Flipping the Perspective

For much of human history, the dominant neurotype (often referred to as ‘neurotypical’ or ‘allistic’) has been one with curious deficits. Chief among the deficits characterized in the neurotypical mind are irrational social norms, routine deception, and faulty logic. In this paper we want to explore theories about how this neurotype became the majority, how the maladaptive traits may have evolved, possible differences in development, and treatments for allistic traits.

Individuals that fall within the dominant neurotype spectrum adhere to bizarre, often seemingly arbitrary and constantly shifting, social structures. Sometimes these structures seem to only be cohesive in certain circumstances or locations. An example of these complex structures in play can be seen in highschool socialisation. So-called ‘cliques’ (small groups of individuals that share variable characteristics with one another) often form around socially constructed division lines, such as monetary prosperity, athletic participation, and the ineffable ‘cool’ factor that seems to have an instinctual nature. The cliques can have different base levels of social standing within the larger collective, and individuals have different standing within the clique itself. Sometimes individuals will cross the boundaries between these social groups, changing their actions and how they treat others based on contextual changes. For example, a ‘jock’ (a common term for a member of an athletic themed clique) will mock members of the ‘nerd’ (a name often derogatorily used to refer to an individual that lacks physical prowess and belongs to an intellectual or niche social group) social caste in public, in order to assert their social power. However, said ‘jock’ may be friendly with members of the ‘nerd’ caste respectfully when participating in a shared niche interest, provided no other members of the higher social caste are present.

There seems to be little discernible reason for many of the ways neurotypicals enforce social separations, though a common theme is that of “the-haves” and “the-have-nots”, wherein one group has some 'thing' and rejects anyone that does not have the specific 'thing'. The 'things' in question vary wildly, though they often focus on monetary value or physical traits. This tendency to separate into shared groups and excluding others seems to be present all the way down the social chain. Those that do not fall within any of the established groups may end up becoming a ‘loner’ (an individual that tends to shy away from social groups and spends most of their time alone), and are ostracised for the lack of ‘fitting in’. Some forms of social ostracisation include bullying, exclusion from events, rumour spreading, et cetera. Some individuals take these actions and internalise them as shame, leading to depression and anxiety. In some cases the bullying can include calls for the individual to commit suicide, which unfortunately can lead to that very result with alarmingly high percentages. Those that do not belong to a social group and experience ostracisation may also externalise their feelings, ending up resentful and tending towards radicalisation. Unfortunately, the radicalised ‘loners’ sometimes end up becoming violent extremists that perform acts of terror.

Another peculiar social habit is the propensity to deceive. The allistic mind tends to employ deception frequently, often without logical reason. Deception is seemingly considered a desired and even necessary trait. The current paradigm labels children that do not become pathological liars by a certain age as developmentally delayed or deficient. Social interaction frequently revolves around the concept of maintaining ego. In order to maintain the sanctity of ego, neurotypicals not only expect deception, they welcome and prefer it to the truth. Anyone that dares to break these norms will receive backlash and social chastisement. Counterintuitively, children are taught that lying is a negative trait at a young age, yet are considered defective if they incorporate that perspective into their morals. Neurotypical society has even developed a communication method that allows them to lie to save face, while hinting at how they actually feel through the use of subtext. Subtext is so ingrained in the neurotypical communication style that they perceive it even when none is intended, leading to a lot of miscommunication and ill feelings. Using direct communication that does not “couch” the language for the comfort of the listener is seen as rude, ill-mannered, or aggressive.

A problem common in the neurotypical community is a lack of theory of mind, wherein one infers the internal state of others through context. Through hours of observation, the conclusion drawn is that most neurotypicals are unable to comprehend experiences other than their own. The apparent logic is that if a situation is not uncomfortable for them then it must not be for others as well. This limitation greatly hinders many people presenting with allism from experiencing empathy and sympathy, and leaves them blind to the harm they may be causing others. A particularly telling habit is the use of the phrase “not my problem”, wherein the individual is acknowledging that they are causing a problem, yet disregarding the importance of that fact because they are not the one affected. This self-centered mindset is at the heart of capitalism, and leads to rampant greed, needless cruelty, and environmental destruction. Sometimes, the mindset isn’t even limited to justifying harm caused to others, the desire is stop others from getting the thing they desire. People will try to prevent others from having what they do not have, displaying a crablike mindset, in that they will pull others down to prevent them from escaping a situation if they cannot. This thought pattern is known as the "if I can't have it, nobody can" mindset.

What is considered logic to an allistic mind is often baffling and mercurial. Instead of staying on a sound logical basis, a concept known as rationalisation is employed. It seems that an individual will rationalise their (negative or selfish) actions and feelings to give them the internal appearance of logic and fairness, in order to maintain their own comfort or prevent cognitive dissonance. Again, the basis for this behaviour seems to be preservation of the ego by viewing all personal actions as justified. Social acceptance and monetary gain are prioritised highly in decision making. The neurotypical associates prevalence of a trait with desirability and acceptability. Even neutral or beneficial traits are viewed negatively if they are non-prevalent. This view leads to a lot of discriminatory behaviour, which is then rationalised as being socially beneficial by increasing conformity. Because an allistic mind is able to formulate irrational justifications and label them valid, trying to rationally explain the realities of the situation can cause the person to strengthen their existing stance to prevent cognitive dissonance in accepting their own failings.

As for how these traits develop, there appears to be multiple components, including genetic, environmental, and sociological. The best known component is through genetic inheritance. Thankfully, we are finding many genetic markers that are indicative of the neurotypical mind. There are a number of other theories for development with differing levels of scientific support and community adoption. A socially common yet scientifically invalid view is that a lack of vaccination in childhood can lead to development of allism. This view is widespread despite many studies debunking the idea. There is some data showing correlation between the lack of exposure to certain elements and chemicals in early childhood, though as yet no causative link has been found. A recent theory that has been gaining a lot of support is that allism could be linked to having an overly diverse gut microbiome. There is a lot of correlative evidence for this supposition, however, it is too early to determine causation. It’s possible the microbiome diversity is caused by the consumption habits typical of allism rather than the reverse. There have been some proposals to use antibiotics to reset the microbiome and limiting the variety of food intake to promote decreased diversity, but more research needs to be conducted before any actions are taken to use these as treatments.

Treatment options and prevention methods for allism have been improving by leaps and bounds in recent years. In the future, we may even be able to find a cure for neurotypicality. With the genetic data already identified, tests can be performed on embryos preimplantation to avoid children being born with unwanted neurotypical traits. In the meantime, the recommendation is to treat neurotypicals with behaviour adjustment therapy to decrease undesirable traits. The preference here is to primarily employ positive reinforcement, though it may be necessary to use negative reinforcement for some cases and situations. The focus for the therapy is to train the person with allism to function more harmoniously in society. An example of training methodology is prohibiting eye contact by giving positive reinforcement when the individual focuses elsewhere during conversation practice, and chastisement when they do try to maintain eye contact. This treatment is done consistently over an extended period of time until the behaviour becomes ingrained. This training can help those with allism not only function better in society, but also limit the disruptions they may cause to others.

The costs to society to support the allistic population are many. One study performed in 2007 found that over a lifetime a neurotypical individual costs society $3.2 million, mainly through loss of productivity and supportive care. Most of the biggest social costs are the unique challenges faced by parents of children with allism. The needs of the parents must not be overlooked when developing treatment plans. Caring for an allistic child can have dire effects on many aspects of a parent’s life, including their personal fulfillment, social outlets, and work life balance. One study found that mothers of allistic children worked an average of 7 fewer hours and earned 56% less than their counterpart mothers with normal functioning children. Mental health care for the parents is imperative - nearly one in five parents of allistic children shows signs of PTSD. The harm caused by the deceitful, selfish, and sometimes violent actions of a person with allism are not to be downplayed when portraying the reality of the situation.

The outlook for the future is mixed. In the case of individuals with severe forms of allism, full time supportive care or even admittance to group homes may be required to decrease the burdens placed on the family. Some companies have started creating menial jobs and actively recruiting those on the allistic spectrum, so they can be productive in some way and feel like they are making a contribution to society. Cutting edge research initiatives in the search for a cure include genetic testing to identify all of the markers of allism, editing the genome using CRISPR technology to correct mutations, and the influence of the gut-brain link. Since the development of behavioural modification therapy in the 60s and 70s, we are seeing more individuals with allism becoming members of the workforce and leading productive lives. Some have developed the ability to ‘mask’ their disability, and live invisibly in society. Our knowledge and treatment options grow every day; there is great hope for a future free from allism.

DISCLAIMER: The preceding ‘paper’ is meant as satire and does not reflect the author’s views. The intention is to flip the perspective of how autistic traits are pathologised because they vary from the norm. The basis for the topics is inverting statements made in peer reviewed papers about autism to instead focus on the analogs in allism, and all statistics are also from peer reviewed papers on autism, only changed to instead present the data as pertaining to allism.