I’m actually very fascinated by this, but you seem to have forgotten your context. I have a severely autistic brother in law with down syndrome. He’s non-verbal but definitely comprehends much of what is going on around him beyond how a child reacts to the world. Can you tell me where to read more about this? Honestly, I’m not sure what I would google to find this study.
I don’t have a professional understanding of the subject tbqh but I frequently talk to people who do and while we both kvetch about work, they often mention how autism spectrum disorders are understood much more granularly now and focus more specifically on the types of cognitive impairments or areas of difficulty. Someone can have poor audio processing but still be able to visually identify and categorize stimuli. They may be able to process information easily in the moment but struggle to retain said information. In the past, this would simply be categorized as child-like, but that doesn’t really give a good understanding of what’s happening in the person’s brain.
As far as further reading… I can’t really make any recommendations, but I know there’s a great deal more study now than there was, say, 30 years ago.
How do we know anything? I spend a lot of time around him, observed his behaviors and interactions with the world, and have taken away that he is more capable than some people understand. I’m not making a general observation, just a personal one, hence why I am asking for further studies to imperically show me the general data.
As a bit of a rant, what you’ve said is pretty silly in any context. Are you telling me body language and physical interaction are not inherent forms of communication? We evolved and worked together for millions of years without spoken word.
Nope, that’s an outdated conceptualization of autism and has been for quite some time.
I’m actually very fascinated by this, but you seem to have forgotten your context. I have a severely autistic brother in law with down syndrome. He’s non-verbal but definitely comprehends much of what is going on around him beyond how a child reacts to the world. Can you tell me where to read more about this? Honestly, I’m not sure what I would google to find this study.
I don’t have a professional understanding of the subject tbqh but I frequently talk to people who do and while we both kvetch about work, they often mention how autism spectrum disorders are understood much more granularly now and focus more specifically on the types of cognitive impairments or areas of difficulty. Someone can have poor audio processing but still be able to visually identify and categorize stimuli. They may be able to process information easily in the moment but struggle to retain said information. In the past, this would simply be categorized as child-like, but that doesn’t really give a good understanding of what’s happening in the person’s brain.
As far as further reading… I can’t really make any recommendations, but I know there’s a great deal more study now than there was, say, 30 years ago.
Ah that’s fair, I appreciate your straightforwardness. I am definitely going to educate myself further on this. The human brain is fucking wild.
How do you know what he comprehends if he hasn’t told you?
How do we know anything? I spend a lot of time around him, observed his behaviors and interactions with the world, and have taken away that he is more capable than some people understand. I’m not making a general observation, just a personal one, hence why I am asking for further studies to imperically show me the general data.
As a bit of a rant, what you’ve said is pretty silly in any context. Are you telling me body language and physical interaction are not inherent forms of communication? We evolved and worked together for millions of years without spoken word.