not just right
Cindness KULT
*✧The answer is always kindness. (not a cult btw)✧*
It's Not a Deficit.
It's a Different Operating System.
An infographic exploring the neurological reality of autism and the manufactured nature of "disorder."
Deconstructing the "Social Deficit"
The Amygdala: Threat vs. Social Failure
A common "symptom" is avoiding eye contact. The deficit model calls this a social failure. The reality is a physiological survival response.
Finding:
fMRI studies show a direct inverse correlation: the less time an autistic person looks at eyes, the **greater the hyperactivation in their amygdala** (the brain's threat center) when forced to do so (Dalton et al., 2005).
Conclusion: It's not a social choice; it's a rational avoidance of a painful, overwhelming sensory experience.
The FFA: Expertise vs. Face-Blindness
The Fusiform Face Area (FFA) was thought to be hypoactive in autistic individuals, implying an inability to process faces.
Finding:
The FFA is an "expertise" module. It activates just as strongly when an autistic person views images related to their deep interests (cars, animals, etc.) as it does for faces (Grelotti et al., 2002).
Conclusion: It's not a face-processing deficit; it's a difference in attentional priority from birth.
The Wiring Diagram: A Different Developmental Path
The autistic brain isn't damaged; it follows a different blueprint for wiring itself. This results in a brain optimized for deep, local processing rather than broad, generalized networking.
Synaptic Pruning Trajectory (Childhood to Adulthood)
Based on post-mortem and in-vivo studies (Tang et al., 2014; Onofrey et al., 2023)
Resulting in...
Lower overall synaptic density in autistic adults.
(Onofrey et al., 2023)
This isn't regression. It's evidence of a different, more specialized pruning process that prioritizes certain connections over others.
A Brain Built for Patterns
Brain Activity During Pattern Recognition
A Perceptual Advantage
Neuroimaging shows that during pattern-based tasks, autistic brains exhibit heightened activity in perceptual areas (temporal and occipital lobes). This indicates a brain fundamentally optimized for perceiving, processing, and understanding systems and patterns—the neurological basis for common strengths in logic, music, math, and science.
The Intense World & The Hostile Environment
The high-fidelity autistic brain interacts with a world that is not neutral. It is intentionally overstimulating, turning a neurological difference into a disability.
Prevalence of Sensory Hypersensitivity
Up to 96% of autistic individuals report significant, life-impacting sensory sensitivities (Ben-Sasson et al., 2009).
Hostile Environment
Fluorescent lights, constant noise, social pressure, unpredictable demands.
Iatrogenic Harm (Damage from "Treatment")
Historically misdiagnosed as "Childhood Schizophrenia," leading to institutionalization in sensory-hostile settings.
Result: Chronic Stress & Allostatic Load
The "wear and tear" on the brain and body from navigating a world not built for it, which can itself alter brain development.