Subject: Information processing in autism.
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Subject: Information processing in autism. Is our style necessarily a deficit?
Why do autistic people find new or high-stimulus environments stressful; even overwhelming?
Why can it seem, at times, we're slower than others? To take in scenes; to mentally process them; to make decisions based on them
This thread is an alternative take on autistic processing style & speed.
(Comments & feedback welcomed, as always!)
#Autism #ActuallyAutistic #EpistemicInjustice #Neurodivergent #AuDHD
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Subject: Information processing in autism. Is our style necessarily a deficit?
Why do autistic people find new or high-stimulus environments stressful; even overwhelming?
Why can it seem, at times, we're slower than others? To take in scenes; to mentally process them; to make decisions based on them
This thread is an alternative take on autistic processing style & speed.
(Comments & feedback welcomed, as always!)
#Autism #ActuallyAutistic #EpistemicInjustice #Neurodivergent #AuDHD
The truth is, we autistic people take in a lot!
Both on a sensory level (such as visually) and cognitively (so in terms of information).
When scientists were able to investigate the signals between eye and brain, they were surprised to find that most of the signals moved brain-to-eye, when seeing – and not eye-to-brain, as predicted.
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The truth is, we autistic people take in a lot!
Both on a sensory level (such as visually) and cognitively (so in terms of information).
When scientists were able to investigate the signals between eye and brain, they were surprised to find that most of the signals moved brain-to-eye, when seeing – and not eye-to-brain, as predicted.
️ ️ 🧠 That means that we humans rely a great deal on priors. Stuff we already know.
We are actually ‘seeing’ far less of what’s in front of us that we’d imagine. We’re mostly ‘filling in the gaps’…
It does make sense, of course. I guess that’s how you can drive all the way home from work without noticing.
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That means that we humans rely a great deal on priors. Stuff we already know.
We are actually ‘seeing’ far less of what’s in front of us that we’d imagine. We’re mostly ‘filling in the gaps’…
It does make sense, of course. I guess that’s how you can drive all the way home from work without noticing.
I’m remembering an anecdote about a time Lorna Wing was looking at a dolls’ house with a young autistic boy.
She pointed at the bed and asked, “What’s this?” He answered, “A bed.” She pointed at the cover. He said, “A quilt.” Finally, she pointed at the pillow. He replied, “It’s a piece of ravioli.”
Somewhat astonished, she looked more closely – and saw that it did indeed look just like a piece of ravioli.
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I’m remembering an anecdote about a time Lorna Wing was looking at a dolls’ house with a young autistic boy.
She pointed at the bed and asked, “What’s this?” He answered, “A bed.” She pointed at the cover. He said, “A quilt.” Finally, she pointed at the pillow. He replied, “It’s a piece of ravioli.”
Somewhat astonished, she looked more closely – and saw that it did indeed look just like a piece of ravioli.
In effect, the boy was not allowing his pre-existing beliefs to cloud his judgement about that piece of ravioli on the bed
All told, could it be that, as autistic people, we’re simply taking in more signals from the outside world than most?
The research of Pellicano and Burr suggests autistic perception seems indeed to rely less heavily on expectations and preconceptions than the norm.
We may, in fact, be more ‘eye to brain’, so to speak.
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I’m remembering an anecdote about a time Lorna Wing was looking at a dolls’ house with a young autistic boy.
She pointed at the bed and asked, “What’s this?” He answered, “A bed.” She pointed at the cover. He said, “A quilt.” Finally, she pointed at the pillow. He replied, “It’s a piece of ravioli.”
Somewhat astonished, she looked more closely – and saw that it did indeed look just like a piece of ravioli.
@KatyElphinstone how very autistic. i'd've said probably that or a ravioli pillow.
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In effect, the boy was not allowing his pre-existing beliefs to cloud his judgement about that piece of ravioli on the bed
All told, could it be that, as autistic people, we’re simply taking in more signals from the outside world than most?
The research of Pellicano and Burr suggests autistic perception seems indeed to rely less heavily on expectations and preconceptions than the norm.
We may, in fact, be more ‘eye to brain’, so to speak.
All of this means it can be a) more tiring, and b) more time-consuming for us to move through the world, taking it in.
This can make everyday environments more effortful (more processing load, more filtering required), which can feel more tiring and sometimes slower.
This could also account for why autistic people need a lot of low-stimulus downtime, to recover from it all. Anyone would!
End of thread 🧵
Refs below.
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I’m remembering an anecdote about a time Lorna Wing was looking at a dolls’ house with a young autistic boy.
She pointed at the bed and asked, “What’s this?” He answered, “A bed.” She pointed at the cover. He said, “A quilt.” Finally, she pointed at the pillow. He replied, “It’s a piece of ravioli.”
Somewhat astonished, she looked more closely – and saw that it did indeed look just like a piece of ravioli.
@KatyElphinstone I would've known depending on the age I was, that it was a pillow, but I would've also thought, wow, that pillow is really ravioli feeling. I"m blind as well, so, it would've felt like, a fluffy cottony piece of ravioli
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@KatyElphinstone I would've known depending on the age I was, that it was a pillow, but I would've also thought, wow, that pillow is really ravioli feeling. I"m blind as well, so, it would've felt like, a fluffy cottony piece of ravioli
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I’m remembering an anecdote about a time Lorna Wing was looking at a dolls’ house with a young autistic boy.
She pointed at the bed and asked, “What’s this?” He answered, “A bed.” She pointed at the cover. He said, “A quilt.” Finally, she pointed at the pillow. He replied, “It’s a piece of ravioli.”
Somewhat astonished, she looked more closely – and saw that it did indeed look just like a piece of ravioli.
@KatyElphinstone I actually liked dollhouses as a kid. Hey, looky that I"M a nonbinary autistic af thingy, who'd've guessed it.
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All of this means it can be a) more tiring, and b) more time-consuming for us to move through the world, taking it in.
This can make everyday environments more effortful (more processing load, more filtering required), which can feel more tiring and sometimes slower.
This could also account for why autistic people need a lot of low-stimulus downtime, to recover from it all. Anyone would!
End of thread 🧵
Refs below.
Refs:
Zapparrata, N. M., Brooks, P. J., & Ober, T. M. (2023). Slower Processing Speed in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Meta-analytic Investigation. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36112302/— Meta-analysis: autistic groups slower on time-based tasks.
Morsanyi, K., Handley, S. J., & Evans, J. S. B. T. (2009). Heuristics and biases in autism: Less biased but not more logical.
https://researchers.mq.edu.au/en/publications/heuristics-and-biases-in-autism-less-biased-but-not-more-logical/— Autistic adolescents show reduced bias on heuristic tasks.
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Refs:
Zapparrata, N. M., Brooks, P. J., & Ober, T. M. (2023). Slower Processing Speed in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Meta-analytic Investigation. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36112302/— Meta-analysis: autistic groups slower on time-based tasks.
Morsanyi, K., Handley, S. J., & Evans, J. S. B. T. (2009). Heuristics and biases in autism: Less biased but not more logical.
https://researchers.mq.edu.au/en/publications/heuristics-and-biases-in-autism-less-biased-but-not-more-logical/— Autistic adolescents show reduced bias on heuristic tasks.
️De Martino, B., Harrison, N. A., Knafo, S., Bird, G., & Dolan, R. J. (2008). Explaining enhanced logical consistency during decision making in autism. Journal of Neuroscience.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2682781/— Reduced framing effect; less emotional context in choices.
Pellicano, E., & Burr, D. (2012). When the world becomes “too real”: A Bayesian explanation of autistic perception. Trends in Cognitive Sciences.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22959875/— Theory: perception less constrained by prior expectations.
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@KatyElphinstone I had a huge fasenation with doors, and doorbells, and oh god, every time we were anywhere with a doorbell or a unique doorknob I had to check it out again. OH, we're at my aunt's house, hey I gotta ring the doorbell at least 4 different times. Me at age 5 31 years ago lol.
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In effect, the boy was not allowing his pre-existing beliefs to cloud his judgement about that piece of ravioli on the bed
All told, could it be that, as autistic people, we’re simply taking in more signals from the outside world than most?
The research of Pellicano and Burr suggests autistic perception seems indeed to rely less heavily on expectations and preconceptions than the norm.
We may, in fact, be more ‘eye to brain’, so to speak.
@KatyElphinstone i actually really like that trait, it allows me to see more than other people. it plays a big part in my work as an artist, illustrator, writer
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De Martino, B., Harrison, N. A., Knafo, S., Bird, G., & Dolan, R. J. (2008). Explaining enhanced logical consistency during decision making in autism. Journal of Neuroscience.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2682781/— Reduced framing effect; less emotional context in choices.
Pellicano, E., & Burr, D. (2012). When the world becomes “too real”: A Bayesian explanation of autistic perception. Trends in Cognitive Sciences.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22959875/— Theory: perception less constrained by prior expectations.
️Seymour, R. A., et al. (2019). Dysregulated oscillatory connectivity in the visual system in autism spectrum disorder. Brain.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6763739/— Reduced feedback V4→V1; feedforward similar between groups.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2025). Clinical Testing and Diagnosis for Autism Spectrum Disorder.
https://www.cdc.gov/autism/hcp/diagnosis/index.html— DSM-5 diagnostic criteria summary; includes sensory differences.
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@KatyElphinstone I had a huge fasenation with doors, and doorbells, and oh god, every time we were anywhere with a doorbell or a unique doorknob I had to check it out again. OH, we're at my aunt's house, hey I gotta ring the doorbell at least 4 different times. Me at age 5 31 years ago lol.
Hehe my dog would be going nuts at that. She likes doorbells but finds them a little overstimulating 🥰
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@KatyElphinstone i actually really like that trait, it allows me to see more than other people. it plays a big part in my work as an artist, illustrator, writer
Yes, I have an artist friend, also autistic, who was saying exactly this. Seeing as really going outside yourself to properly 'see'... hm, if that makes sense..
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Yes, I have an artist friend, also autistic, who was saying exactly this. Seeing as really going outside yourself to properly 'see'... hm, if that makes sense..
@KatyElphinstone and to see through time too, it is not only visual and now but also past and future
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@KatyElphinstone and to see through time too, it is not only visual and now but also past and future
Ooh fabulous! Care to elaborate? (After all, time does not really exist in the forward/backward way we may believe...)
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@KatyElphinstone and to see through time too, it is not only visual and now but also past and future
@KatyElphinstone this visualisation shows it i hope: (it is a page from my (dutch) graphic novel on autism, that i hope to publish in english soon too: https://astridpoot.nl/2024/09/14/graphicnovel-wise-enough-to-play-the-fool/)
