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POLL: Have you read Simon Baron-Cohen's book ?

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Have you read Simon Baron-Cohen's book "The Essential Difference: Male and Female Brains and the truth about Autism"?
Yes 24%  24%  [ 5 ]
No 62%  62%  [ 13 ]
I read some summaries or reviews of it but haven't read it myself. 14%  14%  [ 3 ]
Total votes : 21

Merculangelo
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28 Dec 2010, 3:56 pm

The Essential Difference
Male and Female brains and the truth about Autism



wavefreak58
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28 Dec 2010, 4:04 pm

Well, the title bugs me. "The Truth About Autism" makes my think "snake oil" and all the red flags go up. Too bad because SBC has done a lot of work in the field. He cheapens himself when using such emotionally laden terms.


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28 Dec 2010, 4:10 pm

I've read it... most of it... well... Okay maybe I should have put bits of it. I tried, I just have such a poor attention span! The bits I read were interesting.


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28 Dec 2010, 4:48 pm

Well I have not read the book, but I have read some of SBC's papers. He seems to have some good ideas. He was even willing to answer some questions I had about his work by email.


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28 Dec 2010, 5:12 pm

The truth? Have I been lied to thus far?



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28 Dec 2010, 5:31 pm

Read it, hated it.


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claudia
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29 Dec 2010, 10:33 am

No, I haven't.
I took his empathy test because I'm suspecting I'm an Aspie.
I score as extreme systemizer (male brain) but I'm a woman and I feel female, I feel very different from men.
Maybe there's a gender bias because woman are supposed to have more empaty than men.
I think culture and education can modify the way you feel. A good theory must have correct hypothesis and a strong validations.
My son was diagnosed 6 months ago and since then I heard about:
- diet theory
- mithocondrial theory
- vaccines theory
- male brain theory
- testosterone in utero theory
- nanderthal theory
Too much. I'm not a researcher but it's clear that each of them can't be true if others are also true.
So I'm not asking you if you read it, but if it has a method...



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29 Dec 2010, 11:37 am

Nope, and I don't really have any desire to.



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29 Dec 2010, 11:54 am

claudia wrote:
No, I haven't.
I took his empathy test because I'm suspecting I'm an Aspie.
I score as extreme systemizer (male brain) but I'm a woman and I feel female, I feel very different from men.
Maybe there's a gender bias because woman are supposed to have more empaty than men.
I think culture and education can modify the way you feel. A good theory must have correct hypothesis and a strong validations.
My son was diagnosed 6 months ago and since then I heard about:
- diet theory
- mithocondrial theory
- vaccines theory
- male brain theory
- testosterone in utero theory
- nanderthal theory
Too much. I'm not a researcher but it's clear that each of them can't be true if others are also true.
So I'm not asking you if you read it, but if it has a method...
Wow... Claudia, that has to be utterly overwhelming. If I were you, I would just get to know your son and what he needs, and find solutions for specific problems. For autistics, the most important skill is communication (including self-advocacy), closely followed by self-care, organization, and self-regulation. A lot of these theories will be talking about how "autistic people" are like this or like that, when in reality--as you know--we're as diverse as people anywhere. Your son's an individual. Figure out what he's like and what he wants first before you think about all the theory. (Incidentally, for the record: The vaccine thing is an urban legend; please, please get your child vaccinated.)


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29 Dec 2010, 12:15 pm

Not yet, but I probably will in the future just for the sake of criticism.