Quote:
Highly analytical couples, such as scientists, may be more likely to produce children with autism, an expert has argued.
Professor Simon Baron-Cohen, of the University of Cambridge, said the phenomenon may help explain the recent rise in diagnoses.
He believes the genes which make some analytical may also impair their social and communication skills.
A weakness in these areas is the key characteristic of autism.
It is thought that around one child in every 100 has a form of autism - the vast majority of those affected are boys.
The number of diagnoses seems to be on the increase, but some argue this is simply because of a greater awareness of the condition.
In a paper published in the journal Archives of Disease of Childhood, Professor Baron-Cohen labels people such as scientists, mathematicians and engineers as 'systemizers'.
They are skilled at analysing systems - whether it be a vehicle, or a maths equation - to figure out how they work.
But they also tend to be less interested in the social side of life, and can exhibit behaviour such as an obsession with detail - classic traits associated with autism.
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4661402.stm
Ok.. This isn't really political news, but it doesn't really fit under any other topic, and well - it is an interesting article..
I don't know.. I consider myself as a highly analytical person.. I don't really have autism in my family, but I would recognize some 'extraordinary' traits in myself and in my near relatives..
I don't know, if this is the right place to open up, but I had some difficulties with the social interaction with people when I was young.. I have typically had difficulties in the fast social interactions and I'm typically terrible in just speaking 'stuff' ~ so with the small talk.. Also, normal human behaviour has remained a little mysterious in some occasions.. Also the love for details and the inability to distuinguish the normal chatting from the absolute claims of reality were all present..
These were all small flaws - but something the children of the same age weren't most forgiving about.. It left a slight trauma
But anyway.. About my family, my brother learned (or started) to talk after he was like 4 years old.. Otherwise he grew fine - popular, tall, athletic & stuff.. Also my father is slightly obsessed with details..
- BtD