SCIENTIFIC STUDIES COULD HOLD THE KEY TO ANSWERING THE QUESTION: HOW DOES AUTISM AFFECT THE BRAIN?

By Donnesa McPHERSON, AAS

How autism affects the brain is a topic that plays on people’s minds if they are coming to terms with a diagnosis or have limited understanding of neurodivergence. The good news is there are scientific studies that can help answer some questions—although more research is needed.

Since autism is considered a neurodivergent diagnosis, it is important to ask how it impacts brain development, brain activity, and how does someone with autism, processing information differently, affect daily functioning?

Scans of a neurotypical and neurodivergent brain could hold some answers, as well as show how the brain is shaped, how it grows, and how activity in the brain hemispheres differs and is similar to neurotypical individuals.

What characteristics do people with autism have?

No two individuals in this world are ever the same–autistic or not! However, there are some characteristics of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) that are common across every ethnic and socioeconomic group. These characteristics can affect how an autistic person is able to communicate, interact with others, and whether they have learning abilities/differences, and different behaviors.

Some traits in autistic children can be detected as early as infancy. These include if the infant hyper-focuses on objects for extended periods, doesn’t make eye contact, and doesn’t really babble or meet some other recommended developmental milestones.