Viruses or bacterial infection
A growing body of peer-reviewed studies published in mainstream journals
has shown that many common diseases of unknown origin are in fact caused
by the presence of slowly acting viruses. For example, cervical cancer
is caused by the human papilloma wart virus; some cases of liver cancer
are caused by hepatitis C or B; Schizophrenia may be caused by Borna virus.
Paul W. Ewald, among others, argues that the available data on the origin
of autism is consistent with it being caused by a virus or infection.
Plague Time, Paul Ewald
PANDAS (Paediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with
Streptococci) and PITAND (Paediatric Infection-triggered Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric
Disorders)
Closer to Truth: PBS, with Paul Ewald
Proposed models of autism
The causes and origins of autism and Asperger's syndrome are a source
of continuing conjecture and debate. Amongst several competing theories
are the underconnectivity theory developed by cognitive scientists at
Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh, the Neanderthal
theory, the extreme male brain theory by Simon Baron Cohen, the lack of
theory of mind, and the Preoperational-autism theory.
The extreme male brain theory
The extreme male brain theory of autism, proposed by Simon Baron-Cohen
in accordance with his empathizing-systemizing theory, suggests that autistics
have extreme forms of what he describes as the male brain: they're good
(often very good) at systemising, and very bad at empathizing. The poetry
composed by autistics who can communicate by writing would seem to challenge
this idea, but the scientific jury is still out.
The Preoperational-Autism Theory
The Preoperational-Autism theory states that autistic people are those
who get neurologically stuck at the pre-operational stage of cognitive
development, where much of information processing is at a wholistic-visual
level and largely musical and non-verbal. This also addresses the issue
of the theory of mind where children at the pre-operational stage of cognitive
development have not attained decentralization from egocentrism.
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