for your benefit

My A level Psychology

United Kingdon

chiomy76@yahoo.co.uk

Key issue

Is autism an extreme male brain condition?

Description

  • Autism is a brain disorder that affects a child's abiltiy to interact and build relationship with others.
  • its symptoms include lower language ability than normal, problem with communication and low imaginative thinking ability
  • about three quartes of people with autism are males
  • the autism patient brain is an extreme version of a normal male brain
  • some people say that the brain structure of an autistic person is similar to the brain structure of a normal male

Application

  • heavy brain: the normal male brain is heavier than a female brain and the brain of a person with autism is heavier.
  • growth: the normal male brain grows slower than a female brain and people with autism have much more slower gowth
  • size of corpus callosum: normal male brain has smaller corpus callosum than females and peple wityh autism have smaller corpus callosum 
  • spatial ability: males have better spatial ability than females and people with autism have better spatial ability than normal males
  • language: male develop in language slower than females and people with autism develop in language slower than normal males
  • some females can also develop autism as a result of the possibility of male brain structure in them due to exposure to the male hormones.
  • research on twins show that 60% of MZ(monozygotic twins) will have autism if their twin has it
  • other eveidence show that autism is a result of undiagnosed phenylketonuria