Lessons from the Autistic Mouse
One surprising observation from reading the research on autism is how many times I have come across scientists making a mouse autistic and then showing how this can be reversed. The important point is that the things the scientists did to the mouse (or its mother) are generally totally unrelated. The only thing in common is the resulting mouse has “autistic behaviour”. We can conclude that “autism” can be caused by entirely different events/disorders; j ust like a head ache can be. It would be correct to think of autism as a symptom, not a disease. Perhaps, put a little clearer:- Autism is just a symptom of an underlying neurological disorder. There are numerous such disorders, each with their own underlying pathology; some of these pathologies may overlap. Treating the underlying pathology will moderate the symptoms of autism. Do not treat autism. Treat the underlying pathology. A treatment that works in one person, with the symptoms of autism,...