Extinction Rebellion

[alanjjohnstone]

“In the near future we are stuck with people like Trump and his fellow moron Bolsonaro in Brazil with his utterly cavalier attitude towards the fate of the Amazon.”

If you ever wondered why Evo Morales of Bolivia, a supposed leftist, has not been subject to the same vilification as other alleged progressive leaders, it is because he is carrying out corporate policies in the Amazon.

https://socialismoryourmoneyback.blogspot.com/2019/08/evo-murderer-evo-murderer.html

[schekn_itrch]

robbo203, yes, you raise a valid point here, this situation does elicit the feelings of despair and grief. In fact, the XR movement know that and are actually prepared to deal with it: they have literature dedicated to the ways of going through these difficult emotions, as well as special people who gather groups and try to support vulnerable people. As a result, people seem to stick to the only thing they see which works. They take what XR is offering as the only possibility of hope. This is better than not facing the truth and then be utterly stunned by what happens. So, to answer your question, I don’t need to address this point, it is already being addressed by XR, and this is not, as Wez put it, “idealism and reformism”, it is practical psychology and spirituality – basics of emotional intelligence, which some comrades here seem to utterly lack.

If you have any other questions, please do let me know.

ALB, let me ask you this: if, as you say, “Hallam is not helping the cause of doing something effective about climate change” – then who is? Who, in your opinion, is doing a better job at making the society aware of the problem?

[Wez]

Blimey, first you accuse us of hostility and now, apparently, we lack basic emotional intelligence. Talk about passive aggressive! I advise you schekn to take your own advice and not be so hostile towards those with whom you disagree. This lengthy debate proves how willing we are to constructively discuss politics with anyone.

[ALB]

‘Doing something effective about climate change’ and ‘making society aware of the problem’ are not the same thing.

I agree that XR including the ineffable Roger Hallam will have done much recently to make people in Britain more aware of the problem. So have Sir David Attenborough and Greta what’s-her-name, perhaps more so.

But none of them are proposing the only effective way to deal with the problem. With his alarmist catastrophism Hallam is muddying the waters while the other two are not offering much more than putting reformist pressure on capitalist governments to do more.

As capitalism is both the cause of the problem and an obstacle to its solution, nothing practical really lasting can be done till we’ve got common ownership and democratic control of the Earth’ s resources.

So working for that is the most effective thing that those concerned about climate change can do today.

Having said that, I should add that there are plenty of scientists today working on ways to mitigate the problem that won’t be able to be properly put into practice till we’ve replaced capitalism by socialism.

[alanjjohnstone]

Mystical? Spiritual?

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-49513802

Gail Bradbrook , who has a PhD in molecular biophysics, explained how she came up with the idea for Extinction Rebellion.

“I’ve been focused on trying to start civil disobedience since 2010 and tried lots of things that didn’t work. So I actually went on a retreat and prayed deeply, with some psychedelic medicine…it was a really intense experience. I prayed for the codes for social change…and within a month, my prayers were literally answered.”

Political?

Simon Bramwell said he felt an “acute sense of loss” after protests in Bristol in 2015 that saw campaigners living in trees that were cut down to make way for the Metrobus. They were opposing the construction of a new bus lane that connected to the M32, along with several new bus stops and a bridge. The protestors claimed the land was some of the most fertile in the area but ultimately they were moved on and the work took place. The protest led – in part – to the formation of Extinction Rebellion and its new approach to demonstrations.
“The acute sense of loss saw me meeting up with Gail Bradbrook to build campaigns of civil disobedience”, said Mr Bramwell.

“We started this thing in my house with 12 of us saying ‘let’s do this’, and within a year it’s gone global.” Bradbrook said

But how much influence can the founding members of XR exercise?

Extinction Rebellion now claims to have 100,000 members on its database, 130 groups across the UK, and a presence in 59 countries.

Whose house are they now meeting in to make decisions? Of those 130 UK groups, just how open and public are they?

I have previously expressed concerns on democratic practices within XR and how accountability is an issue. I still seek reassurance.

[Anonymous]

“Dave, do you really have to say that Greta is aspergic? What does her medical condition have to do with her message?”

Actually, quite a lot, Richard.  AS is a developmental disorder characterised by significant difficulties in social interaction, along with restricted and repetitive patterns of behaviour and interests.  Intense preoccupation with a narrow subject, along with other well-documented symptoms, are typical of the condition.

Diversionary stunts and tokens may well capture the ‘hearts’ of many of Thunberg’s contemporaries but when they fail to influence ‘minds’ or bring about meaningful change, as they surely will, disappointment and disillusionment will be the inevitable outcomes.

A piece in this month’s Socialist Standard puts it all rather well:

“What was Greta Thunberg thinking by travelling to the UN climate summit in New York on a small ‘carbon-neutral’ yacht across the Atlantic instead of flying like any normal person or even – since she admitted there was no hope of changing Donald Trump’s mind about climate change – staying home?

She surely wasn’t suggesting that a two week yachting cruise instead of a 7-hour flight was somehow the more practical or the safer option, or even realistically available to anyone apart from the rich and leisurely. She wasn’t claiming that air travel, at around 2 percent of global carbon emissions, was the world’s biggest problem. She wasn’t seriously asking the world to revert to the nineteenth-century age of sail, was she?

Of course not, it was a media stunt, a token activity with no other purpose than to grab headlines. Seasoned media watchers won’t be surprised by this. In just a few short months Greta has gone from schoolgirl-on-a-mission to a global ‘brand’ to be steered and navigated through the world’s front pages by an expert PR team. It’s a bit sad really. What the world loved about Greta Thunberg was her plain-speaking naivety, her quasi-autistic inability to dissemble. Now she’s started pulling media-targeted eco-stunts like any selfie-obsessed YouTuber, it’s hard not to see the tacky side. Her on-message team will have meant well, of course. Turning her into a global influencer means the potential to influence global climate policy, or so they hope. But in doing so they’ve played capitalism’s game and commercialised her into a product. No doubt businesses are already bombarding her with eco-sponsorship deals. No doubt her engagement diary is fully booked and hefty appearance fees negotiated, all for the cause. But it’s not quite the same now she can no longer stand apart from the system she is criticising”.

Pathfinders:

[alanjjohnstone]

I’m with schekn on this.

Her condition does not diminish her capacity to reason and draw logical conclusions.

“Another distinction between Asperger’s Disorder and autism concerns cognitive ability. While some individuals with autism have intellectual disabilities, by definition, a person with Asperger’s Disorder cannot have a “clinically significant” cognitive delay, and most possess average to above-average intelligence.”

And much of the linked article are speculative and it has committed the crime it accuses Thunberg, personifying the issue of the messenger and not the content of her message. It is  petty observations.

Who knows what her speaking fees are? Who knows what book deals she has negotiated?  The author certainly doesn’t and makes assumptions. And it doesn’t really matter.

And she simply continued her custom of never flying, it was no publicity stunt for her  although it may well have been for the yacht owners. Does she get driven around NY City in a polluting taxi, probably. The

Her arrival in the USA has already had a beneficial publicity effect that has made the several day journey worth it.

And she has become the focal point for the media’s attention. It is inescapable for any one in a position who wishes to spread their message but she is not complicit in her “commercialization” and her “on-message team” appears to be her father.

When we have  members of the Party who have various mental health problems, I think we are in dodgy territory if we start critiqueing ideas based on the proponents mental condition.

[Anonymous]

This diagnosis is also corroborated on the textbook of Internal Medicine written by Dr Harrison which is a book used  by Internists, and by Robbins Pathology

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Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2009 Jan; 106(5): 59–64.

Published online 2009 Jan 30. doi: 10.3238/arztebl.2009.0059

PMCID: PMC2695286

PMID: 19562011

Review Article

Asperger’s Syndrome in Adulthood

Mandy Roy, Dr. med.,^*,¹ Wolfgang Dillo, Dr. med.,¹ Hinderk M. Emrich, Prof. Dr. med. Dr. phil.,¹ and Martin D. Ohlmeier, PD Dr. med.²

Author information Article notes Copyright and License information Disclaimer

This article has been cited by other articles in PMC.

Asperger’s syndrome is one of the autism spectrum disorders. Asperger’s patients usually display a distinctive symptom pattern. Because their ability to intuitively recognize nonverbal signals in other persons is impaired, patients are considerably limited in their social interactions. Their interest in other people is often limited; on the other hand, Asperger’s patients typically have “special interests” that may seem unusual because of their subject matter or the intensity with which patients pursue them. Asperger’s patients are also often fixated on ensuring that their external environment and daily routines remain constant; sudden changes may exceed their coping mechanisms.</p>
Depending on the severity of their symptoms, Asperger’s patients may either exhibit unusual social behavior or be severely impaired in their social and professional life.</p>
Although Asperger’s syndrome is one of the more common differential diagnoses in child and adolescent psychiatry, in adults the disorder has received particular attention only recently.</p>
This article provides an overview on the prevalence, diagnostics, and clinical symptoms of Asperger’s syndrome in adults, as well as of current theoretical concepts and possible treatment options.</p>

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Methods

This article is based on a selective literature search of Medline, using the key words “Asperger’s syndrome,” “autism,” “prevalence,” “diagnostic,” “comorbidity,” “pathogenesis,” and “brain.” We included review articles and experimental original articles and reference books published to May 2008. We also report our own clinical experiences from a specialist outpatient clinic for adults with Asperger’s syndrome.

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Prevalence

The prevalence of Asperger’s syndrome in childhood is estimated at 0.02% to 0.03% (1, 2). Asperger’s is far more common in boys than in girls, with a sex ratio of 8:1 (3). Representative studies of the prevalence in adults are currently lacking. However, since the core symptoms of Asperger’s syndrome persist throughout patients’ lifetimes (4), we can assume that Asperger’s syndrome is probably not much less common in adults.

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Diagnosis and symptoms

Somato-organic findings to confirm Asperger’s syndrome are not known. The diagnosis is a clinical one and is made on the basis of psychopathological findings and a thorough medical and psychiatric history—including a childhood history. In 1993, Asperger’s syndrome was included as a “pervasive developmental disorder” (F84.5) in the 10th International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10), and in 1994 in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) of the American Psychiatric Association (box 1).

Box 1

Diagnostic criteria for Asperger’s syndrome according to DSM-IV (shortened)

<ol class=”enumerated”>

• Qualitative impairment in social interaction, as manifested by at least two of the following:<ol class=”enumerated”>
• Marked impairment in the use of multiple nonverbal behaviors such as eye-to eye gaze, facial expression, body postures, and gestures to regulate social interaction</p>
• Failure to develop peer relationships appropriate to developmental level</p>
• Lack of spontaneous seeking to share enjoyment, interests, or achievements with other people</p>
• Lack of social or emotional reciprocity</p>
• Restricted repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behavior, interests, and activities, as manifested by at least one of the following:</p><ol class=”enumerated”>
• Encompassing preoccupation with one or more stereotyped and restricted patterns of interest that is abnormal either in intensity or focus</p>
• Apparently inflexible adherence to specific, nonfunctional routines or rituals</p>
• Stereotyped and repetitive motor mannerisms</p>
• Persistent preoccupation with parts of objects</p>
• The disturbance causes clinically significant impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.</p>
• There is no clinically significant general delay in language e.g., single words used by age two years, communicative phrases used by age three years).</p>
• <There is no clinically significant delay in cognitive development.</p>
• Criteria are not met for another specific pervasive developmental disorder or schizophrenia.</p>

Initial symptoms of the disorder can be observed after the third year of life. Because it is often difficult to distinguish the syndrome from differential diagnoses, Asperger’s syndrome should be diagnosed by a doctor specializing in psychiatry and psychotherapy or, in children, by a child and adolescent psychiatrist.</p>
<In addition to the clinical psychiatric examination, some questionnaire approaches are available that may be used for diagnostic purposes. The Adult Asperger Assessment (AAA) is an instrument that was developed especially for diagnosing Asperger’s syndrome in adults (5). It entails two screening methods, the Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ) and the Empathy Quotient (EQ), as well as extended DSM-IV criteria (box 2).</p>

Box 2

DSM-IV extensions after Adult Asperger Assessment (AAA) (modified)

Difficulties in understanding social situations and other people’s thoughts and feelings</p>
B) Tendency to think of issues as being black and white, rather than considering multiple perspectives in a flexible way</p>
Additionally: Qualitative impairments in verbal or nonverbal communication with at least three of the following symptoms:</p>

<ol class=”enumerated”>

• Tendency to turn any conversation back on to self or own topic of interest</p>
• Marked impairment in the ability to initiate or sustain a conversation with others. Cannot see the point of superficial social contact, niceties, or passing time with others, unless there is a clear discussion point/debate or activity.</p>
• Pedantic style of speaking, inclusion of too much detail</p>Inability to recognize when the listener is interested or bored</p>
• Frequent tendency to say things without considering the emotional impact on the listener</p>

Additionally: Impairment in at least one of the criteria relating to childhood imagination:</p>

<ol class=”enumerated”>

• Lack of varied, spontaneous make believe play appropriate to developmental level</p>
• Inability to tell, write or generate spontaneous, unscripted or unplagiarized fiction</p>
• Either lack of interest in fiction (written, or drama) appropriate to developmental level or interest in fiction is restricted to its possible basis in fact (e.g. science fiction, history, technical aspects of film)</p>

The AQ captures 5 symptom areas of Asperger’s syndrome in 50 items:</p>

<ul class=”unordered”>

• Social skills</p>
• >Lapses in attention</p>
• Attention to detail</p>
• Communication</p>
• Fantasy/imagination (threshold value >32 points).</p>

The EQ prompts the capacity for empathy, i.e., sharing and understanding another’s “state of mind” or emotion (threshold value <30). Both screening instruments are available in German-language versions (6).</p>
Difficulties in making a diagnosis in adult patients often arise from gaps in childhood memories. In the authors’ experience, it is useful in adult patients to also question parents and siblings about particular personality traits of the patient during childhood. School grade papers may be of great help. These may include remarks such as: “… has problems integrating into the class.” However, such remarks do not necessarily indicate Asperger’s syndrome and can thus only complement the diagnostic tools.</p>
During the clinical examination of adults, typical traits may become noticeable. Initially, patients often do not pay attention to the doctor’s instructions and may appear clumsy at finding their bearings in the room. Facial expressions and speech melody are often monotone and may appear rigid (7). A patient’s speaking style may, however, come across as grammatically and lexically very honed. Direct visual contact is usually avoided (7), the patients often look around themselves in the room during the consultation. Their narrative is typically extremely detailed and they have problems separating important issues from unimportant ones. Affective modulations on the part of the examiner, such as a smile or humorous remark, are often not reciprocated.</p>
The authors’ own clinical experiences have shown that in adults, typical symptoms of Asperger’s syndrome result in particular problems with regard to patients’ social and professional lives. Many people with Asperger’s syndrome live withdrawn lives and have few “real” social contacts. Often, their contacts take place via the internet, in Asperger discussion forums. Asperger’s patients thus have the opportunity to communicate with people whose thought structures are similar and who use literal language without needing to recognize nonverbal signals.</p>
Difficulties often arise especially in relationships (8). Because of their lack of empathy, persons with Asperger’s syndrome may have difficulties to make contact with potential partners in an appropriate way. In a developing or existing relationship they may appear selfish or cold. The patients often experience the demands that are associated with relationships—a desire for more intense communication or mutual sympathy—as a strain. Often, persons with Asperger’s syndrome will therefore conduct relationships over greater geographical distances, which results in time constrained contacts. This also includes the whole area of sexuality. Some people with Asperger’s have a very low need for physical closeness, others even have an aversion to it. Some have great insecurities regarding sex, although their fundamental need is undiminished (8, 9), since sexual intimacy results from an intense capacity for mutual empathy. However, some patients manage to build stable relationships and have families.</p>
class=”p p-last”>With respect to Asperger’s patients’ professional development, two tendencies are obvious. Some Asperger’s patients are quickly strained by contacts with colleagues and clients. Their direct, seemingly impolite manner may result in conflict, or they cannot adjust flexibly enough to different demands. Some, however, achieve great professional success owing to their special interest—for example, in information technology. High cognitive skills seem to enhance the potential to achieve professional and private objectives (clinical example, see box 3).</p>

Box 3

Clinical example/case report

Mr M, age 35 years, has been an “eternal outsider and loner” since childhood. He has never developed any deep friendship. Although he intensely read books about human social behavior to gain a better understanding of his environment, he has always had to “capitulate” when faced with the “riddle“ of interpersonal communication. He could imagine faces only without any movement, like “passport pictures with name inset.” He deduced people’s emotions in a highly labor intensive manner, by relating the position of the corners of their mouth to the angle of the eyebrows and lower eyelids. He used and understood speech in the most literal manner, which often resulted in misunderstandings. He had understood only as an adult that his parents, who called him a “Stubenhocker” (couch potato) did not mean he was a piece of furniture. He had ended his only relationship, a weekend affair, as “the benefits didn’t justify all the effort.” In spite of this he expressed a desire to have a life partner.</p>
Professionally, he had found his niche. As a child he had spent almost all his time building “technically complex constructions” from Lego building blocks or learning by heart the titles of several hundred cartoons. As a teenager he had taught himself computer programming and, although he did not actually undergo a formal apprenticeship or professional training, he was now very successful in the computing business. Developing programs gave him “deep satisfaction,” whereas the “inevitable social interaction” with colleagues posed a substantial strain on him.</p>
Routines were important to him; he disrupted these rarely. Since childhood he had always put his clothes on in a certain sequence. He started his working days always by performing certain actions in the same order. Even minute disruptions to these routines disturbed his day to such an extent that he felt “derailed.” Altogether the biggest strain for the patient was participating in life “outside his own private sphere.”</p>

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Differential diagnosis and comorbidities

In early childhood autism according to Kanner, the inability to make contact in a nonverbal manner is often accompanied by incomprehensible or lacking speech. Affected children display extensive stereotypical and unusual activity patterns (10). The clinical impairment in Kanner autism is more pronounced than in Asperger autism. The distinction of Asperger’s syndrome from the so-called high functioning autism has been much discussed. Compared with patients with early childhood autism, high functioning autists have greater intellectual and better social and communicative abilities, but overall their cognitive and speech development is delayed. More recent studies have concluded that with regard to deviant behavior there is no fundamental difference between Asperger’s syndrome and high functioning autism (11).</p>
<Differential diagnostic distinction from schizoid and schizotype personality disorders can be difficult. In both disorders, affected persons withdraw from interpersonal relationships; they are usually loners. The schizoid type has a flattened or restricted range of emotions, affective distance (a lack of affective rapport), and a diminished capacity for enjoyment/joy. The schizotype personality disorder is characterized by odd behavior, often with magical ideas and a mistrustful to paranoid experience of relationships. Neither disorder features the limited special interests that are typical of Asperger’s, nor do they entail a tendency towards stereotypical behavior.</p>
Schizophrenic psychosis can also be accompanied by social withdrawal and a lack of empathy. Important distinctive features include disorganized thinking and delusions, which are characteristic for schizophrenia. The symptoms of Asperger’s syndrome can be observed in early childhood, whereas, for example, the onset of hebephrenic schizophrenia does usually not predate adolescence. The onset of illness is also important in differential diagnostic distinction to simple schizophrenia disorder, which does not have productive symptoms.</p>
Especially in women, borderline emotional personality disorders have to be differentiated, because this pathology also features difficulties in empathizing and recognizing nonverbal signals. However, these disorders are mostly accompanied by severe mood swings, whereas special interests and pronounced rational thinking are usually lacking.</p>
Depression is one of the most important comorbid disorders. Its development is also caused by impairments in patients’ personal and professional lives. Differential diagnosis is hampered by the fact that social withdrawal and impaired nonverbal communication are present in any case (12, 13). Often, affected persons will also have a compulsive disorder (3) or attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (14).</p>

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Etiology and theoretical concepts

<p id=”__p31″ class=”p p-first”>The precise etiology of Asperger’s syndrome is not entirely clear, but a multifactorial origin is likely. A genetic component is assumed to have a role, especially chromosomes 1, 3, and 13 seem to be involved (15). Further, perinatal complications are also likely to contribute to the disorder (16). The theoretical disease model of Remschmidt and Kamp-Becker (7) includes three concepts of abilities that seem to be deficient in autistic disorders (figure 1):</p>

<img class=”tileshop” title=”Click on image to zoom” src=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2695286/bin/Dtsch_Arztebl_Int-106-0059_001.jpg&#8221; alt=”An external file that holds a picture, illustration, etc.
Object name is Dtsch_Arztebl_Int-106-0059_001.jpg” />

Figure 1

A current theoretical disease model is based on the assumption that in Asperger’s syndrome the abilities reflected by the three concepts “theory of mind,” “central coherence,” and “executive functions” are deficient (adapted from [7]).</p>

<ul class=”unordered”>

• Theory of mind</p>
• Central coherence</p>
• Executive functions.</p>

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Theory of mind

<p id=”__p35″ class=”p p-first”>The neuroscientific term “theory of mind” presents a model of the capacity for empathy. This is the ability to imagine, on the one hand, that other people have their own ideas, thoughts, and emotions, and on the other hand, the ability to empathize with these. Persons with Asperger’s syndrome have substantial deficits in this respect. Neurophysiologically, the theory of mind apparently correlates with different areas in the brain, such as the medial prefrontal cortex (17). In adult patients with Asperger’s syndrome, functional imaging has shown that the execution of tasks testing theory of mind was accompanied by reduced activity in the left medial prefrontal cortex (18). The amygdala—an important structure in the limbic system that processes and regulates emotions—and the fusiform face area—an area in the temporal lobe that is specialized for the perception of human faces—also show reduced activity in Asperger’s patients or patients with early childhood autism (19, 20).</p>
<p id=”__p36″ class=”p p-last”>Of particular importance for the ability to empathize and thus for the theory of mind is the mirror neuron system. This neural network becomes active during certain activities but is also activated—unconsciously and involuntarily—when this activity is being observed in another person (21). We can assume that the mirror neuron system is impaired in persons with Asperger’s syndrome (22).</p>

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Central coherence

Central coherence describes the ability to integrate individual elements of perception into an overall context of meaning (the “bigger picture”) (figure 2). The following statement could be typical of an Asperger’s patient: “I see hundreds of individual trees, but I cannot see a forest.” Those who are affected tend to a detail oriented, selective perception and have great difficulties in capturing the overall context—their central coherence is deficient. The precise neuronal correlate for this clinical phenomenon is not known.</p>

<img class=”tileshop” title=”Click on image to zoom” src=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2695286/bin/Dtsch_Arztebl_Int-106-0059_002.jpg&#8221; alt=”An external file that holds a picture, illustration, etc.
Object name is Dtsch_Arztebl_Int-106-0059_002.jpg” />

Figure 2

<p id=”__p84″>Testing central coherence. The patient is given the task to assign one of the two images at the top to the image at the bottom. People with a holistic perception will assign the beaker to the bottle at the bottom. Detail-oriented perception in poorly developed central coherence will lead to the decision that the top right object matches the bottom object as they both consist of squares. The task is taken from a scientific study and not suited for use in routine diagnostics. From: Müller C: Autismus und Wahrnehmung. Eine Welt aus Farben und Details. Marburg: Tectum 2007. With permission from Tectum Publishers, Marburg (23)</p>

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Executive functions

<p id=”__p38″ class=”p p-first”>The executive functions comprise skills such as planning and monitoring one’s own actions, inhibiting impulses, focusing attention, and flexible searching for problem solving strategies. In patients with Asperger’s syndrome, the executive functions are often impaired. The patients are inflexible in their attention and can use newly acquired behaviors only with difficulty. The prefrontal cortex is a crucial neuromorphological correlate of the executive functions (24).</p>
<p id=”__p39″ class=”p p-last”>However, it should be emphasized that in spite of initial pointers towards a functional impairment of certain areas of the brain, as described earlier, no comprehensive neurobiological concept for Asperger’s syndrome exists.</p>

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Therapy

Not every case of Asperger’s syndrome has disease status or requires treatment. If symptoms are pronounced to a certain extent, however, and especially in patients with comorbid disorders, a multimodal therapeutic concept with symptom oriented pharmacological and psychotherapeutic elements seems appropriate. In case of increased impulsiveness, a therapeutic attempt could be made using atypical neuroleptic drugs or mood stabilizers; pronounced symptoms of compulsion or depression can be treated with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) if required (7, 10). In comorbid ADHD, the authors have reported positive experiences in one case of when stimulants were used (14). Medication specifically to treat Asperger’s syndrome, however, does not exist.</p>
Although neither established specific nor empirically tested therapeutic concepts for the psychotherapeutic treatment of adult Asperger’s syndrome exist, existing concepts for childhood Asperger’s can be used for orientation. Especially behavioral therapeutic approaches such as TEACCH (Treatment and Education of Autistic and related Communication-handicapped Children) and ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) are assessed as helpful. Such programs promote social and communication skills by using unequivocally phrased instructions and partial steps. Adapting the external environment to the patient’s difficulties is an additional objective (7).</p>
Klin and Volkmar (25) recommend the following therapeutic principles for patients with Asperger’s syndrome:</p>

<ul class=”unordered”>

• Practicing and discussing social perceptions</p>
• Stepwise and structured training/coaching in problem solving skills and life skills</p>
• Practicing behaviors in unfamiliar situations</p>
• Practicing the transfer of certain insights to other situations</p>
• Promoting a concrete development of identity that is based on everyday behaviors</p>
• Analyzing situations that trigger frustrations and analyzing how patients may affect others</p>
• Facilitating further helpful measures, such as ergotherapy or physiotherapy.</p>

In sum, structured, directive interventions that discuss situations with the help of concrete, real-life examples, seem beneficial (8). In all experience, however, psychodynamic therapeutic approaches may also be useful, especially with respect to the common problem of low self esteem.</p>

​

Key messages

<ul class=”unordered”>

• The core symptoms of Asperger’s syndrome include reduced socioemotional empathy, special interests, and ritualized behavior.</p>
• Asperger’s syndrome can be diagnosed in adulthood by using thorough anamnesis and heteroanamnesis, as well as clinical-psychiatric examination.</p>
• The origin of Asperger’s syndrome is multifactorial; especially deficits in the theory of mind, central coherence, and executive functions are noted.</p>
• Symptom-oriented pharmacological treatment and psychotherapy provide an effective therapeutic approach.</p>
• Not every case of Asperger’s syndrome has disease status and requires treatment.</p>

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Acknowledgments

Translated from the original German by Dr Birte Twisselmann.</p>

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Footnotes

Conflict of interest statement</p>
The authors declare that no conflict of interest exists according to the guidelines of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors.</p>

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Articles from Deutsches Ärzteblatt International are provided here courtesy of Deutscher Arzte-Verlag GmbH

[robbo203]

Not sure what  Asperger’s syndrome has to do with a discussion on Extinction Rebellion.   The matter shouldn’t have even been raised

[alanjjohnstone]

But it did arise on the forum Robbo and had to be answered. Even more so when the same issue of the Standard had an article in it on mental health condemning discrimination against those suffering from mental ill-health conditions.

And although her aspergers is not referred to in the Socialist Standard there was Thunberg’s “guilt by association” to things that she has no control over whatsoever such as people using her as a figurehead.

Thunberg has already had a book published and the money it got went to a charity. She has been unwittingly used by a for-profits organization and when she learned of its money-making priority, she withdrew her endorsement. She received a Norwegian award and the accompanying prize money she donated to a campaign to halt Arctic oil exploration. But even that is all irrelevant because if she does make an income from her beliefs, she is in very good company and has little to be ashamed of. The important issue would be is if she using her ideas to make money for herself.

The Socialist Standard as a rule does no engage in ad hominem attacks.  Scientific American was reporting that Thunberg’s detractors have “launched personal attacks”, “bash (her) autism”, and “increasingly rely on ad hominem attacks to blunt her influence.”…We should not give those critics any credibility by parroting their propaganda.

We can rightly find fault with Thunberg’s politics and have no need to make it personal.

• This reply was modified 5 years, 2 months ago by alanjjohnstone.

[ALB]

The article in this month’s Socialist Standard does not criticise her nor her condition (in fact it shares her own assessment of it that it means she gets straight to the point). It was a criticism of making her a celebrity and the dangers of this.  Personally, I think she is alright, just drawing attention to the problem and saying something must be done about it. At least she hasn’t talked about 6 million people perishing starting in 2029 nor claimed to have been moved to act in response to a message from some god. Good luck to the schoolkids’ strikes.

[alanjjohnstone]

ALB, I specifically said the article did not refer to her medical condition unlike the post on the forum did.

I think the article was mistaken to accuse her of publicity stunts such as accepting an offer of a sea-trip rather than an air flight. Her visit to address like minded supporters and in a country where there are still many denialists to convince more to trust the science as the current slogan appears to be for her campaign.

I usually enjoy Paddy’s articles but this one fell short. …Oh her endearing charm was her child-like naivity…but he wouldn’t even have even heard of this Swedish schoolgirl if she had not already become a focal point for the school strikes.

I felt the article was accusatory not explanatory, i’m afraid. There were better ways to draw attention to the issue of media/political manipulation.

“…she’s started pulling media-targeted eco-stunts like any selfie-obsessed YouTuber, it’s hard not to see the tacky side. ..”

I’m afraid that is the author’s making a value judgement rather than an objective observation.

The whole climate action campaign has been all about stunts to gain publicity to highlight the issue and it has been fairly successful, and the fact that politicians are being obliged to play lip-service to school students is a sign of progress. No-one and especially Thunberg would say the hypocrisy of politicians doesn’t exist nor that the lobbyists have lost the ear of governments.

Tokenism is when you get a million on the street for one day and then call it a day. This has been a continuing  protest that has lasted a year now. That alone will makes it an achievement even if there is not another one.

“Good luck to the schoolkids’ strikes.”

Yes, good luck to them and good luck to her.

[Anonymous]

“I specifically said the article did not refer to her medical condition unlike the post on the forum did.”

Actually it sort of did.  “….her quasi-autistic inability to dissemble.”

 

“Good luck to the schoolkids’ strikes.”

and

“Yes, good luck to them and good luck to her.”

Materialists don’t subscribe to superstitious phenomenon that defines the experience of notably positive, negative, or improbable events.  Socialists, in particular, recognise that this latest stunt will indubitably prove to be an abject failure.

[alanjjohnstone]

There you go then , another very good reason to reject the article’s content.

Something to read

https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/afraid-greta-thunberg-190901191445655.html

When we have the same global media coverage as a 16 year old schoolgirl we can debate what counts as abject failure but, as for now, guess who has the audience and guess whose message is resonating with that audience.

It certainly ain’t ourselves. We can’t even get ourselves a hearing much less be listened to.

 

 

 

 

[ALB]

Good luck with that quibble, Dave.

[Author]

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