[xmca] Aspergers/ASD

[Elizabeth Fein <nickrenz@uchicago.edu>]

This seems like a great time to introduce myself to the list, 
where I have been lurking for a while. I actually began 
looking into CHAT (at Greg's encouragement, after a paper I 
gave on the subject) as a way of understanding how 
social/cultural/historical conditions might be contributing to 
the rise of autism spectrum conditions. Peter, I am looking 
forward to reading your articles. And I'll put my question out 
there, as I am very curious to hear the responses of this 
group: Do you think there is any possibility that contemporary 
conditions might be contributing to the rise in *actual cases* 
of autism spectrum disorder (not just their detection). (I'm 
thinking in particular of factors such as the 
individualization of society, the need to adhere to social 
norms that are less explicit/structured and more based on 
flexibility in order to win and maintain a social place, and 
the increased role of mimetic media technology as a means of 
socialization). So,for example, the two observations David 
made (that people may be losing opportunities to learn the art 
of social reasoning at the same time that there is a 
heightened demand for facility with decentered discourses) 
might be causing more people not only to be DIAGNOSED, but 
also to DEVELOP in a way that comes off as socially awkward 
and excessively "rote". 

Thoughts?

Elizabeth Fein, MA
Ph.D. Candidate, University of Chicago 
Department of Comparative Human Development
Psychology Fellow, SociAbility 
(773)860-7275


---- Original message ----
>Date: Sat, 7 Apr 2012 16:33:36 +0000
>From: xmca-bounces@weber.ucsd.edu (on behalf of Peter 
Smagorinsky <smago@uga.edu>)
>Subject: RE: [xmca] Piaget in Vygotsky 1962  
>To: "eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity" <xmca@weber.ucsd.edu>
>
>Greg, I'm puzzled by your autism observation. The increase in 
autism spectrum conditions (and by calling it a disorder, you 
buy into the deficit view of mental health difference) is 
generally attributed to better diagnostic efforts in light of 
continued research into mental health generally, including 
autism. I say this as someone on the spectrum (Asperger's 
syndrome, which runs in my family). I've had one paper 
published on this topic and have a couple more in press and a 
few more in the conceptual stage (awaiting time to write 
them). I'd be happy to share with others any of the following, 
if you write me off-list. I was supposed to give one at ISCAR 
but couldn't make the trip; I'll give another at AERA next 
weekend. p
>
>	Smagorinsky, P. (2011). Confessions of a mad 
professor: An autoethnographic consideration of 
neuroatypicality, extranormativity, and education. Teachers 
College Record, 113, 1701-1732.
>	Smagorinsky, P. (in press). Vygotsky, "defectology," 
and the inclusion of people of difference in the broader 
cultural stream. Journal of Language and Literacy Education.
>	Smagorinsky, P. (in press). "Every individual has his 
own insanity": Applying Vygotsky's work on defectology to the 
question of mental health as an issue of inclusion. Learning, 
Culture and Social Interaction
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: xmca-bounces@weber.ucsd.edu [mailto:xmca-
bounces@weber.ucsd.edu] On Behalf Of Greg Thompson
>Sent: Saturday, April 07, 2012 11:53 AM
>To: eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity
>Subject: Re: [xmca] Piaget in Vygotsky 1962
>
>Larry,
>and perhaps the incredibly high rates of "Autism Spectrum 
Disorder"
>diagnosis in the U.S. is a sign of the times?
>[At the very least, it should be noted that it is a wonderful 
fit for the particular here and now that we inhabit (by 
ourselves?)].
>-greg
>
>On Fri, Apr 6, 2012 at 4:41 PM, Larry Purss 
<lpscholar2@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Thanks for the 2 versions of this response by Piaget.
>>
>> I was interested in Piaget's comments on egocentrism [page 
3] when he 
>> was talking about unconscious preferential focusing and a 
lack of 
>> differentiation of viewponts.  He gives the example of the 
beginning 
>> instructor who soon discovers that his first lectures were 
>> incomprehensible because he was *talking to himself*, so to 
say, 
>> mindful only of his own point of view. The second example 
Piaget gives 
>> is developing the capacity to place oneself in the shoes of 
the other 
>> [taking the point of view of one's partner] in order to 
convince the other *on his own ground*.
>>
>> As I read Piaget's explanation of egocentrism [and its 
continuing 
>> expression throughout the lifespan] I was wondering if this 
ability 
>> [achievement?] to decenter and shift perspectives can be 
viewed as an 
>> *art* form or a *skill* that requires certain dialogical 
*ways* of 
>> expression.
>> This leads to further wondering if the *distortions* in our 
current 
>> housing arrangements; for example how we are becoming more 
>> *self*-contained and living *solo* [50% of all residences 
in New York 
>> city are occupied by a single occupant] may be  having the 
unintended 
>> consequence that we may be loosing the *art* form of 
*social* reasoning.
>>
>> I guess a counter argument could be made that living alone 
requires 
>> more
>> *skill* in decentering as we are constantly thrown into 
novel 
>> discursive situations.
>>
>> Just wondering.
>>
>> Larry
>>
>> On Fri, Apr 6, 2012 at 2:33 PM, David Kellogg 
>> <vaughndogblack@yahoo.com
>> >wrote:
>>
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > Mike:
>> >
>> > Actually, the version up on the Marxists Internet Archive 
is missing 
>> > a page and Parsons' translation, although good, is not 
complete in places.
>> >
>> > Here's a version we did, alongside the standard 
translation. The 
>> > boxes
>> are
>> > part of a discussion we had in our group when we were 
doing T&S in
>> Korean.
>> >
>> > I didn't answer your last on Basov, mostly because I was 
trying to 
>> > find some Basov beyod what was published in the JREEP 
myself. 
>> > Besides that,
>> the
>> > only thing I know about Basov is the (generally very 
favorable)
>> references
>> > in HDHMF.
>> >
>> > What surprises me is that both Basov and Vygotsky are 
indebted to
>> Volkelt,
>> > of all people, for the distinction between analysis into 
units and
>> analysis
>> > into elements! And where exactly did Vygotsky get the 
idea that 
>> > behavior evolves just as organs do, if not from Lorenz 
and 
>> > Tinbergen? It might be from Jennings, but in Jennings 
it's not 
>> > exactly behavior itself that evolves; only the 
affordances of an organism's internal organs.
>> >
>> > David Kellogg
>> > Hankuk University of Foreign Studies
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > --- On Fri, 4/6/12, mike cole <lchcmike@gmail.com> wrote:
>> >
>> >
>> > From: mike cole <lchcmike@gmail.com>
>> > Subject: [xmca] Piaget in Vygotsky 1962
>> > To: "eXtended Mind, Culture,Activity" 
<xmca@weber.ucsd.edu>
>> > Date: Friday, April 6, 2012, 10:43 AM
>> >
>> >
>> > Does anyone have a copy of Piaget's piece on Thought and 
Language 
>> > from 1962?
>> > mike
>> > __________________________________________
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>
>
>
>--
>Gregory A. Thompson, Ph.D.
>Sanford I. Berman Post-Doctoral Scholar
>Laboratory of Comparative Human Cognition Department of 
Communication University of California, San Diego 
http://ucsd.academia.edu/GregoryThompson
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