Associated Psychological Concepts, Theories, and Models-Carter

 Autism:

Psychological Concepts, Theories, and Models:

    Overtime theories, concepts, and models regarding autism have come and gone. Immersive research and extreme work has played a huge part in discovering what is known as autism today. With this research, theories we thought furthered understanding of autism have been found untrue and not pertaining to autism but other mental illnesses being diagnosed as autism. Nonetheless all of these theories, concepts, and models have all had a hand in defining what autism is seen as today. 

    The Dimetric Mind Theory is the idea that autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is on one end of the spectrum, and on the complete other end of this spectrum is psychosis (Psychology Today, n.d.). Between these two concepts are things that intertwine with these two completely different topics. In between these two poles are common thinking types that can go from mechanistic to mentalistic (Psychology Today, n.d.). This theory has further given light to how individual genes are presented. It is thought that there is a correlation between the idea that autism stems from paternal gene expression and psychosis stems from maternal gene expression (Psychology Today, n.d.). This theory, which is based in biology and genetics, allows researchers to see the causes and visible characteristics of both autism and psychosis (Crespi & Badcock, 2008).  The Imprinted Brain Theory holds the idea that genes  expressed in an individual come from one parent only. Paternal gene expression could cause a child to have a larger brain, develop quicker, and require more from the child's mother. On the other hand, maternal gene expression could lead to the child having a smaller brain, develop slower, and even need less from the child's mother (Psychology Today, n.d.). To put this theory into perspective imagine a father on one side of a rope and on the other side of the rope is a mother. They are constantly fighting for what end of the spectrum is going to be represented (Badcock, 2009). Extreme Male Brain Theory states that men are four times more likely to be diagnosed with autism than women. In this concept, it is believed that women are better at empathizing and men are better at systemizing (Psychology Today, n.d.). Systemizing is defined as creating a set of items that work together (Robertson, 2019). This can be done by grouping things together that have a similar likeness. An example could be an autistic individual could be very good at math. This could be because they have a system of how to group the numbers and come up with a solution. Empathy is defined as having an understanding of other people's emotions and feelings (Robertson, 2019). These concepts together make up the theory that autism is a representation of an "extreme" male brain. This theory currently has not been able to be supported in those individuals who are actually diagnosed with autism, however it can be seen in those who possess ASD like diagnosis (Foden & Anderson, 2010). 

    Children are uniquely different and in saying that it is clear that their diagnosis should be uniquely different too. It is incredibly hard to find individuals that are diagnosed with autism and possess the exact same symptoms. Each person is different and thus their symptoms vary too. These symptoms are placed into three generic yet strict categories that include struggles with language, cognition on a social level, and mental flexibility (Geschwind, 2011). The concept of autism as a whole has dramatically changed. It has been discovered that  strict guidelines are not needed. There are individuals who perfectly fit the strict criteria described above, then there are some who only fit some of the criteria, and then there are some who barely fit into these criteria (Geschwind, 2011). Autism is not a vast and broad disorder. Autism is an individually based disorder and should be diagnosed and treated as such (Geschwind, 2011). 

    Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by problems in social skills, and repetitive behaviors. It is thought that genetic and environmental factors solely cause ASD. To help us better understand how autism is developed it has become common practice to use animal models. These models are split into genetic, environment-induced, and idiopathic animal models (Li, Zhu, Jun-Gu & Cheng, 2021). Animals such as primates, domestic animals, rodents, birds, and invertebrates have been used to stimulate key features of ASD (Li, Zhu, Jun-Gu & Cheng, 2021). Monkeys are the best representation of the social behavior of humans. Domestic animals, such as dogs, or castles, are used because they have a similar brain structure as a human,  physiology of humans, and a similar metabolism to humans. Mice and rats are the most common ASD animal models. They have similar neuroanatomy, electrophysiology, biochemistry, and genetics to what humans have (Li, Zhu, Jun-Gu & Cheng, 2021). Most of these models are manipulated in a way that allows researchers to view different aspects of autism. Mice are more often used because they are social creatures. It would be one of the easiest ways to view autism. It is important that the model animal exhibit behaviors that are seen in the symptoms used to diagnose autism (Crawley, 2012). 

How those in their environment can help: 

    When an individual is diagnosed with ASD it can completely change a family dynamic. Having a family member who is autistic can lead to an incredible amount of stress. A diagnosis of this measure can require that individual to need more attention, and can affect how others view that individual. It is important to support every individual affected by this. More importantly, providing the individual with autism, the support they so desperately will need. The first thing that can be done is to learn everything their is to learn about autism. The more research that is done then the more of an understanding the family could have that is needed to understand what their family member is going through (Smith, Segal & Hutman, 2023). It is important to know the individually, and really know them. Autism varies  by the individual, and understanding the things that trigger the individual or the challenges that may face. It will help the family be able to support this individual by giving them an idea of what to avoid (Smith, Segal & Hutman, 2023). Understanding these things could ease the stress on the individual. Support for individuals does not stop at home. School can be a very important time in an individuals life. It is very important to provide them support because this can be an extremely challenging transition for them. Routine is incredibly important for those with autism. Having a sense of structure that is predictable can give them a a sense of security (Hughes, 2019). It is also important to help ease the individual through changes and transitions. These can be overwhelming for them and cause massive anxiety (Hughes, 2019). Sometimes it is unavoidable and that is perfectly okay. Helping and supporting them through these things will help the cope with them in the future. 

References:

Badcock, C. (2009). The imprinted brain: How genes set the balance between autism and psychosis. Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

Crawley JN. Translational animal models of autism and neurodevelopmental disorders. Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2012 Sep;14(3):293-305. doi: 10.31887/DCNS.2012.14.3/jcrawley. PMID: 23226954; PMCID: PMC3513683.

Crespi B, Badcock C. Psychosis and autism as diametrical disorders of the social brain. Behav Brain Sci. 2008 Jun;31(3):241-61; discussion 261-320. doi: 10.1017/S0140525X08004214. PMID: 18578904.

Geschwind DH. Genetics of autism spectrum disorders. Trends Cogn Sci. 2011 Sep;15(9):409-16. doi: 10.1016/j.tics.2011.07.003. Epub 2011 Aug 18. PMID: 21855394; PMCID: PMC3691066.

Hughes, L. (2023, June 2). How to support a child with autism in the classroom. The Hub | High Speed Training. https://www.highspeedtraining.co.uk/hub/how-to-support-a-child-with-autism-in-the-classroom/

Li Z, Zhu YX, Gu LJ, Cheng Y. Understanding autism spectrum disorders with animal models: applications, insights, and perspectives. Zool Res. 2021 Nov 18;42(6):800-824. doi: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2021.251. PMID: 34755500; PMCID: PMC8645879.

Roberson, Dr. K. (2022, September 3). The empathizing-systemizing theory of Adult autism spectrum disorder. Kenneth Roberson, Ph.D. https://kennethrobersonphd.com/the-empathizing-systemizing-theory-of-adult-aspergers/

Smith, M., Segal, J., & Hutman, T. (2023, June 5). Helping your child with autism thrive. HelpGuide.org. https://www.helpguide.org/articles/autism-learning-disabilities/helping-your-child-with-autism-thrive.htm

Sussex Publishers. (n.d.). Theories of autism. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/autism/theories-autism

The “Extreme male brain”: An explanation for autism? Kennedy Krieger Institute. (n.d.). https://www.kennedykrieger.org/stories/interactive-autism-network-ian/extreme_male_brain

Theories of autism. Spectrum. (2019, May 1). https://www.spectrumnews.org/features/legacy-special-reports/theories-of-autism/