# 'Agricultural specialisterne': rural employment revolution for those with Autism **URL:** \ **Category:** Lounge\ **Created:** [June 5, 2011, 5:40am UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/agricultural-specialisterne-rural-employment-revolution-for-those-with-autism/50615 "2011-06-05T05:40:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 15
**Author:** ![Visionary7903](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/45deac/32.png) [@Visionary7903](https://pheromonetalk.com/u/Visionary7903)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2012, 10:11am UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/agricultural-specialisterne-rural-employment-revolution-for-those-with-autism/50615/281 "2012-04-05T10:11:27Z")
Here are 8 characteristics of bright late talking children and their families, as described by Thomas Sowell, author of the 2001 book, _The Einstein Syndrome: Bright Children Who Talk Late_. The book follows two groups of of exceptionally intelligent late talking children… > [@](#): > > … **Speech Delay.** The majority of children in both study groups failed to use more than one word until 3 1/2 years. In fact the majority of children in this study spoke their first sentence at 4 years of age. The author pointed out that when the children finally started to speak in sentences they demonstrated a unique approach to talking. For example, some started speaking words and practicing slowly, others made rapid progressions, while others were difficult to understand when they first started speaking. > > **Uncommon Family Characteristics.** The results of the research study indicated that many bright late talking children have parents who are extremely analytical. For example, many of these children’s parents or close relatives worked as a mathematician, scientist, or engineers. The late talking children in his study had parents who were above average in educational level. At least 26% of the parents in both study groups had postgraduate education. Another interesting family characteristic found in this population was that many of the late talking children had relatives who were also late-talkers. > > **Gender Differences.** There were great differences found in gender and late-talking. Boys in the two study groups were 85% more likely to be exceptionally bright late-talkers than girls. > > **High Analytic Skills.** The children in both study groups demonstrated high analytical abilities. With ease they solved difficult puzzles as toddlers and enjoyed engaging in activities that required numbering, pattern determination, and cause and effect skills. > > **Exceptional Memory Skills.** Many of the parents of the two study groups reported their children as having a type of “photographic memory”. > Precocious Abilities. The children in the two groups were overwhelming reported to effectively use the computer and/or play an instrument with little guidance as a toddler or preschooler. > > **Delay in Social Development.** Bright late talking children were reported to have difficulty engaging in social relationships with their peers. They were also overwhelmingly reported by their parents to be delayed in toilet training. In fact the median age for toilet training was 3.1/2 -4.1/2 years in both groups. > > **Extremely Strong Willed.** The parents in both groups consistently described their children as being extremely strong willed. Often having, “obsessive interest, abnormal sensitivities, and extreme reactions”, similar to children with high-IQ’s. Parents described these children as marching to the beat of a different drummer… (source: [Smart Children Who Talk Late](http://kelleyward.hubpages.com/hub/Children-Who-Talk-Late)) ---
**Author:** ![Visionary7903](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/45deac/32.png) [@Visionary7903](https://pheromonetalk.com/u/Visionary7903)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2012, 6:17am UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/agricultural-specialisterne-rural-employment-revolution-for-those-with-autism/50615/282 "2012-04-06T06:17:45Z")
Further to my post on [sleep](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/agricultural-specialisterne-rural-employment-revolution-for-those-with-autism/50615/196) and Autism Spectrum Disorders, it is not just about improving sleep hygiene (for example clean air in the bedroom and ensuring blue lights are absent for a few hours before bedtime.) Properly checking out any potential sleep disordered breathing issues, via a sleep study, is also important for an Autistic child. This is especially true when the child is young, as the brain is developing - the sleep disordered breathing may hinder the development… > [@](#): > > Pediatr Neurol. 2006 Apr;34(4):325-8. > Impact of treating sleep apnea in a child with autism spectrum disorder. > Malow et al > > …Abstract > Sleep disorders can affect daytime functioning in a variety of neurologic conditions, including autism spectrum disorder. This report describes improvements in sleep, social communication, attention, repetitive behaviors, and hypersensitivity after adenotonsillectomy for obstructive sleep apnea in a 5-year-old female with an autism spectrum disorder. Improvements were documented via pre- and postsurgical measures of parent report, polysomnography, validated sleep and behavior scales, and the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule. Identification and treatment of sleep disorders, including obstructive sleep apnea, may improve daytime behavior in children with autism spectrum disorders. > PMID: 16638513 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (source: [Impact of treating sleep apnea in a child wit… [Pediatr Neurol. 2006] - PubMed - NCBI](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16638513)) ---
**Author:** ![Visionary7903](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/45deac/32.png) [@Visionary7903](https://pheromonetalk.com/u/Visionary7903)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2012, 6:25am UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/agricultural-specialisterne-rural-employment-revolution-for-those-with-autism/50615/283 "2012-04-06T06:25:04Z")
Indeed, adenotonsillectomy is quite a common and safe procedure, and has quite good results in terms of helping alleviate symptoms of hyperactive children via the surgery’s positive effects on sleep disordered breathing… > [@](#): > > …In children with huge tonsils, one of the reasons why they look so big is that the space that the tonsils sit in is too narrow. Taking out the tonsils can make a dramatic difference is most children, but there are some children that won’t respond to tonsillectomy or only partially. One recent meta-analysis showed that adenotonsillectomy was helpful in about 2/3 of all children. But the remaining 1/3 still had residual symptoms or signs of obstructive sleep apnea. These are the children that have smaller jaws than the children who responded to the procedure. > > …Furthermore, since the peak incidence of autism is around ages 3-4, it’s interesting that this is also the time that the tonsils become enlarged in most children. If you have enlarged tonsils to begin with, any simple cold or infection (even vaccines!) can cause swelling which starts a vicious cycle, leading to a sudden increase in breathing problems and poor sleep. Sleep apnea by definition causes systemic inflammation and an increased susceptibility to form microscopic clots in the brain. > > This is also the time (around age 4) when the voice box reaches its’ final position below then tongue as it descends from its’ original position behind the tongue. A space is created behind the tongue and between the soft palate and the epiglottis called the oropharynx, which exist only in humans, and allows for complex speech… (source: [Do You Really Grow Out Of Your Tonsils? The Possible Link Between Sleep Apnea and Autism | Doctor Steven Y. Park, MD | New York, NY | Integrative Solutions for Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome, and Snoring](http://doctorstevenpark.com/do-you-really-grow-out-of-your-tonsils-the-possible-link-between-sleep-apnea-and-autism)) ---
**Author:** ![Visionary7903](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/45deac/32.png) [@Visionary7903](https://pheromonetalk.com/u/Visionary7903)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2012, 6:39am UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/agricultural-specialisterne-rural-employment-revolution-for-those-with-autism/50615/284 "2012-04-06T06:39:17Z")
Here is more on Dr. Park on his views as to the reasons why adenotonsillectomies (which include removal of the adenoids as well as tonsils) are not always that effective at being a permanent cure for children’s sleep disordered breathing problems… > [@](#): > > …One of the biggest myths within the sleep community is that taking out tonsils in children can cure sleep apnea. Yes, it can work to various degrees, sometimes dramatically, but it doesn’t work in all children. In fact, a recent large-scale meta-analysis showed that adenotonsillectomy was found to be significantly effective in about 60% of children. My 11 year old son was one such child. He had a dramatic response initially when he had his tonsils and adenoids taken out at age 5. But now, it’s slowly coming back, as expected. > …When the press reports on these kind of studies, they imply that surgery can be a ‘cure’ for sleep apnea or bedwetting. > …**The reason why many of these children don’t respond to adenotonsillectomy (as well as those that respond only partially or relapse later on) is that they still continue to have narrow jaws and dental arches. They have various degrees of craniofacial narrowing and underdevelopment. Having smaller jaws and dental crowding can also make your tonsils larger (which causes more obstructed breathing)**… (source: [Myths About Tonsillectomy, Sleep Apnea, and Bedwetting | Doctor Steven Y. Park, MD | New York, NY | Integrative Solutions for Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome, and Snoring](http://doctorstevenpark.com/myths-about-tonsillectomy-sleep-apnea-bedwetting)) ---
**Author:** ![Visionary7903](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/45deac/32.png) [@Visionary7903](https://pheromonetalk.com/u/Visionary7903)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2012, 7:12am UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/agricultural-specialisterne-rural-employment-revolution-for-those-with-autism/50615/285 "2012-04-06T07:12:52Z")
So if a tonsillectomy or adenotonsillectomy fails to improve a child’s sleep apnea in the long term (which can affect Autism symptoms for example), Dr. Park lists the following options: > [@](#): > > …it’s important to treat the underlying obstructive sleep apnea. In children, this can include … **palatal expansion** , functional oral appliances, or CPAP. **Jaw narrowing** and dental crowding is often the main cause of these problems… Some of the palatal expansion/rapid maxillary expansion appliances on the market, which look like a good solution for many, include: - [The DNA Appliance](http://www.drwendling.com/sleep-apnea-DNA.html) developed by Dr. Dave Singh; - The Homeoblock developed by Dr. Theodore Belfor (on the [consumer website](http://www.nusmilefacelift.com/123beautifier.html) for the Homeoblock Appliance, it is referred to as Dr. Belfor’s 1-2-3 Beautifier); and - [The Advanced Functional Lightwire (ALF)](http://www.smileologydental.com/ALFApplianceandCranialDentistry.aspx) Appliance developed by Dr. Darick Nordstrom. (source: [Myths About Tonsillectomy, Sleep Apnea, and Bedwetting | Doctor Steven Y. Park, MD | New York, NY | Integrative Solutions for Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome, and Snoring](http://doctorstevenpark.com/myths-about-tonsillectomy-sleep-apnea-bedwetting)) ---
**Author:** ![Visionary7903](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/45deac/32.png) [@Visionary7903](https://pheromonetalk.com/u/Visionary7903)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2012, 9:23am UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/agricultural-specialisterne-rural-employment-revolution-for-those-with-autism/50615/286 "2012-04-06T09:23:36Z")
I mentioned blindisms in another [post](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/agricultural-specialisterne-rural-employment-revolution-for-those-with-autism/50615/278). Dr. Darold A. Treffert points out that visually impaired children can appear with Autism-like symptoms and that it can be hard, but necessary, to distinguish between the two categories. It looks like over time, visually impaired children though outgrow many of the Autism-like symptoms… > [@](#): > > …Hyperlexia is not the only circumstance where a distinction between ‘autism’ and ‘autistic-like’ is a critical one; that same differential diagnosis is important in children who are visually impaired. Teachers of visually impaired children, and parents, often refer to what are called ‘blindisms’ in such children. In a 1998 article Ek, Ferrell, Jacobson and Gilberg …point out that "blindisms–stereotypical movements, language problems and certain other behaviors–are common in children with congenital or other types of blindness: "Hobson (1993) described the similarities in development during pre-school age (3-4 years) between blind children and those with autism. In both groups impairments in symbolic play, confusion in the use of language and stereotypies were frequent. Many of the autistic features observed in the young, blind child without cerebral damage disappeared with age; as the child acquired a better understanding of the surrounding world, and with the development of language, a basis for sharing experiences and feelings with other people developed. **According to Hobson 'blindness seem to delay rather than prevent development in these respects"** … > > Other researchers have concluded as well that ‘autism’, ‘autistic symptoms’ and ‘blindisms’ are often confused with each other and may be difficult to separate in blind children. **But that distinction in visually impaired children… is critical if parents are to be spared unnecessary distress from a diagnosis improperly applied and, equally important, if the right course of treatment is to be applied to the right patient** … (source: [Hyperlexia: Reading Precociousness or Savant Skill? | Wisconsin Medical Society](http://www.wisconsinmedicalsociety.org/savant_syndrome/savant_articles/hyperlexia)) ---
**Author:** ![Visionary7903](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/45deac/32.png) [@Visionary7903](https://pheromonetalk.com/u/Visionary7903)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2012, 7:50pm UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/agricultural-specialisterne-rural-employment-revolution-for-those-with-autism/50615/287 "2012-04-07T19:50:49Z")
One well know prodigious savant, one of fewer than 100 in the world according to Dr. Darol Treffert, is Daniel Tammet from London, England. Temmet has synesthesia… > [@](#): > > …Synesthesia is a perceptual condition of mixed sensations: a stimulus in one sensory modality (e.g., hearing) involuntarily elicits a sensation/experience in another modality (e.g. vision). Likewise, perception of a form (e.g., a letter) may induce an unusual perception in the same modality (e.g. a color)… (source: [The Synesthesia Battery](http://synesthete.org/)) ---
**Author:** ![Visionary7903](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/45deac/32.png) [@Visionary7903](https://pheromonetalk.com/u/Visionary7903)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2012, 8:00pm UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/agricultural-specialisterne-rural-employment-revolution-for-those-with-autism/50615/288 "2012-04-07T20:00:54Z")
Daniel Tammet is a prodigious savant, one of fewer than 100 in the world, from London, England. Here are some of Temmet achievements and abilities… > [@](#): > > …Daniel Tammet first came to world-wide attention in March, 2004 on international P.i Day (3/14 of course) when he recited, from memory, P.i to 22,514 decimal places. It took over five hours and set a new European record. > > …In addition to number and massive memory skills, Daniel has exceptional language skills as well. He speaks French, German, Spanish, Lithuanian, Esperanto and Icelandic. He learned the difficult Icelandic language in seven days… (source: [Daniel Tammet - Brainman: “Numbers are my friends” | Wisconsin Medical Society](http://www.wisconsinmedicalsociety.org/savant_syndrome/savant_profiles/daniel_tammet)) ---
**Author:** ![Visionary7903](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/45deac/32.png) [@Visionary7903](https://pheromonetalk.com/u/Visionary7903)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2012, 8:10pm UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/agricultural-specialisterne-rural-employment-revolution-for-those-with-autism/50615/289 "2012-04-07T20:10:26Z")
Daniel Tammet is a prodigious savant, one of fewer than 100 in the world, from London, England. Temmet is a synesthete–a person with synesthesia, a condition in which the normally separate senses are not separate. So how are Temmet’s achievements and abilities related to synesthesia? > [@](#): > > …When Daniel envisions a number, for example, he sees a rather specific shape with a specific color, which usually invokes a specific feeling or emotion… when Daniel is undergoing various tests, he exhibits this as something that’s a real, natural function of his brain–rather than something that he ‘tries’ to do. > > **A Synesthetic Landscape** > > One word that he uses quite frequently is ‘landscape’. When Tammet recites a number with numerable digits (P.i, for example), he sees a landscape that consists of the shapes that are representative of each integer. By making his way through the landscape in his mind, he is able to see (and recite) each digit in eerily perfect sequential order. Something else that’s relatively amazing–Daniel’s shape/color/emotion association doesn’t stop at digits (0-9); each integer from 0-10,000 has its own respective ‘symbol’… (source: [Daniel Tammet | Synesthesia & Savant Syndrome](http://www.synesthesiatest.org/blog/daniel-tammet)) ---
**Author:** ![Visionary7903](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/45deac/32.png) [@Visionary7903](https://pheromonetalk.com/u/Visionary7903)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2012, 1:56am UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/agricultural-specialisterne-rural-employment-revolution-for-those-with-autism/50615/290 "2012-04-08T01:56:12Z")
[Prodigous savants](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/agricultural-specialisterne-rural-employment-revolution-for-those-with-autism/50615/269) are those individuals whose abilities are spectacular in contrast with their disability and would be spectacular even if they occurred in normal persons. Synesthesia is a perceptual condition of mixed sensations: perception of a form (e.g., a letter) may induce an unusual perception in the same modality (e.g. a color). Likewise a stimulus in one sensory modality (e.g., hearing) involuntarily elicits a sensation/experience in another modality (e.g. vision). A new hypothesis proposes that Savant Syndrome arises due to a combination of both Synaesthesia and an Autism Spectrum Disorder… > [@](#): > > …in most cases the stimuli that induce synaesthesia are not sensory, but conceptual categories of learned objects, such as letters, numbers, days of the week, months of the year. The most common types involve coloured letters or numbers and what are called mental ‘number forms’. > > These go beyond the typical mental number line that most of us can visualise from early textbooks. They are detailed, stable and idiosyncratic forms in space around the person, where each number occupies a specific position. They may follow complicated trajectories through space, even wrapping around the individual’s body in some cases. These forms can be related to different reference points (body, head or gaze-oriented) and can sometimes be mentally manipulated by synaesthetes to examine them more closely at specific positions. > > **The suggestion in relation to savantism is that such forms enable arithmetical calculations to be carried out in some kind of spatial, intuitive way that is distinct from the normal operations of formal arithmetic–but only when the brain is wired in such a way to take advantage of these special reprepsentations of numbers, as apparently can arise due to autism.** > > **It has been proposed that the intense and narrowly focused interests typical of autism can lead to prolonged practice of these skills, which thus emerge and improve over time.** While certainly likely to be involved in the development of these skills, on its own this explanation seems insufficient. It seems more likely that these special abilities arise from more fundamental differences in the way the brains of autistic people process information, with a greater degree of processing of local detail, paralleled by greater local connectivity in neural circuits and reductions in long-range integration. > > Local processing may normally be actively inhibited. This idea has been referred to as the tyranny of the frontal lobes (especially of the left hemisphere), which impart top-down expectations with such authority that they override lower areas, conscripting them into service for the greater good. The potential of the local elements to process detailed information is thus superseded in order to achieve optimal global performance. The idea that local processing is actively suppressed is supported by the fact that savant abilities can sometimes emerge after frontal lobe injuries or in cases of frontotemporal dementia. Increased skills in numerical estimation can also, apparently, be induced in healthy people by using transcranial magnetic stimulation to temporarily inactivate part of the left hemisphere. > > This kind of focus on local details, combined with an exceptional memory, may explain many types of savant skills, including musical and artistic ones. As many as 10% of autistics show some savant ability. These ‘islands of genius’ (including things like perfect pitch, for example) are typically remarkable only on the background of general impairment–they would be less remarkable in the general population. Really prodigious savants are much more rare–these are people who can do things outside the range of normal abilities, such as phenomenal mathematical calculations. In these cases, the increased local processing typical of autism may not be, by itself, sufficient to explain the supranormal ability. > > The idea is that such prodigious calculations may also rely on the concrete visual representations of numbers found in some types of synaesthesia. This theory was originally proposed by Simon Baron-Cohen and colleagues and arose from case studies of individual savants, including Daniel Tammett, an extraordinary man who has both Asperger’s syndrome and synaesthesia. > > … **Synaesthesia and autism are believed to occur independently and, as each only occurs in a small percentage of people, the joint occurrence is very rare.** … (source: [Wiring the Brain: Synaesthesia and savantism](http://wiringthebrain.blogspot.com.au/2011/06/synaesthesia-and-savantism.html)) ---
**Author:** ![Visionary7903](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/45deac/32.png) [@Visionary7903](https://pheromonetalk.com/u/Visionary7903)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2012, 2:07am UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/agricultural-specialisterne-rural-employment-revolution-for-those-with-autism/50615/291 "2012-04-08T02:07:55Z")
Savant Syndrome is where people with ‘developmental delays’ of the brain, demonstrate profound and prodigious capacities and/or abilities far in excess of those considered normal. Synesthesia is a perceptual condition of mixed sensations: perception of a form (e.g., a letter) may induce an unusual perception in the same modality (e.g. a color). Likewise a stimulus in one sensory modality (e.g., hearing) involuntarily elicits a sensation/experience in another modality (e.g. vision). A new hypothesis proposes that Savant Syndrome arises due to a combination of both Synaesthesia and an Autism Spectrum Disorder. Some of the reasoning for this seems to be because of the [focus on local details](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/agricultural-specialisterne-rural-employment-revolution-for-those-with-autism/50615/267) typically found in Autistic people… > [@](#): > > …It seems more likely that these special abilities arise from more fundamental differences in the way the brains of autistic people process information, with a greater degree of processing of local detail, paralleled by greater local connectivity in neural circuits and reductions in long-range integration. > > Local processing may normally be actively inhibited. This idea has been referred to as the tyranny of the frontal lobes (especially of the left hemisphere), which impart top-down expectations with such authority that they override lower areas, conscripting them into service for the greater good. **The potential of the local elements to process detailed information is thus superseded in order to achieve optimal global performance.** The idea that local processing is actively suppressed is supported by the fact that savant abilities can sometimes emerge after frontal lobe injuries or in cases of frontotemporal dementia. Increased skills in numerical estimation can also, apparently, be induced in healthy people by using transcranial magnetic stimulation to temporarily inactivate part of the left hemisphere. > > **This kind of focus on local details, combined with an exceptional memory, may explain many types of savant skills, including musical and artistic ones. As many as 10% of autistics show some savant ability**. These ‘islands of genius’ (including things like perfect pitch, for example) are typically remarkable only on the background of general impairment–they would be less remarkable in the general population. Really prodigious savants are much more rare–these are people who can do things outside the range of normal abilities, such as phenomenal mathematical calculations. In these cases, the increased local processing typical of autism may not be, by itself, sufficient to explain the supranormal ability… (source: [Wiring the Brain: Synaesthesia and savantism](http://wiringthebrain.blogspot.com.au/2011/06/synaesthesia-and-savantism.html)) ---
**Author:** ![Visionary7903](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/45deac/32.png) [@Visionary7903](https://pheromonetalk.com/u/Visionary7903)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2012, 4:54am UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/agricultural-specialisterne-rural-employment-revolution-for-those-with-autism/50615/292 "2012-04-08T04:54:11Z")
Synesthesia, more common in Autistic individuals than in the general population, is a perceptual condition of mixed sensations: perception of a form (e.g., a letter) may induce an unusual perception in the same modality (e.g. a color). Likewise a stimulus in one sensory modality (e.g., hearing) involuntarily elicits a sensation/experience in another modality (e.g. vision). The most common form of Synesthesia is color-grapheme synesthesia (also known as chromesthesia)… > [@](#): > > … **Grapheme - color synesthesia** > How someone with synesthesia might perceive (not ‘see’) certain letters and numbers. How someone with synesthesia might perceive (not “see”) certain letters and numbers. > > In one of the most common forms of synesthesia, grapheme - color synesthesia, individual letters of the alphabet and numbers (collectively referred to as graphemes), are “shaded” or “tinged” with a color. While no two synesthetes will report the same colors for all letters and numbers, studies of large numbers of synesthetes find that there are some commonalities across letters (e.g., A is likely to be red)… (source: [8 Brain Diseases That Give Superhuman Powers](http://www.mindpowernews.com/SuperhumanPowers.htm)) ---
**Author:** ![Visionary7903](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/45deac/32.png) [@Visionary7903](https://pheromonetalk.com/u/Visionary7903)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2012, 6:29am UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/agricultural-specialisterne-rural-employment-revolution-for-those-with-autism/50615/293 "2012-04-08T06:29:50Z")
Synesthesia, more common in Autistic individuals than in the general population, is a perceptual condition of mixed sensations: perception of a form (e.g., a letter) may induce an unusual perception in the same modality (e.g. a color). Likewise a stimulus in one sensory modality (e.g., hearing) involuntarily elicits a sensation/experience in another modality (e.g. vision). The most common form of Synesthesia is color-grapheme synesthesia (also known as chromesthesia). Even within this type of Synesthesia, there are two sub-types based on differences in how people perceive the synaesthetic colour… > [@](#): > > …For some synaesthetes, whom we refer to as **associators** , the synaesthetic colour is experienced in their ‘mind’s eye’ and for other synaesthetes, whom we call **projectors** , the synaesthetic colour is experienced as a colour overlay that sits atop the visually presented grapheme… (source: [http://www.bluecatsandchartreusekittens.com/PatSynCortex.pdf](http://www.bluecatsandchartreusekittens.com/PatSynCortex.pdf)) ---
**Author:** ![Visionary7903](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/45deac/32.png) [@Visionary7903](https://pheromonetalk.com/u/Visionary7903)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2012, 7:10am UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/agricultural-specialisterne-rural-employment-revolution-for-those-with-autism/50615/294 "2012-04-08T07:10:37Z")
Synesthesia, more common in Autistic individuals than in the general population, has been associated with enhanced creative ability in some people. This is not unlike with Autism itself. An artist originally from the Netherlands but now based in Florida is Sandra… > [@](#): > > …She also teaches for the Community School of the Arts in Orlando, reaching out to underprivileged children in our society. Her years as a substitute teacher in inner city schools in Indiana have brought her into contact with many kinds of children. Her favorite to work with were the autistic kids, that somehow seemed to understand her creative way of thinking. Reaching out to such children with her artwork and her heart always opened minds and brought out the person within… Sandra may well be a Synesthete herself. One of the set of paintings on her website is entitled [Synesthesia: music in art](http://www.artesandra.com/synesthesiamusicinart.html)… > [@](#): > > …Do you see colors in music? > I do visualize music in colors and shapes, and the more interesting the music, the more intricate and colorful it gets. Jazz and classical music have a lot of imagery, very often creating fanlike layers that overlap and become very 3 dimensional. When I paint I turn this language around, now I try to listen what my painting sounds like, and definitely go for the jazzy side… (sources: [http://sensorystar.com/Sensory-Star-Events](http://sensorystar.com/Sensory-Star-Events); [http://www.artesandra.com/biographystatement.html](http://www.artesandra.com/biographystatement.html)) ---
**Author:** ![Visionary7903](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/45deac/32.png) [@Visionary7903](https://pheromonetalk.com/u/Visionary7903)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2012, 7:21am UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/agricultural-specialisterne-rural-employment-revolution-for-those-with-autism/50615/295 "2012-04-08T07:21:35Z")
Synesthesia, more common in Autistic individuals than in the general population, has been associated with enhanced creative ability in some people. This is not unlike with Autism itself. Another artist said to have both Autism and Synesthesia is an artist named Grace, from Canada. She incorporates the perspectives that both of these conditions give her in her artwork… > [@](#): > > …[In Synesthesia, stimulation] of one sense automatically triggers a response in one of the other senses. For example, Grace might see colour when she hears a sound. Grace’s experience of this additional perception is real, not imagined in her mind, and it feels like it comes from outside her body. > > …Grace’s condition was evident early on. As a young girl, with very limited language, she would scream that she ‘smelled red’ when having a temper tantrum. Over the years, it became apparent that Grace experienced the sensory world in a deeper and more complex way than the rest of us do. > > Grace identifies herself with a rich, royal shade of purple. For her, every person has a colour, most commonly blue. Likewise, days of the week, months of the year and musical notes each have their own colour. Grace’s sense of smell is also involved. The pretty, pinkish-red brick house across the street from her home “smells like strawberries.” The pleasurable experience of drawing with different coloured markers can trigger the aromas of grapes, mangos or cherries. To her, a beautiful day “smells green.” > > Aside from synesthesia, Grace is known to have other heightened sensory perceptions. > > …Much of Grace’s artwork conveys her sensory experiences, where colours, shapes, patterns and textures collide and overlap in different ways to create surprisingly sophisticated abstract designs. (source: [About Synesthesia and Super Senses](http://artbygrace.ca/index.php/about/synesthesia)) ---
**Author:** ![Visionary7903](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/45deac/32.png) [@Visionary7903](https://pheromonetalk.com/u/Visionary7903)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2012, 7:47am UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/agricultural-specialisterne-rural-employment-revolution-for-those-with-autism/50615/296 "2012-04-08T07:47:54Z")
Synesthesia, more common in the Autistic population than in the general population, is a perceptual condition of mixed sensations: perception of a form (e.g., a letter) may induce an unusual perception in the same modality (e.g. a color). Likewise a stimulus in one sensory modality (e.g., hearing) involuntarily elicits a sensation/experience in another modality (e.g. vision). Though Synesthesia is not a diagnosable condition (unlike Autism Spectrum Disorders), some guidelines have been developed by Dr. Richard Cytowic, a leading Synesthesia researcher… > [@](#): > > …According to Cytowic, synesthetic perceptions are: > > - **Involuntary:** synesthetes do not actively think about their perceptions; they just happen. > - **Projected:** rather than experiencing something in the “mind’s eye,” as might happen when you are asked to imagine a color, a synesthete often actually sees a color projected outside of the body. > - **Durable and generic:** the perception must be the same every time; for example, if you taste chocolate when you hear Beethoven’s Violin Concerto, you must always taste chocolate when you hear it; also, the perception must be generic – that is, you may see colors or lines or shapes in response to a certain smell, but you would not see something complex such as a room with people and furniture and pictures on the wall. > - **Memorable:** often, the secondary synesthetic perception is remembered better than the primary perception; for example, a synesthete who always associates the color purple with the name “Laura” will often remember that a woman’s name is purple rather than actually remembering “Laura.” > - **Emotional:** the perceptions may cause emotional reactions such as pleasurable feelings… (source: [Neuroscience for Kids - Synesthesia](http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/syne.html)) ---
**Author:** ![Visionary7903](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/45deac/32.png) [@Visionary7903](https://pheromonetalk.com/u/Visionary7903)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2012, 12:23am UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/agricultural-specialisterne-rural-employment-revolution-for-those-with-autism/50615/297 "2012-04-22T00:23:21Z")
Here is proof that even in the brain injury resulting from a nasty incident, parts of the brain that are dormant in normal individuals may become more active in the injured person. This can result in the development of some extraordinary skills and talents… > [@](#): > > …Jason Padgett is a mathematician and businessman and artist born in Alaska now living in Washington State, U.S. He has acquired synesthesia and savant syndrome due to a brain injury suffered in a mugging eight years ago. Since that time, he has had many profound insights about math and physics and asserts that he is seeing space-time itself. Padgett has undergone mostly positive personality changes in his long road to recovery. He has overcome Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder which incapacitated him for four years after the crime and has gone back to college to better explain the math he is intuiting on a daily basis. He is both a math and physics theorist as well as an artist who draws the grids and fractals he sees synesthetically. His resulting art won Best International Newcomer in the Art Basel Miami Beach competition… Here is some of Jason Padgett’s work: [Synesthesia, Savant Syndrome, Jason Padgett, Beautiful mind 314, Island of genius - YouTube](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsWmYsgzRxA) (source: ([http://www.consciousness.arizona.edu/TSC2011SynesthesiaSunday.htm](http://www.consciousness.arizona.edu/TSC2011SynesthesiaSunday.htm))) ---
**Author:** ![Visionary7903](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/45deac/32.png) [@Visionary7903](https://pheromonetalk.com/u/Visionary7903)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2012, 10:19pm UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/agricultural-specialisterne-rural-employment-revolution-for-those-with-autism/50615/298 "2012-04-23T22:19:17Z")
I have mentioned, in another [post](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/specialisterne-leveraging-the-unique-skills-of-autistics-at-competitive-market-terms/50245/38), _Talk Blocks for Work_. These are designed to help in promoting self-expression (about feelings and needs) in Autistic people and to lead to easier discussions with colleagues. Indeed, other tools may become available to aid Autistic people in helping them understand or convey emotions. Below is an abstract (and extract of the full text) from a recent study suggesting that some people (at least one person) on the Autism Spectrum have a form of Synesthesia which allows them to do this… > [@](#): > > The claim that some individuals see colored halos or auras around faces has long been part of popular folklore. Here we report on a 23 year-old man (subject TK) diagnosed with Asperger’s Disorder, who began to consistently experience colors around individuals at the age of 10. TK’s colors are based on the individual’s identity and emotional connotation. We interpret these experiences as a form of synesthesia, and confirm their authenticity through a target detection paradigm. Additionally, we investigate TK’s claim that emotions evoke highly specific colors, allowing him, despite his Asperger’s, to introspect on emotions and recognize them in others. > [@](#): > > …Our observations on TK also raise the possibility of a novel therapeutic intervention for patients with autism. Would it be possible to train the child (initially using cues from social context, situation, overt behavior and peoples expressions) to attach color labels to feelings, thereby allowing the child to develop a new internal taxonomy of emotions by mapping them on to his/her color space… (source: [NU Cog Neuro](http://psy2.ucsd.edu/~dbrang/images/Ramachandran_NNCS_InPress.pdf)) ---
**Author:** ![Visionary7903](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/45deac/32.png) [@Visionary7903](https://pheromonetalk.com/u/Visionary7903)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2012, 2:08am UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/agricultural-specialisterne-rural-employment-revolution-for-those-with-autism/50615/299 "2012-05-06T02:08:01Z")
Optimising the Dopamine System through Dual n-Back (DNB) Working Memory Training may also bring about benefits and not just in the obvious domains of improving productivity in studies or in work… If the Dopamine system not being at its best is an issue for an individual, and, as a result, they aren’t able to socialise as effectively as they would like, this might be a useful non-drug approach to pursue… As can be seen from the anecdotal experiences below, this should help with many things relating to socialising, which is an obvious issue for those with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Anything from improved comprehension and focus during conversations, to improved persistence, emotional regulation, and verbal fluency… Mike L. (July 28, 2009): "I ask because though i’m still quite efficient at filtering out external stimuli, i find it more difficult to contain my thoughts to a single aspect now whenever i’m working with something that requires my sole attention , one, because i find that fewer things can truly challenge me and those things that fail to do so are put on the afterburner for things that are more complex in nature and don’t captivate me enough to get my fullest attention, and two, because i notice things more. As i’m walking on the street, for example, and talking with a friend on the phone, it used to be that i could only do one thing at a time, but now, as I catch a glimpse of something on the sidewalk, i begin to think of it’s composition, of how it came to get there, of all sorts of things ALL THE WHILE i am still able to talk to my friend comprehensibly and without inanity. **What i used to leave out because i simply could not handle the load i now accept and process in a manner that is not detrimental to the efficiency of any of the processes i might be undertaking at the time.**" Gore L. (July 29, 2009): **“IMO your report – individual anecdote though it may be, as all of our reports are – should be quite encouraging for creative types. I hazard that I’ve experienced the same … less overload, more noticing.”** Ashirgo (August 4, 2009): "No problems with creativity here. On the other hand, I can see what others cannot (a cliche from Warcraft III, I know I mean that it is likely that **I perceive now much more subtle informations in others faces when they speak (detecting lies, emotions and other phenomena).** All in all, to me it seems like a lower latent inhibition than before (before my experience with DNB, when I could not notice such things)." (source: [Higher working memory or higher inhibition? - Dual N-Back, Brain Training & Intelligence | Google Groups](http://groups.google.com/group/brain-training/browse_thread/thread/1b0b307f9605ba4e/cc9dfcd0735e2be6?hl=en)) Wade (May 14, 2009): " **…Another possibility, which I see as the most likely, is an increase in working memory is helping your intellect control and rationalize your emotional response. If you scroll to the bottom of Working\_memory and look under research, it says that working memory has been used in studies to explain success at emotion regulation. "** … **I don’t think these are multiple “possibilities” but multiple angles on the same phenomena: Working memory training optimizes the dopamine system. The dopamine system is well established as being responsible for drive, persistence and self regulation, as well as somehow underscoring working memory performance.** In fact, all of these performance measures are probably best viewed as epiphenomena of that system, rather than distinct and separable traits. Two related studies which back this up, (can’t site them right now, unfortunately), showed that consuming caffeine prior to cardio vascular exercise reduced the participants’ “perception of effort” (but not in short strenuous exercise like lifting weights). The second, participants’ perception of effort when exercising INCREASED when the exercises was preceded by performing a difficult mental task. How well the dopamine system is performing _determines_ our sense of motivation. I bring this up because in the Klingberg (however you spell his name studies, one persistent criticism (PROFESSIONAL criticism) of his conclusion that working memory and attention improve with training is that maybe “the kids just feel more motivated so that they try harder on the test the second time around” …as if increased feelings of motivation is an independent variable." (source: [Increased focus, better mood=Apparent “IQ” - Dual N-Back, Brain Training & Intelligence | Google Groups](http://groups.google.com/group/brain-training/browse_thread/thread/46a0fc396b78cfe5/312d31bc9a01b50f?hl=en&lnk=gst&312d31bc9a01b50f)) Benjamin (July 2009): "yes many benefits, but for that I think you have to 1/play everyday for many weeks and months 2/be really serious about it. every point counts. I think you have to really feel that it’s a serious challenge, give your 110%, and go like “YEAHHHHH” around in your room to celebrate when you get to a new level, etc. this releases dopamine and marks accomplishments. you have to try hard. you should play more than 20 games a day. 40 is good. try to beat your record all the time. your curve should look like the average world temperature, a little irregular but steadily increasing (I’m not so sure about AGM though). also, sleep well (this affects wm, a lot), eat well and take (pharmaceutical grade) fish oil (great benefits!). **the benefits of DNB are pretty simple for me: I speak faster, I can hold more ideas in my mind during a conversation, I’m more social, I make more jokes and I make less ackward comments (though I still do) as I can spot them before they come out. I’m less stressed out to talk in front of a crowd. I can speak english (my second tongue) better and make more fluid sentences. I’m also more perfomant at studying (much more), on the job too, I have more efficient, satisfying conversations, I clearly ‘get more’ from conversations. I’m also probably more organized, though it’s hard to tell, but my room never gets completly cluttered like it used to sometimes; and now that I think of it, I haven’t missed an appointment for a little while. I make more to do lists and I get them done. one of the coolest points is that my jazz improvisations are noticeably better and much faster (noticed independently by people who have known my playing since long), and that was clearly a consequence of DNB. also, (maybe that’s just following all this), but my mood improved substantially, and I remember other DNBers saying that too, in forums. that’s about it I think.** notes: a/I started to notice benefits around the time I started mastering the 3d level well. and from then more and more benefits. b/someone said elsewhere (and I agree): it’s possible that you quickly get used to small increases in your wm. that means, at first you’re impressed and surprized (it’s like having a new tennis racket), and then you get used to it until the next increase. I suspect many ppl aren’t fully dedicated to DNB and do stagnate for long periods. so it’s likely that people underestimate what exactly improved in their lives and how much. the best would be IQ tests before during and after, job performance or some kind of external measure at least, by neutral ppl. but few ppl seem to have done that. c/play triple n-back and quad n-back (brain workshop 4.5). these are better, at least for this simple reason: colors and shape force you to manage position and sound completly intuitively. focus on colors and shapes and let the sounds and positions come to you automatically. then go back to dual and you’ll see a dramatic increase and especially extreme ease for the first levels. playing intuitively increases wm more than playing with strategies, according to the original Jaeggi study, and triple and quad help you with that. but maybe start with DNB it’s already pretty hard itself. d/some people might get more benefits than others. DNB trains wm, which indirectly increases your IQ. if wm is a mental performance bottle neck for you, like for ADDers or lower IQ ppl, than you’re going to get a bigger increase. the Jaeggi study says lower IQ ppl benefited more. this game is also used to treat ADD." (source: [cognitive fun! talk: Tangible Benefits Anyone?](http://cognitivefun.net/talk/post/14790)) otto (November 7, 2009): “… **Regular dual n-back training seems to increase my verbal fluency.** **Especially when discussing complicated issues** …” Mike^2 (November 9, 2009): “I for one have found that the more arduous one goes about training with DNB -that is, **the more effort one puts in getting the sequence right- the better, or more fluent, one’s ability to speak becomes.** And, as if that the results were not mutually exclusive to speech - which would be counter-intuitive if they were-, one’s writing (at least for me) too becomes ameliorated.” (source: [https://groups.google.com/group/brain-training/browse\_thread/thread/a7ffe85dfc9b1096?hl=en](https://groups.google.com/group/brain-training/browse_thread/thread/a7ffe85dfc9b1096?hl=en)) Blueberry13 May 2010 06:07:07AM1 point -] quoting someone else in the thread: **“I feel more people-centred after focused mental work that involves marshalling intuition - this was after hitting high dual n back levels (12+) for which conscious rehearsal strategies were necessarily eschewed in favour of recourse to ‘feel’.”** (source: [Do you have High-Functioning Asperger’s Syndrome? - Less Wrong](http://lesswrong.com/lw/28l/do_you_have_highfunctioning_aspergers_syndrome/)) The.Fourth.Deviation. (June 29, 2011): “…**In general, I can explain a complex thought without any word trips. My retrieval of advanced vocabulary and ability to construct sentences has improved so much that I havent really been at a loss for words at all since I started DNB. This has been very helpful in improving the impression i make on other people. In general, they will find me very articulate, and hence competent. This helps in general conversations and has improved my ability to network. It has also very substantially increased my ability to generate humor (therefore creativity)**…” (source: [https://groups.google.com/group/brain-training/browse\_thread/thread/5c61b5b27601ed91/dbb9c741035d1ad3?hl=en#dbb9c741035d1ad3](https://groups.google.com/group/brain-training/browse_thread/thread/5c61b5b27601ed91/dbb9c741035d1ad3?hl=en#dbb9c741035d1ad3)) ---
**Author:** ![Visionary7903](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/45deac/32.png) [@Visionary7903](https://pheromonetalk.com/u/Visionary7903)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2012, 3:19am UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/agricultural-specialisterne-rural-employment-revolution-for-those-with-autism/50615/300 "2012-05-07T03:19:55Z")
Dual n-back, mentioned in the post just above, is a simple working memory game of unbounded difficulty. A version of the game is available to download free of charge from this site for example: [http://brainworkshop.sourceforge.net/](http://brainworkshop.sourceforge.net/) One problem with working memory training games is that, while the effects on the brain from regular play are truly impressive, the games require a lot of self-discipline to play regularly. They are quite boring to play almost every day in the long term, even for an individual with an Autism Spectrum Disorder, who may thrive on routine. _Cogmed_, an evidence-based intervention for improving working memory and attention, attempts to remedy this problem. _Cogmed_ offers close professional support in addition to ensure maximum compliance with the training… > [@](#): > > … **Professional service** : When you decide to invest in Cogmed training, a Cogmed-trained coach will support you throughout your training. This is not a product – it is a high quality service. You will be helped to get the most out of your effort… In addition, the _Cogmed_ system has plenty of research behind it supporting its use. _Cogmed_’s founder and Chief Scientific Officer is Dr. Torkel Klingberg, a well respected and experienced researcher in the field. For an example of the research behind _Cogmed_, below is an abstract of a study utilising the system for kids with Autism Spectrum Disorders… > [@](#): > > **A Retrospective Chart Analysis with follow up of Cogmed Working Memory Training in Children within the Autistic Spectrum** > **Researchers:** Weckstein, S., Parker, C., Weckstein, W., Weckstein, E. > **Training program used in research:** Cogmed RM and Cogmed QM > **Status:** Completed > **Abstract** > **Objective:** To assess whether children/adolescents in the Autistic Spectrum have improvement in symptoms following Cogmed Working Memory Training. **Method:** After gathering data from chart reviews and follow-up questionnaires of the first 15 children and adolescents in our practice between the ages of 9 and 19 in the Autistic Spectrum who completed Cogmed Working Memory Training, changes in ADHD symptoms, academic achievement and social awareness were assessed. **Results:** At one month follow-up the majority of patients, 13 of 15, showed improvements in their ADHD symptoms. The longer term follow-up questionnaire revealed positive changes, not only in ADHD symptoms, but also in academic achievement and social interaction/awareness. The changes, reported on in the follow-up questionnaire following working memory training, either remained the same or improved over time in 12 of the 15 patients. (sources: [http://www.cogmed.com/how-is-cogmed-different#.T6ehJHorzKR](http://www.cogmed.com/how-is-cogmed-different#.T6ehJHorzKR); [http://www.cogmed.com/retrospective-chart-analysis-follow-cogmed-working-memory-training-children-autistic-spectrum#.T6ednnorzKQ](http://www.cogmed.com/retrospective-chart-analysis-follow-cogmed-working-memory-training-children-autistic-spectrum#.T6ednnorzKQ)) [Previous page](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/agricultural-specialisterne-rural-employment-revolution-for-those-with-autism/50615.md?page=14) [Next page](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/agricultural-specialisterne-rural-employment-revolution-for-those-with-autism/50615.md?page=16)