The Physical Effects of Autism
By Adam Elliott, ALC
Autism is a neurological condition, but did you know it also affects your brain and body
physically?
For example, the hypothalamus of autistic people is actually found to be smaller than that of allistic people. The hypothalamus controls the hormones that help to regulate hunger, thirst, bodily temperature, sexual function, and so much more. This can cause autistic people tohave difficulties understanding when they’re hungry or thirsty, and when they’ve had too much to eat. It also affects other bodily cues, such as knowing when your bladder is too full. This can also be the reason for thermodysregulation in autistic people.Thermoregulation refers to how the body maintains its internal temperature. Maintaining a stable internal body temperature can be very difficult for autistic people, as they usually tend to run very hot or very cold. It also means that intense heat or cold can be very difficult for them to handle, and may lead to meltdowns both internal or external. Do you find that you get overly hot from basic exertion, such as doing the dishes or folding your laundry? Does the drive to work have you sweating and irritated before you even step in the door? Going from an air conditioned house, to outside, to a stuffy car, to a then air conditioned car can be overwhelming for the thermoregulation abilities of the autistic body.
The hippocampus of autistic people was also found to be larger, which is responsible for storing and maintaining memories. A larger hippocampus can also be linked to increased spatial memory. Have you ever wondered why you have a photographic memory, or can see areas and places in your mind so clearly, but somehow can never remember anyone's name or what you had to eat for dinner yesterday? The autistic brain is adept at remembering places, and especially if you have been there, places in relation to self and how they made you feel.
Some autistic brains were found to have sparse or missing corpus callosum. The corpus callosum is the primary commissural region of the brain consisting of white matter tracts that connect the left and right cerebral hemispheres. This can cause developmental delays, difficulties with hand eye coordination, and repetitive speech, amongst other things. For example, you may walk into walls while looking at them. You may fall over while standing perfectly still, or you may repeat things people say back to you without even meaning to. The latter is called echolalia, and is a way for autistic people to process and understand what has been said to them. Echolalia is not only associated with Autism, but also with several other conditions, including congenital blindness, intellectual disability, developmental delay, language delay, Tourette's syndrome, schizophrenia and others. Examples of echolalia can be repeating words or phrases that someone says to you, communicating in memes, movie lines, or even song lyrics. Echolalia can be used to process conversation, to self soothe during stimulating times, or to get out the energy of boredom. That song lyric that keeps repeating over and over in your head, that phrase you love to use when it's time to leave the house and go somewhere, can possibly all be attributed to echolalia.
The amygdala of autistic children was found to be larger, which can cause a lack of understanding of fear or dangerous situations. However, it was found to be shrunken in adults, smaller than typical allistic brains, which can lead to excess fear or paranoia. If you wereadventurous and curious as a child, and now as an adult find yourself to be more anxious and fearful of the world, this could be one of the reasons why.
Of course, there are plenty of real world issues that could cause fear and anxiety, but the amygdala could be at play here as well. Of course, all autistic people are not the same, and their symptoms can present themselves very differently depending on age, gender, and many other things. These thingsmay not be the experience of every autistic person, but they can possibly help to explain some of their experiences and bring understanding to why they are the way they are. Understanding can bring closure, and acceptance of self, which is incredibly important to all people, autistic or not. The knowing why can help start the path towards acceptance, and soothe the feelings of shame or embarrassment autistic people may have, especially if they are late diagnosed or just now beginning their journey of thinking they may be autistic. Understanding the mental and physical effects can help to ease the confusion, and with clarity, comes healing.
I have worked with several autistic clients over the years, and some came to realize they were autistic during our sessions. I have seen how them learning about their autism helped them come to terms with it and start adapting to it, instead of being frustrated with themselves and feeling something was wrong with them. If you or someone you know are struggling and want to learn more about yourself and what you can do to live a happier life then it might be time to seek out professional help. Counseling can help you learn to take more control of your life instead of letting it control you.
