinct neural pathways for faces.

Barkley is a psychologist, but he seems to have a keen interest in neuroscience, and he has done a lot to advance the research of ADHD. But ADHD is obviously his pet subject, and autism is not.

Pretty much no matter what he talks about, he speaks with an air of authority, as if he has a large team of people and lots of studies to back him up. Sometimes he says things that I think are off base, but I don't think he just rattles off his own opinions without having some substantial reasoning behind them.

I'm just guessing his interpretation of "what autism really is" is based primarily on those eye tracking studies. I'm wondering how widely his interpretation or opinion is shared by other professionals.

" They are the most obvious symptoms of a failure to develop the ability to relate to others as special objects, as humans. And that is what autism really is underneath. " BS as that's not what autism is at all, but if you are going to make such a claim, at least try to explain how not seeing other people as special results in hand flapping as I don't see any sort of logic there whatsoever.

" They are the most obvious symptoms of a failure to develop the ability to relate to others as special objects, as humans. And that is what autism really is underneath. " BS as that's not what autism is at all, but if you are going to make such a claim, at least try to explain how not seeing other people as special results in hand flapping as I don't see any sort of logic there whatsoever.

I think this person is not a scientist, more a politician...
He shouldn't say anything about autism, because he doesn't know what autism is... The same for "ADHD"...

Within my lifetime authority backed up by what supposed to have been lots of studies and substantial reasoning claimed homosexuality was a disease caused by overprotective mothers and autism was a disease caused by cold and distant mothers. Authority backed up by substantial reasoning has been very wrong in the past. "Russell Barkley's summation of what autism is" is simply flat-out wrong and comments like his are harmful and dangerous.

I think it's:

glib
misleading
arrogant
superficial
simplistic
ignorant
contemptible
and smartarse.

seems like he is just saying autistic people have trouble relating to other people, seems so obvious to not really be worth saying, like the reason for blindness is not being able to see. though I guess the humans as a special object implies we see humans just as another object, I don't relate to that at all, i'm kind of in awe of the world of people even though I feel very detached from it. if anything I may treat objects too much as people, get attached and invest too much meaning.

As usual, Russell Barkley makes me want to lay down and die (hey, at least this time he doesn't make me think that maybe I should take my kid with me-- I guess that's an improvement??). Russell Barkley can eat s**t and die. I wonder what drug company is paying him to run his mouth this time????

ETA: By the by, s**thead, I don't see people as "special objects," and do not lump them into one giant category called "humans" unless I am thoroughly disgusted with something that the majority has done or condoned. They're not "objects," and they're not identical. Every one of them is a unique being, just as am I. If you think people are "special objects," I posit that YOU, Sir, are PART OF THE PROBLEM.

http://books.google.co.nz/books?id=KCZq ... bLnY8Tyrty

Click that link for his view that the "most common co-morbid with ASD" is mental retardation.

I think anyone who knows me here will be able to correctly guess what I think of that. You get these jerks in psychiatry, even in this "more enlightened" age, they worship at the shrine of their own egotistical opinions.

IMO, Russell Barkley is a great expert on ADHD.

He isn't the most heartwarming speaker, nor does he necessarily utilize semantics in a way that a majority of people would approve of, but he offers a lot of scientifically supported ideas. I think he has received far more hate than what he deserves, as his job is not to cater to the affective needs of the community, after all.

I disagree with casual use of the terminology, but technically speaking, he isn't wrong.

His statement concerning autism is not completely incorrect either. I do agree with many posters here that it is quite brutal and a poor choice of words, but it is true that autistic individuals struggle to relate to others (especially if not HFA/AS). My friend has told me many times face-to-face, that despite how close he gets to people, he still feels that there is always 'something missing'.

He wasn't linking hand flapping and speaking funny to the failure to relate to others, only likening it to ADHD, where inattention is the most obvious symptom of a disorder where multiple aspects of executive functioning are impacted.

Also it may possibly be out of context. Only a snippet of his lecture is shown there.

Then again, I may be bias because of what my friend has told me.

I am of the view that the most common co-morbid, by the proverbial country mile, is anxiety. Very few ASD people do not report it. Very few, percentage wise, of ASD people are mentally ret*d. The claim that they are is misleading and irresponsible, especially from someone who enjoys "expert" status, IMO.