Intense World Theory

Finally, a theory of Autism that we can really align with and spoiler alert fellow Autistics... our brains are just too powerful and high functioning for this world... as of course I have been saying all along!!!!

We've been researching a long time... and some things just didn't add up about all of the deficit models. And then we came across the 'Intense World Theory' of Autism by Kamila Markram* and Henry Markram, Laboratory of Neural Microcircuits, Brain Mind Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.

Righto, brace for some intense science stuff: "The proposed... is hyper-functioning of local neural microcircuits, best characterised by hyper-reactivity and hyper-plasticity. Such hyper-functional microcircuits are speculated to become autonomous and memory trapped leading to the core cognitive consequences of hyper-perception, hyper-attention, hyper-memory and hyper-emotionality. The theory is centred on the neocortex and the amygdala, but could potentially be applied to all brain regions."

..."On a neurobiological level, the Intense World Theory of autism proposes excessive functioning of neural microcircuits, with the main symptoms being hyper-reactivity and hyper-plasticity and together, hyper-functionality. On a perceptual and cognitive level this excessive functioning of local neuronal circuits may lead to an intensely perceived world, which may turn aversive and highly stressful if the amygdala and other parts of the limbic system are also affected.

In contrast to other deficit-oriented theories of autism, the Intense World Theory points out that enhanced brain functioning may lie at the heart of autism. In this light, autistic individuals may in general – and not only in exceptional cases – exhibit enhanced perception, attention, and memory capabilities and it is in fact these capabilities, which may turn the world too intense and even aversive and lead to many of the autistic symptoms including withdrawal and social avoidance."

Told you our brains were too powerful for this world ;)

Always see your greatness, no matter what the world tries to make you believe otherwise.

- T ♡