Autism
- Being Autistic means being in a high-risk population that is very vulnerable but has a lot of assets. Since Autism is hereditary, these are also risk factors that we tend to see reflected intergenerationally.
- We have different self care needs and learn differently.
- Most “therapy” tailored specifically to Autistic people1 are associated with concerning side effects that are important to be aware of.
- Being a woman, queer, or person of colour and on the spectrum makes us that much more vulnerable to these risks.
- Women are typically diagnosed much later than men (in university) because we are typically diagnosed as a result of the consequences of hiding our Autism.
- Women may experience Autism in the same way, but this experience is not visible to the outside world because we respond to our traits differently. This makes us much harder to diagnose.
Neurodivergent Upgrade is a generalizeable, holistic resource used to support all people on the spectrum, regardless of class, caste, or creed so that we can focus on leveraging our Autistic superstrengths, rather than our weaknesses.
Personal
More supports related to overcoming these barriers can be expected to be found in the “Personal” tab.
Executive Functioning
- Autistic individuals do tend to struggle with executive functioning.
Burnout
- We are so susceptible to burnout from that we have a separate term for it, Autistic Burnout.
- Like our executive functioning challenges, Autistic burnout can be avoided with proper Autistic-friendly regulation strategies and effective boundary-setting.
University
More supports related to overcoming these barriers can be expected to be found in the “University” tab.
Predictive Coding Theory
The theory suggests that the brain’s weighting of differences between sensory input and expectations is determined by a parameter called “precision.” When acquiring new knowledge, the brain increases precision to incorporate the input and construct a model. Once the brain deems the model complete, it reduces precision, assuming any further differences are insignificant random variations.
According to this theory, individuals with Autism exhibit a slower recalibration of precision. We remain sensitive to details but struggle with generalization. This could account for our reported feelings of frequent overstimulation, constant surprise, our preference for routine, and our barriers to certain aspects of social perception.
The theory could also shed light on why some students might prefer being introduced to advanced material at a slower pace while simultaneously struggling with simplified introductory concepts. This could be because the simplified concepts may lack the level of detail needed for these students to fully grasp and internalize them.
Delayed Processing
Slow processing refers to taking a longer time to absorb information, potentially leading to falling behind and missing subsequent information. On the other hand, delayed processing involves storing incoming information for later processing, which can occur hours, weeks, or even years after the event.
Individuals with delayed processing may process the minimum needed in real-time while storing the rest for later. It is noted that some individuals who experience delayed processing can recall and process more information than others once they do process it.
The reasons for delayed processing can include slow processing of information or difficulty in handling a large volume of incoming information.
It is important to be aware that individuals who seem to struggle with understanding or following information in real-time may have taken it all in and simply require time for the brain to process it.2