Radical online communities and their toxic allure for autistic men
Isolated from their peers, some autistic men get drawn into extremist views — and, in rare cases, violence — associated with online groups for ‘celibates.’
Isolated from their peers, some autistic men get drawn into extremist views — and, in rare cases, violence — associated with online groups for ‘celibates.’
A study that followed 126 autistic people in England from their preteen years to age 23 found little improvement in their behavioral and emotional problems.
Most autistic people want to and can make friends, though their relationships often have a distinctive air.
‘Autistic burnout’ is the intense physical, mental or emotional exhaustion, often accompanied by a loss of skills, that some adults with autism experience.
For many autistic adults, the golden years are tarnished by poor health, poverty and, in some cases, homelessness. Their plight reveals huge gaps in care.
Autistic children who have behavioral problems tend to have an enlarged right amygdala, and in girls the size is associated with the severity of certain behaviors.
Autistic mothers report having more anxiety and depression than neurotypical mothers do.
Many people with autism experience a triad of trauma: neglect at home, abuse from trusted adults and bullying at school or work.
Some of the inherited variants implicated in autism also increase the odds of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
People with autism are at increased odds of having other psychiatric conditions, such as anxiety and depression, but the links can be counterintuitive.