In the movie "social networking" (Social Network), the Aisenboge Jesse (Jesse Eisenberg) created a nature indifferent Mark Zhakeboge (Mark Zuckerberg). His girlfriend also because the future of Facebook founder undisciplined and compulsive personality and broke up with him. Yisenboge shaping Zhakeboge is a typical Silicon Valley Frankenstein - talented in technical terms, but in social terms but ignorance. Silicon Valley with the words, "do not fly."
Few scientists believe many of the world's leading scientific and technological progress of the people are actually suffering from the Pan autistic disorder (autism spectrum disorder, ASD). From the serious social, language and behavioral disorders like autism to typical mild Esiboge syndrome (Asperger's syndrome) belong asd category. But there is a point of view began to spread in the mass psychology, is that many of these technical experts and other professionals, such as specialists in the field of engineering and Zirankexue some more or less typical symptoms of autism, and their offspring suffer the possibility of autism has greatly increased.
This view is mainly from the Cambridge University psychologist Simon Baron - Cohen (Simon Baron-Cohen). Theory he founded 15 years ago believed that children with autism and their parents to understand and analyze predictable, rule-based systems (such as machinery, mathematics or computer programs) on, there is some kind of talent . His hypothesis that genetically these parents determine their thinking to adapt to technical work, which could lead to genetic autism to a child, especially when the partners have the same thinking and the same gene, a child suffering from autism is more likely.
This view seems to be quite reasonable. It is in line with public opinion in a typical computer Frankenstein or mad that clever but difficult to integrate into the community image - Baron - Cohen had speculated, Einstein and Newton are such great suffering Esiboge syndrome. In the scientific community, many people are recognizing that some autistic traits - like social barriers, narrow interests, communication barriers - in the general population are more or less, which is the extreme case of autism. Most experts believe that the genetic cause of autism in the play an important role, which also makes "If both parents have mild autistic traits, and that their children are likely to suffer from autism" This theory sounds seems to make sense.
This theory is also consistent with at least a part of the experience of the doctor. University of California psychologist responsible for the clinical treatment of autism Bu Laina Siegel (Bryna Siegel), said:. "I've seen all kinds of Frankenstein" He was referring to those parents of children with autism: "they know how to use eye contact, clothes are bought from the Internet, there is not much sympathy for society I think if these wack combined with each other, and that the future is not a good thing.." but critics Byron - Cohen theory of a lot of people. Autism researchers said Baron - Cohen's research has focused on people with high Esiboge syndrome autistic population, these patients have superior language skills, but at least they are not low IQ. Skeptics believe that these data and not enough to support his theory, and his many experiments require a third party to repeat.
"These are indeed worth considering the hypothesis, but they require proven." Washington University psychiatrist John(John Constantino) said, "but there is not enough data." Some critics because Byron - Cohen has published a number of theoretical grandstanding while he complained - especially the "autistic brain is kind of 'extreme masculine' state" theory. They worry that these theories would mislead the public, will make people with autism to "Frankenstein" impression linked.
Baron - Cohen admits that his research there is a problem that is "too little experiment was repeated," and he said he had reservations about his theory, "until there is sufficient data to evaluate them." However, he believes, before obtaining an absolute reliable evidence on the release of the hypotheses can not be wrong: "I would rather call this practice is seen as a positive attitude, not like other scientist obsessed with the data from the original formation theory process, especially when a theory can verify when scientific progress is thus obtained. "
[Autistic brains more "systematic"? ]
In the 1990s, the majority of patients with autism, researchers are concerned about social issues, when Baron - Cohen became fascinated with autism that obsessive, single interests and repetitive behavior, these symptoms also characteristic of autism. He noted that autistic kids are prone to be attracted to things machines, digital, calendar, and rotate objects and so on. Children with autism, some may have a small instrument SHEET keep that in mind, some may be kept breaking off the light switch to go broke.
Baron - Cohen said: "The last view is that (these acts) aimlessly, they just do the movements it." But he started from a new perspective on these strange behavior: "They're trying to figure out a DVD player is how does it work, or at home trying to figure out the layout of the circuit. This is done to these children understand the whole system. "according to his theory, autistic brain predictable system has reached the average level or even superior ability to understand, or is the brain capable of "super systematic", but its intentions and feelings of others, but Bunenglijie not resonate.
Baron - Cohen found some evidence to support his theory. For example, in a study published in 2003, he found himself designed the questionnaire showed that people with autism have a high "value system operators" (systemizing quotient). In a survey of students at Cambridge University, he found mathematics majors are more likely to be diagnosed with autism than medicine, law and sociology majors. And with another set of results is called autism quotient (autism quotient) questionnaire obtained show Zirankexue and math majors on autistic characteristics than scoring high professional anthropology and sociology. Baron - Cohen said that although these surveys are not directly measure the ability of people to systematic, but is a proven systematic feature of autism, also part of the "generalized autism phenotype", which includes more people .
However, these require subjects to answer some questionnaires about their own problems, such as "I will always pay attention to what the model" and "I'd rather go to the library is not willing to go to the party," and so on, so the criticism of Byron - Cohen people questioned these investigations. "And our sense of self, like those self-perception is accurate is still a problem." Cognitive neuroscientist at the University of King's College London Fulangxisi Karl Hapei (Francesca Happ) said.
Hapei and others believe that if the first were detected in children with autism and normal children understand the systemic capacity, then go comparison score will make Baron - Cohen's conclusion is more objective. "His research is still not precise enough," developmental psychologist at University College London Uta Frith (Uta Frith) said, "because when he tested the subjects said, 'Yes, I like the attention to detail is a man' rather than objectively observe them. "
Baron - Cohen said that his lab is working on further research. He believes that the advantages of the questionnaire is to collect data quickly, although it will bias, but "where you will find a consistent pattern." He also mentioned that a study in 2001, he was found to have Esiboge syndrome children understand simple mechanical aspects of the system works much stronger than the average child. But critics pointed out that the premise of the selection Asiboge syndrome in children is that their IQ is normal or even high intelligence, but as an ordinary child control is randomly selected. Similarly, critics pointed out that the University of Cambridge student with autism is a special example, because these patients is brilliant enough to enter such a world-class university in Cambridge.
This is Baron - Cohen's work is relatively common kind of criticism. "He tends to focus on autism disorders range in particular those talented people," clinical psychologist at Cornell University Medical College, autism expert Catherine Lord (Catherine Lord) said, "He is described those individuals with a lot of things in fact, the majority of patients with ASD irrelevant. "
Baron - Cohen acknowledged his "some psychological research has focused on high-functioning children with autism who," because they have completed the required language proficiency test. When it comes to his systematic theory, he said, "My idea is that it is applicable not only to high-functioning autism," which can be applied to all children who suffer from these diseases.
Developmental psychologists London Institute of Education Liz Peilikanuo (Liz Pellicano) in early 2011 to detect a greater coverage of children with ASD and control children on a systematic difference in the ability to identify a group. Her research team designed a small room, on the floor of the room placed 16 green. Experimenter requirements across the room when the children find out which light turns red from green.
This lamp 80 percent of the time appear on the same side of the room. All children with autism include Asiboge syndrome in this test system performance than ordinary poor children. Peilikanuo said: "These children do not what system the ability to think when they find the lamps, he appeared to be quite disorganized.." She said, in her opinion, such research reflects Baron - Cohen's theory "by can not afford to test. "
Baron - Cohen said he was not sure Peilikanuo cases are not detected with the same kind of systematic capacity he describes. But he was "very happy at least people started to pay attention and systematic." So far, most research on systematic are from his laboratory. "I think the research we publish is somber, but in the field of systematic research, or too little," Baron - Cohen said, "to take some time to evaluate this theory by studying hundreds of items."
[Son of the Father "closed"? ]
Baron - Cohen speculated that the systematic ability is heritable - IT in Silicon Valley such a tribe, people with high systematic capacity greater proportion of them married, The result is that future generations have a higher incidence of autism rate.
For example, in 1997, he concluded that the father of autistic children, the occupation is twice the number of engineers in non-autistic children's father. But the British Bristol University autism researcher Christopher Jallow (Christopher Jarrold) and David Ruth (David Routh) pointed out, Baron - Cohen reported data analysis only for engineers, but no analysis of other occupations surveyed. After analysis of the same data, they found that the majority of children with autism father's career belongs to medicine, Zirankexue, accounting field, of course, including engineers, while a smaller proportion of manual workers. They believe that this is only possible because of these fathers have a higher level of education (this factor will be explained below).
Baron - Cohen said that when he controlled the educational level of subjects and re-analysis of the data found that the proportion of children with autism father of engineers is still large, but this difference is reduced a little.
Byron - The latest study Cohen is a technology center in Eindhoven, the Netherlands conducted. Investigation records kept by the school, he found the child in this town life was diagnosed with autism two to four times as likely two other Dutch towns of similar size child - he believes the evidence to support their hypothesis that with high ability who systematized offspring more likely to develop autism. However, on the selection of study sites, he said it was because his parents told the prevalence of autism in Eindhoven, and then he chose that place, not the same as randomly selected population like other researchers to follow IT-intensive areas of statistical data and non-IT areas, and to compare the epidemiology of autism. And PSV school record does not include parental age and education levels of information - both of which are closely associated with the diagnosis of autism - record does not mention whether the parents work in the information industry.
In fact, researchers believe other factors are sufficient to explain why the Zirankexue and engineering industry appears associated with autism. In 2010, California, some analysts about autism diagnosed autistic people did not find significant focus on IT industry. In contrast, the study found that parents generally aged autistic large and highly educated. The first author of the study, epidemiologist at the University of California, Yi Erwa Hertz - Pi Qiaotuo (Irva Hertz-Picciotto) said: "In fact, all of these groups are also more highly educated people."
Younger people tend to higher education and childbearing, while there is some evidence that the risk of birth parents of older children with autism is relatively large. Received more educated people may know more about the symptoms of autism, and therefore more likely to see a doctor. Once a child is diagnosed with autism, it is possible to obtain the appropriate education and support services. Silicon Valley has received a special school children with learning disabilities, the annual cost per student up to $ 30,000, but if the child is diagnosed with autism, the region where the school will be his burden of these costs.
In response to that study of Eindhoven, Baron - Cohen said he plans to investigate parents age, occupation and other details, do further research, he will investigate other IT industry center (eg Silicon Valley) autistic its incidence. He also carried out in a massive online research (go.nature.com/umyv61), to collect detailed information on the general population - including age, education level, occupation and hobbies, etc. - to determine whether these factors with offspring the incidence of autism related. He said Hertz - Pi Qiaotuo studies do not support his hypothesis because it "is not for the incidence of autism research-intensive areas of the information industry and design, I did exactly intend to cut this from another angle problem".
Although there are many people Baron - Cohen's experiment a lot criticism, but most of his colleagues in his efforts to promote his theory still doing very appreciated, and many of them are also able to accept the possibility: perhaps part of the theory will be proved to be correct. Rhodes said: "He's trying to solve a big problem, and many of us who have the courage to touch this issue."
working on similar topics. He proposed a "social response class" (social responsiveness scale) - This is a survey of the general population autistic tendencies characteristic of the questionnaire. He found that autistic people tend to feature more obvious combined with each other, their children will have more than their parents of autistic characteristics. However, the possibility that the child was diagnosed with autism and will not increase. that now the need for a larger study to confirm, in the general population, parents have autistic characteristics whether this phenomenon is more common in people with autism. "These are the data a researcher needs," he said, "rather than a regional epidemiological sample shows some abnormal tendency to make inferences therefrom, so of course there will come a high prevalence of autism conclusion. "
At present, the technical genius somewhat autism science and technology point of view, at least in some of the more popular places intensive. In Hapei opinion, this trend is people feel complicated. "On one hand I am glad that so-called 'fashion geeks' in today's society gained some approval, because many people with autism or ASD who flies very difficult and painful, I'm glad that people can learn more about their talent. "
On the other hand, she said: "There are many children with autism have mental retardation, and will not speak to their parents, if people constantly stressed that those who have autism are. genius will certainly make them angry. "
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