psychesmartautismtm's posterous http://psychesmartautismtm.posterous.com Most recent posts at psychesmartautismtm's posterous posterous.com Wed, 15 Sep 2010 01:31:33 -0700 ABSOLUTE DRIVEL: Toddlers immune to 'contagious' yawning: study http://psychesmartautismtm.posterous.com/absolute-drivel-toddlers-immune-to-contagious http://psychesmartautismtm.posterous.com/absolute-drivel-toddlers-immune-to-contagious

This article could make one angry if it were not completely ridiculous. Millions of our tax dollars are being spent on a study of "contagious yawning", and the conclusions are forgone as far as the pseudoscientists who profiteered from the study. They are claiming that since autistic children have no "empathy" then they are not affected by other people yawning in their presence.

Any parent will tell you that autistic kids do yawn contagiously when someone they feel connected to yawns. Any parent will tell you that autistic kids do not lack empathy either. They are in fact deeply affected by suffering anywhere; even the suffering of complete strangers. They may not always show it, or have a way to express it in terms the neurotypical/insensitive majority can relate to.

Let us not confuse the difficulty expressing oneself, common in autism, with lack of empathy. The mainstream medical community is taking a group of individuals who cannot express themselves and is calling them all sorts of names. This is nothing short of character assassination and an expression of deep concerns among the mainstream society. They are afraid that a generation of autistic children will grow up to condemn their ways and set the record straight.

what a shame!
what a shame!

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