Thread

1. profsummergig · 1789598299 · focus · HN ↗

   So many misconceptions in this writeup.

   Here's one: even if it were genetic, there could be triggering environmental factors that trigger the onset of autism (I'm just giving a hypothetical example, not making a claim here).

   1. nomel · 1789605863 · focus · HN ↗

      For example, 45% reduction in symptoms from fecal transplant: <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;news.ycombinator.com&#x2F;item?id=48158494">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;news.ycombinator.com&#x2F;item?id=48158494

      &gt; Prior to the study, 83% of participants had &quot;severe&quot; autism. Two years later, only 17% were rated as severe, 39% as mild or moderate, and incredibly, 44% were below the cut-off for mild ASD.

      Incredible! Sure, there could be a genetic component to what flourishes, or ever seeded, in one&#x27;s microflora, but there&#x27;s definitely some external complexities involved here.

      1. donkey_brains · 1789615965 · focus · HN ↗

         Of all the misguided, abusive studies. It beggars belief that a board somehow approved this.

         What happened here is simple: the autistic kids got better at masking in order to placate the researchers who were shoving poop up their butts. In the hope of making it stop.

         1. sokka_h2otribe · 1789618263 · focus · HN ↗

            to be honest I doubt people were masking in response to poop shoving, poop shoving is not the worst and presumably the control group just had non-poop

            what seems more plausible to me would be ~&lt;&lt;poop helped something, something made life easier, autistic life is less obvious and disruptive to non-autistics when life is easier&gt;&gt;

            1. strken · 1789627081 · focus · HN ↗

               That study measured a drop from 83% to 17% in severe autism, and one behaviour typical of severe autism is slamming one&#x27;s head into the wall, among other things.

               I think it&#x27;s overly dismissive to summarise a drop in these behaviours as just &quot;less obvious and disruptive to non-autistics&quot;. I can&#x27;t imagine slamming your head into stuff is pleasant regardless of whether you have autism.

               1. dns_snek · 1789805268 · focus · HN ↗

                  The study chose 18 participants such that 83% of them were just above the cut-off for severe autism according to the CARS rating scale, 16 of whom were boys, for a non-blinded, non-randomized, non-placebo-controlled trial with no control group, with symptoms assessed by evaluators who weren&#x27;t blinded to previous assessments of each participant, and explicitly used those assessments to &quot;calibrate&quot; all future results without further elaboration, and with most of the subjects having changed other treatments and diets during the observation period.

                  This is poor quality evidence of anything.

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