World-renowned childhood autism researcher is Borat's cousin

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Hi, this is kind of inappropriate for a first post, but I have been an unregistered lurker for several months.

There is an interesting article about autism in the latest edition of the British publication _The Economist_ on page 85. In it was mentioned one Simon Baron-Cohen of Cambridge University. Lights started flashing, as I knew that's where Sacha Baron-Cohen got a degree in history.... and yep, they're related....

edit: WP won't let my hyperlink because it's only my first post, but look up Simon Baron-Cohen on Wikipedia.

they have an interesting book that says AS is an extreme version of the Male Mind. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Essential-Diffe ... 046500556X

I have a copy waiting for me at my mailbox.

Wow, thanks TobyZ, I didn't know he's an author as well. I was casting about trying to figure out where to start reading about autism, and that looks like a very good place.

Hi DoctorWu Have you tried reading any Tony Attwood?

Welcome to wrong planet DoctorWu.

I think most people who are aware of him know about his relation to Sacha. I always get the two confused.

He has quite a few very successful family members. I guess it's an argument for eugenics.

Some people say he may have AS himself.

Every time I see a post that mentions Simon Baron Cohen I think of Signor Adolfo Pirelli singing "To shave-a-da-face...To trim-a-da-beard...." in Sweeney Todd.

My abominable cousin topic

Poor Simon...he cannot choose his family.

I suppose it could have been worse...Tom Green!

Thank you all for the warm welcomes and the helpful suggestions!

I think that Tony Attwood seems to be right up my alley, sillyputty.

Well I guess my "eureka moment" fell sort of flat, but I should have known better

Simon Baron-Cohen was the pyscologist who diagnosed me. I had a copy of one of his books which he signed for me!! !

To be honest, I did consider asking for his cousin's autograph as well but realised that would have been plain rude and inappropriate. I guess i should have at least asked him what he thinks about being overshadowed by sacha,

For those who care to stalk deeper into the Baron-Cohen lineage, you'll also find that Simon BC has a son called Sam who's chosen to drop the Cohen from his surname. Youtube "tea motherf*****s" (excuse my french) to see some of his work

Having met and spoken to him I find that very unlikely. Although before I met him and knew him only by attending his lectures I did notice that his voice is rather monotonous which I remember thinking was funny cos it is an autistic trait. But like I say after having actually talked to him he doesn't come across as AS at all apart from in his voice.

Well the fact that some people say he has AS or that you meant him and thought that he didn't really doesn't matter. In hindsight, I probably shouldn't have said it.

A diagnoses can't be made in this way. The only way a diagnoses can be made is in a clinical setting by a qualified psychologist.

In Dr. Robert Hare's book about psychopaths he wrote about people making these long-distance unqualified diagnoses. Some people said that Saddam Hussein was a psychopath or a narcissist but these were diagnoses made by unqualified people and were not done in a clinical setting, so they were erroneous.

In a rare display of flippancy, I must admit I would love to talk with Simon Baron Cohen, and ask him at some point in the conversation, "Is it because I is autistic?"

I actually have major problems with his theories. One being is that autism and AS are extreme male brains. I think this has been more damaging than helpful, because instead of looking into the differances in gender in manifistation and understanding other spectrum disorders, the result was concentrating more largely on men with the syndrome, and ignoring the fact that it does occur in women and manifests in a different way. Basically Simon Baron-Cohen may contributed to the mis-diagnosis and under-diagnosis of women with ASD by classifying it as an extreme male brain. In addition to that it clinically set women back who are in the spectrum because this theory may have been responsible for not further studying the different manifestations in autism spectrum disorders in females. Generally speaking, while I like his theory with regards to mind blindness, his extreme male brain theory is completely bunk and has done more harm than good.

The two Barons-Cohen have a clear physical resemblance. Sort of "identical cousins" in a manner of speaking.

ruveyn

That I would like to see.

And my Japanese Literature professor is Simon's cousin! Her surname is different from Baron-Cohen, but they're cousins. She's an amazing lady, very intelligent, poised, and just incredible in her breadth of knowledge and ability. It seems to run in the family.