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We must stop considering the different brain structure of autisticindividuals to be a deficiency, as research reveals that manyautistics - not just "savants" - have qualities and abilities thatmay exceed those of people who do not have the condition, accordingto a provocative article published today in Nature by Dr. LaurentMottron at the University of Montreal's Centre for Excellence inPervasive Development Disorders. "Recent data and my own personalexperience suggest it's time to start thinking of autism as an advantage in some spheres, not a cross to bear," Mottronsaid. Mottron's research team has strongly established and replicated theabilities and sometimes superiorities of autistics in multiplecognitive operations such as perception and reasoning, as haveothers. His group includes several autistics, and one of them,Michelle Dawson, is a particular success. Dawson makes majorcontributions to our understanding of the condition through herwork and her judgment. "Michelle challenged my scientificperception of autism," Mottron explained. Dawson's insight is theinterpretation of autistic strengths as the manifestation ofauthentic intelligence rather than a kind of trick of the brainthat allows them to mindlessly perform intelligent tasks. "It'samazing to me that for decades scientists have estimated themagnitude of mental retardation based on the administration ofinappropriate tests, and on the misinterpretation of autisticstrengths," Mottron added. "We coined a word for that: normocentrism, meaning thepreconception you have that if you do or are something, it isnormal, and if autistic do or have it, it is abnormal," Mottronsaid. He points out that there's a strong motivation for thisperception, as it is the standard rhetoric of fund raising andgrant applications, but that it comes at a cost in terms of howautistics are designated in social discourse. "While state andnonprofit funding is important for advancing our understanding ofthe condition, it's exceptional that these tools are used to worktowards goals identified by the autistic community itself," Mottronsaid, lamenting the fact that many autistics end up workingrepetitive, menial jobs, despite their intelligence and aptitude tomake much more significant contributions to society. "Dawson andother autistic individuals have convinced me that, in manyinstances, people with autism need more than anythingopportunities, frequently support, but rarely treatment," Mottronsaid. "As a result, my lab and others believe autism should bedescribed and investigated as an accepted variant within humanspecies, not as a defect to be suppressed." Laurent Mottron's article claims that science should do its part tobring back autistics as members of the human community. His papergoes into more detail about the specific abilities of some autisticindividuals, provides a range of real world examples, and offerssome personal insights into his collaborations with MichelleDawson. Additional References Citations. We are high quality suppliers, our products such as China Mens Wrist Watches , China Silicone Ice Watch for oversee buyer. To know more, please visits Children Wrist Watches.
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