“There are three basic levels of conceptual thinking: 1) learning rules 2) identifying categories, and 3) inventing new categories. Category-forming ability can be tested by placing a series of objects on a table, such as pencils, notepads, cups, nail files, paper clips, napkins, bottles, videotapes, and other common objects. A person with autism can easily identify all the pencils, or all the bottles. He can also easily identify objects in simple categories, such as all the objects that are green or all the metal objects. Conceptual thinking at this basic level is generally not a problem.
Where the person with autism has extreme difficulty is inventing new categories, which is the beginning of true concept formation. For example, many of the objects in the list referenced above could be classified by use (i.e., office supplies) or by shape (round/not round). To me, it is obvious that a cup, a bottle and a pencil are all round. Most people would classify a video cassette as not-round; however I might put it into the round category because of its round spools inside.”
—Temple Grandin, The Way I See It
Something about this feels ‘off’ to me. Some of the components seem right, but the way they’re put together has me really confused. If the above sequence is truly real for a large number of people, then there’s clearly more than one way to come at conceptual thought.
It says that autistic people don’t have trouble with things like ‘pencil’ or ‘bottle’, and can also figure out which things are green or made of metal. But those things aren’t easy to me. And the easier of the two is the one that relies on sensory aspects of the object rather than the identity of the object. Although things like “what’s green?” are difficult because the cutoff for various colors can be subjective.
The problem with all this is that it assumes that forming rules is the most basic, then simple categories is also basic. And that’s just so very much not even close to the level of basic that I start off at. Besides the confusingness of what they mean by rules and why it is put beneath simple categories in the first place. I wouldn’t think those things would have to be in a sequence like that.
Unfortunately, at this moment I’m not even close to a state of mind where I could possibly translate the category-less sensory modes of experience I identify as basic, into the language of categories and words that other people speak. Let alone lay out the hierarchy of those modes, first of perception and then of categorization, that I experience quite differently from Temple Grandin.
Suffice to say you don’t get this sort of painting from any kind of category-based or rule-based thought, nor from Temple Grandin’s visual but also clearly heavily conceptual mode of thought (yes, even before she figured out how to tell cats from dogs):
I can identify somewhat with what Grandin is saying, I think, but I don’t struggle with creating categories. Other people struggle with understanding my awesome categories.
Bio-Treatments Work! No drugs for my kids, just good diet and supplements.
Why put your children through treatments like that which don’t actually “cure” autism instead of accepting them as they are?
(bolding mine, for yes!!)
Missing: 13-year-old Darcie Hudson (OH) http://bit.ly/w0pFbi
The East Cleveland Police Department is asking for the public’s help in finding a missing teen girl.
Darcie P. Hudson, 13, was last seen at Heritage Middle School on Terrace Road Thursday. Police say Darcie’s father picks her up every day from school, and that he became concerned when she did not come out of the school Thursday.
Darcie is described as being 5’2”, 115 lbs., with black hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a brown, puffy jacket with wool sleeves, pink hoodie and her school uniform which consists of a white shirt, black pants and black boots.
According to the ECPD, the missing persons report is not being handled as a runaway case, as Darcie has no prior history of doing so. In addition, her father told police he wasn’t aware of anything that would prompt her to stay away from home.
The FBI is also investigating the case due to the duration of her disappearance.
Anyone with information on Darcie Hudson’s whereabouts is asked to call the East Cleveland Police Department at (216) 451-1234 or (216) 681-2368.
(via karnythia)
I high five you sir.
And yes we see them all the time in France LOL.I kind of love him, hee.
(Source: mystery-tour)
Oh my, I can’t even begin to explain how much I want this machine.
Singer: Has realized that steampunks exist and that it’s an extensively DIY culture.
WAAAAAAAAAANT.
My mother now has an old Singer treadle machine. She got it for $200, and it is sitting in her entryway doing nothing but looking pretty. (She says she’s going to get it repaired and use it, but she also says she’s going to write a YA novel. I’ll believe it when I see it.) I covet it deeply.
Oh I do want this!
Disturbing development at Twitter: countries will silence tweets
Here’s Twitter: “Until now, the only way we could take account of those countries’ limits was to remove content globally. Starting today, we give ourselves the ability to reactively withhold content from users in a specific country — while keeping it available in the rest of the world. We have also built in a way to communicate transparently to users when content is withheld, and why.” This is not a good thing.
[Gif 1: “The pundits have asked ‘Is this all some joke?’ I say if they are calling being allowed to form a Super PAC and collecting unlimited, untraceable amounts of money from individuals, unions and corporations and spend[sic] that money on political ads and for person[sic] enrichment and then surrender that Super PAC to one of my closest friends while I explore a run for office.
Gif 2: If that is a joke, then they are saying our entire campaign finance system is a joke]
When Colbert is on point he is always really on point.
BWAAHAHA
(via bohemianarthouse)
