New link between autism and dyslexia

[call me jaded]

Here

[Mandapanda]

Here

 

This link didn't seem to link to relevant information?!

[ScienceGeek]

My googlefu is failing me at finding any credible sources for it right now. The page that jaded linked has been taken down thats why it isn't working. I think it is interesting if there is a link I've been diagnosed with AS, dyspraxia and dyslexia, my mum was recently diagnosed as dyslexic and I know plenty in my family on mums side that are either on the spectrum or have a SpLD.

[kinky j]

Here's another link

 

http://www.theautismnews.com/2009/07/21/u-...yslexia-autism/

[call me jaded]

Here's another one

[Mumble]

I don't know if I'm missing something here, but if, as the article suggests:

 

"Casanova analyzed MRI brain scans of 15 dyslexic patients and discovered that many traits of dyslexic brains were exactly opposite those of autistic brains."

then how can that be classified as a link and what happens where individuals are diagnosed both with ASD and dyslexia?

 

[Kathryn]

I don't get it either.

 

This bit from kinkyj's link is interesting but baffling:

 

Casanova says in terms of brain circuitry, autism and dyslexia are on opposite ends of the spectrum. Therefore, he says, they’re working to develop new treatments for dyslexia that model existing autism treatments, but that work in the opposite way.

 

K x

 

 

 

 

[call me jaded]

The research identified differences in brain tissue known as cortical cell minicolumns, which connect brain signals to process information. In autistic people, there was an abundance of short connectors, but a deficiency of long ones which process complex information.

 

Casanova analyzed MRI brain scans of 15 dyslexic patients and discovered that many traits of dyslexic brains were exactly opposite those of autistic brains.

 

The autistic brains were larger, while the dyslexic brains were smaller, with fewer wrinkles. And the dyslexic brains had an abundance of long connections between cortical cell minicolumns, at the expense of short ones.

 

"There's a yin and yang here almost like a seesaw," Casanova said.

 

Casanova already has begun a similar therapy using low frequency magnetic waves on autistic individuals, with some success.

 

 

Magnetic therapy

[Mumble]

In autistic people, there was an abundance of short connectors, but a deficiency of long ones which process complex information.

 

And the dyslexic brains had an abundance of long connections between cortical cell minicolumns, at the expense of short ones.

 

Exactly. Opposites. How can things that are found to be exact opposites be linked? Claiming a link through being as different as possible from each other is a little tenuous. And, according to this theory, what does someone with both conditions have: a deficiency of both or an abundance of both (although either situation would mean that the individual was either not autistic or not dyslexic as they no longer fulfil the definition of having the deficiency/abundance ratio).

[call me jaded]

Exactly. Opposites. How can things that are found to be exact opposites be linked? Claiming a link through being as different as possible from each other is a little tenuous. And, according to this theory, what does someone with both conditions have: a deficiency of both or an abundance of both (although either situation would mean that the individual was either not autistic or not dyslexic as they no longer fulfil the definition of having the deficiency/abundance ratio).

 

This is where it gets all spectrum-y, to me at least.

 

Black and white are opposites in the colour spectrum and there is a continuum of grey in between. One end of the scale is autism, the other end is whatever the opposite is - this scientist is saying it's dyslexia. Most of us are somewhere in the middle shades of gray. Could it be that different areas of the brain are different shades, or maybe the brain changes depending on other factors - environmental influences, for instance? Nobody knows and we haven't got anywhere near a diagnostic test for autism, so it's only an abstract theory at the moment.

 

And maybe the shades of grey are not linear but circular, like a rainbow with black and white opposite sides and the circle is spinning, or there is something else that functions like a kind of mirror that distorts the magnetic field.

 

Anyway. Very interesting and I'll leave it to the scientists to sort out. I see Simon Baron-Cohen is involved in some research on this.

[Mumble]

like a rainbow with black and white opposite sides and the circle is spinning

:hypno: Even trying to work that one out is hurting my head!! :lol: I'll stick to liking black and white (in the non-literal sense: I prefer blue).

 

I'll leave it to the scientists to sort out.

I'll join you in that.

 

[call me jaded]

I'm a visual thinker (like many dyslexics) - it just doesn't translate into words

[Mumble]

I'm a visual thinker (like many dyslexics) - it just doesn't translate into words

and I thought it was autistics who were supposed to be visual thinkers, but visual can't be the opposite of visual...

 

 

[bid]

I thought dyslexia (and dyspraxia) were thought by many professionals to be part of the autistic spectrum?

 

Bid

[ScienceGeek]

What I find interesting is the DANDA neruo-diversity diagram showing how much the different ND conditions overlap

[Daisydot]

I thought dyslexia (and dyspraxia) were thought by many professionals to be part of the autistic spectrum?

 

Bid

 

 

So did I. DS is diagnosed with ASD, Dyspraxia, Specific Language Disorder and is said to have dyslexia and discalculia as well. I understood that specific language disorders and dyslexia are two manefestations of the same route thing (phonological difficulties). Just to confuse everyone even more !!

[chris54]

This does not come as a great surprise to me.

My dad had what would now be recognized as dyslexia and I suspect he also had Aspergers.

 

I myself am dyslexic and am self diagnosed as being on the spectrum.

 

I think this is why I did not recognise anything wrong with my son, I mean from a ASD point of view, as to me it was normal, if you get my meaning. It was his learning difficulties at the age of 7 that led to a diagnoses, and my realization of what ASD/AS is.

 

Now as usual I am drifting away from the original post.

 

By the way my son was diagnosed as possible dyslexic but it dose not seem to have manifested itself.

 

Edited November 4, 2009 by chris54