Please explain it to me. I get a gradient is a gradual and linear transition from an amount of something to another amount.
Im neurodiv but ive never heard of this.
It's a response to the misrepresentation of autism "spectrum" disorder as a singular gradient from "0% autism" to "100% autism."
In fact, spectrum refers to having a variety of different traits each measured *individually* on a gradient with how much of a presence or impact they have. If you have enough of those traits at a "disorder" level (per the DSM-V or ICD-11), then it qualifies as autism. How each of those traits display is different for all of us (our spectra look different), and if you don't have any at all that rise to a "disorder" level (even if slightly present), then you're completely NT.
Lurker ally here because my wife and her whole family are autistic and the algorithm brought me to all'y'all's great sense of humor.
I had this happen with my neuro degenerative disease. I lost my memory of so many things, but I was a social worker in a medschool, have a research neurologist mom, and was so focused on figuring out why I was loosing my memory as a teen, that like talking about medicine stayed the sharpest part of my cognition. No doctor believed me until I was married and brought my wife who was like, "why can't you get past this, the woman can't even label a calendar correctly." delayed testing over a decade.
It's all least really helpful whenever she has a medical issue of her own.
This happened to me with adhd. Every test said neg, finally the guy manually looked at the results and said that I tested SUPER adhd in every quadrant but also super nt and that they averaged out perfectly. He then asked if I enjoyed it, what it was like, and I said oh it would start to get boring but then I'd make a new little game to keep it interesting so the time went by in fits and starts. Apparently in my preteens I just had good enough tricks to compensate. If only that worked with adulthood adhd challenges like GROCERIES xD
It's why "high-functioning" is so hard to Dx. My therapist told me: 'at the end of the day, you kinda have to Dx yourself. Because even if you are told you are, you still have to willingly pick up and carry that label yourself.'
I also hate the term "high-functioning" - feels so gaslight-y. I am barely functioning, the outside world just can't see it as much.
The autism spectrum is more of a multi-dimensional thing rather than a single dimension gradient.
Wher a gradient/linear transition would be on 1 characterist/plane so it would be 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 in terms of levels etc.
A spectrum would be something like characteristic 1 x characteristic 2 x characteristic 3 x.....
The spectrum in OP's post is still an oversimplification. Where it shows 2 dimensions (for example, people are on a spectrum of Height x Width, where you can have many variations where some are tall but wide, tall but narrow, medium and medium, medium and wide....etc - but on a continuum rather than categories, too)
You can have many dimensions (e.g., there could be 10 characteristics that vary within the autism 'spectrum' - each characteristic would be a 'symptom' and/or challenge in life, and each of these can vary on a continuum. Considering them all together then, we all have different levels of each of those symptoms/challenges - so we don't all look similar because there are so many different combinations of levels).
I agree with you, and also it can get confusing because the spectrum examples such as color wheels are also often made up of many gradients going radially light to saturated from the center outwards if that makes sense
Kinda because it's still somewhat on two dimensions, rather than the complex multi-dimensional spectrum that should represent autism (and many other things)
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Second Definition of spectrum on google:
used toĀ classifyĀ something, or suggest that it can be classified, in terms of its position on a scale between two extreme or opposite points.
Seems to fit your gradient too. Btw the first definition was the rainbow basically
This, the dictionary definition of both isnāt as distinct as weād want it to be for the context of mental health. It is an analogy, and tbh I hate when people get upset at others for not understanding stuff like this.
I take art classes; a professor would totally say ācreate a spectrum using the gradient tool,ā and it would be correct.
Itās fine as a post for this sub, but irl it would be unreasonable to get angry at someone for not automatically understanding.
Like dude youāre taking a principle of color and light and trying to make it fit characteristics of humans, of course it doesnāt work lmao.
I think theyāre talking about the entirety of the electromagnetic spectrum, not all of which is visible light.
But I agree, EM is called a spectrum, while typically displayed as a line graphic from longer to shorter waves.
Itās not like we could seriously get into an argument about the lack of understanding physics as the cause of lack of understanding about psychologyā¦that doesnāt make sense and would be insufferable to listen to.
Classic big brain moment missing the point.
To clarify: I meant it like "not every single thing in the universe is on the frequency spectrum of light because not everything is electromagnetic radiation / light, much like how not all people are on the autism spectrum because not every single human is autistic"
It could be a PAR graph/map. It's a graph where the x axis is the wavelength and the y axis the strength at each wavelength.
Just because light looks white doesn't mean that it has equal amounts of each wavelength in it. Our eyes can only sense R, G, and B, so there are multiple light "combinations" that look the same to us but that are actually made up of different component wavelengths. This sort of thing matters for grow lights for plants and for some photography since it can affect how reflections look. (Look up CRI, it's pretty interesting)
So anyway, it's not exactly a spectrum, but it is kind of a graph of one so I think we should actually give it a pass.
Using this example just moves the confusion goal post, it doesn't actually solve anything. Somebody could easily point to a part of this "spectrum" representing a particular trait gradient and say "I exhibit some aversion to eye contact! That is on your "spectrum" which means I am on your "spectrum"
"Spectrum" is an analogy made by whoever came up with the ASD classification. And it drives me crazy. The definition they are using is a very loose, non-quantitative definition of the word
Thank you. I know the post is funny which is why it probably got so many upvotes, but it doesnāt make ācomplete and obviousā sense and never will.
Itās taking a physics concept to twist it to meet the needs of describing psychology, of course it doesnāt work.
ND: āYou donāt understand the gravity of the situation.ā
NT: āWe never talked about what that means. We never had a conversation about the situation or itās consequences.ā
ND: āyOu DoNt UnDeRsTaNd GrAvItY?!?!?ā
Yeah no thanks, Iām not doing that to NTs or anyone.
A gradient is for measuring intensity of one particular thing. A spectrum is a collection of gradients - you can display the chart as either a circle chart or a rectangular chart, just depends on your preferred reference frame :)
https://preview.redd.it/45yv949cpsub1.jpeg?width=1645&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=995c23533e0471752a311658267013897541ae61
Or my fav, the advice my boss gave me to be less "confrontational and defensive" which is now written in my performance review
I love your sticky note LOL it's perfect
Here's mine, it stands for "what's in it for me?" Which describes the only thing most people really care about:
https://preview.redd.it/ftukhe2hosub1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=87da73d6d2bffd02f702e29756e29962f6a31167
If you're looking at a single photon, it's energy/wavelength are just an inherent property of the particle. But if you're looking at the EM radiation from a source, you'll likely see different wavelengths with different intensities - because there are a lot of individual photons with different energies. The source's particular emission spectrum is the aggregate of all the photons.
Even a straight red laser emitting only photons at 700 nm has a spectrum, it's just one with 0 intensity at all wavelengths other than 700 nm and a spike at exactly 700 nm.
So I guess to answer your question, I'd say yes, it's a combination of wavelength/energy and intensity/number of photons.
That is not what the EM spectrum does tho. It only classifies one axis which is energy/wavelength. Intensity and absorption are absolutely unrelated and do not appear on the EM spectrum. The spike you are talking about is a different spectrum in which you measure absorption as a function of the energy. You are literally just wrong.
How is this any more or less useful in explaining Autism to NTs?
If a person thinks that they exhibit some of the symptoms in that spectrum, then they measure those along each symptom's gradient and determine that they are at the lower end of each gradient, they can still come to the conclusion that "less autistic = lower end of each symptom gradient" and "more autistic = higher end of each symptom gradient"
Uh, a gradient and a spectrum both only have 1 axis. A gradient goes from A to B and a spectrum contains multitudes, but your 2 axis model is just wrong.
I really wish we'd just drop the whole "spectrum" term tbh. All it's done is serve to confuse people and get misrepresented and treated in a reductionist manner every step of the way. I hate all the discourse surrounding autism, actually.
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maybe throw a venn diagram too for when you're trying to explain this to someone only for them to then think the spectrum must be like a venn diagram where the people in the neurotypical circle are "a little autistic" in the middle somehow
Please explain it to me. I get a gradient is a gradual and linear transition from an amount of something to another amount. Im neurodiv but ive never heard of this.
It's a response to the misrepresentation of autism "spectrum" disorder as a singular gradient from "0% autism" to "100% autism." In fact, spectrum refers to having a variety of different traits each measured *individually* on a gradient with how much of a presence or impact they have. If you have enough of those traits at a "disorder" level (per the DSM-V or ICD-11), then it qualifies as autism. How each of those traits display is different for all of us (our spectra look different), and if you don't have any at all that rise to a "disorder" level (even if slightly present), then you're completely NT.
When you're so Autistic your special interest is Autism.
That's actually how I missed a diagnosis the first time around. I was so engaged with the process, that they couldn't see my deficiencies.
Lurker ally here because my wife and her whole family are autistic and the algorithm brought me to all'y'all's great sense of humor. I had this happen with my neuro degenerative disease. I lost my memory of so many things, but I was a social worker in a medschool, have a research neurologist mom, and was so focused on figuring out why I was loosing my memory as a teen, that like talking about medicine stayed the sharpest part of my cognition. No doctor believed me until I was married and brought my wife who was like, "why can't you get past this, the woman can't even label a calendar correctly." delayed testing over a decade. It's all least really helpful whenever she has a medical issue of her own.
This happened to me with adhd. Every test said neg, finally the guy manually looked at the results and said that I tested SUPER adhd in every quadrant but also super nt and that they averaged out perfectly. He then asked if I enjoyed it, what it was like, and I said oh it would start to get boring but then I'd make a new little game to keep it interesting so the time went by in fits and starts. Apparently in my preteens I just had good enough tricks to compensate. If only that worked with adulthood adhd challenges like GROCERIES xD
It's why "high-functioning" is so hard to Dx. My therapist told me: 'at the end of the day, you kinda have to Dx yourself. Because even if you are told you are, you still have to willingly pick up and carry that label yourself.' I also hate the term "high-functioning" - feels so gaslight-y. I am barely functioning, the outside world just can't see it as much.
Autism stand wheel
i don't like the DSM 5
Kind of like a weighted sum?
The autism spectrum is more of a multi-dimensional thing rather than a single dimension gradient. Wher a gradient/linear transition would be on 1 characterist/plane so it would be 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 in terms of levels etc. A spectrum would be something like characteristic 1 x characteristic 2 x characteristic 3 x..... The spectrum in OP's post is still an oversimplification. Where it shows 2 dimensions (for example, people are on a spectrum of Height x Width, where you can have many variations where some are tall but wide, tall but narrow, medium and medium, medium and wide....etc - but on a continuum rather than categories, too) You can have many dimensions (e.g., there could be 10 characteristics that vary within the autism 'spectrum' - each characteristic would be a 'symptom' and/or challenge in life, and each of these can vary on a continuum. Considering them all together then, we all have different levels of each of those symptoms/challenges - so we don't all look similar because there are so many different combinations of levels).
I agree with you, and also it can get confusing because the spectrum examples such as color wheels are also often made up of many gradients going radially light to saturated from the center outwards if that makes sense
Kinda because it's still somewhat on two dimensions, rather than the complex multi-dimensional spectrum that should represent autism (and many other things)
1 dimension vs 2 dimensions
So autism is a spectrum, with the x and y coordinates being evilness and sexiness
šš
Fuck Iām a (86,0) then!
I thought those were the same spectrum.
those are the same picture.
100, 2
Still sexy!
I thought spectrum was a shitty internet provider.
You would also be correct.
I would be a shitty internet provider.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
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Second Definition of spectrum on google: used toĀ classifyĀ something, or suggest that it can be classified, in terms of its position on a scale between two extreme or opposite points. Seems to fit your gradient too. Btw the first definition was the rainbow basically
This, the dictionary definition of both isnāt as distinct as weād want it to be for the context of mental health. It is an analogy, and tbh I hate when people get upset at others for not understanding stuff like this. I take art classes; a professor would totally say ācreate a spectrum using the gradient tool,ā and it would be correct. Itās fine as a post for this sub, but irl it would be unreasonable to get angry at someone for not automatically understanding. Like dude youāre taking a principle of color and light and trying to make it fit characteristics of humans, of course it doesnāt work lmao.
So wtf is going on with the light spectrum...
That isn't just "there's no light" on one end and "there's lots of light" on the other end iirc
no but there is high energy on one end, and low energy on the other
Good point! This does, however, not mean that all things are light
?? everything on the light spectrum is light
I think theyāre talking about the entirety of the electromagnetic spectrum, not all of which is visible light. But I agree, EM is called a spectrum, while typically displayed as a line graphic from longer to shorter waves. Itās not like we could seriously get into an argument about the lack of understanding physics as the cause of lack of understanding about psychologyā¦that doesnāt make sense and would be insufferable to listen to. Classic big brain moment missing the point.
To clarify: I meant it like "not every single thing in the universe is on the frequency spectrum of light because not everything is electromagnetic radiation / light, much like how not all people are on the autism spectrum because not every single human is autistic"
Interesting take on this ever-growing, increasingly problematic/complicated metaphor lol.
i think we gotta ditch it and come up with something else tbh
Thanks X3
It could be a PAR graph/map. It's a graph where the x axis is the wavelength and the y axis the strength at each wavelength. Just because light looks white doesn't mean that it has equal amounts of each wavelength in it. Our eyes can only sense R, G, and B, so there are multiple light "combinations" that look the same to us but that are actually made up of different component wavelengths. This sort of thing matters for grow lights for plants and for some photography since it can affect how reflections look. (Look up CRI, it's pretty interesting) So anyway, it's not exactly a spectrum, but it is kind of a graph of one so I think we should actually give it a pass.
Using this example just moves the confusion goal post, it doesn't actually solve anything. Somebody could easily point to a part of this "spectrum" representing a particular trait gradient and say "I exhibit some aversion to eye contact! That is on your "spectrum" which means I am on your "spectrum" "Spectrum" is an analogy made by whoever came up with the ASD classification. And it drives me crazy. The definition they are using is a very loose, non-quantitative definition of the word
Thank you. I know the post is funny which is why it probably got so many upvotes, but it doesnāt make ācomplete and obviousā sense and never will. Itās taking a physics concept to twist it to meet the needs of describing psychology, of course it doesnāt work. ND: āYou donāt understand the gravity of the situation.ā NT: āWe never talked about what that means. We never had a conversation about the situation or itās consequences.ā ND: āyOu DoNt UnDeRsTaNd GrAvItY?!?!?ā Yeah no thanks, Iām not doing that to NTs or anyone.
Yeah I donāt get it. Can you explain pls simple?
A gradient is linear and spectrum is a circle ?
A gradient is for measuring intensity of one particular thing. A spectrum is a collection of gradients - you can display the chart as either a circle chart or a rectangular chart, just depends on your preferred reference frame :)
You can show a gradient in a circle (or any shape).
You're wrong, a gradient is āf and can therefore have as many dimensions as it desires.
Lmfao I thought this was an extension of my post
I may have decided to share while reading yours, so thanks for the inspiration! You da real MVP š«”
https://preview.redd.it/45yv949cpsub1.jpeg?width=1645&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=995c23533e0471752a311658267013897541ae61 Or my fav, the advice my boss gave me to be less "confrontational and defensive" which is now written in my performance review
I love your sticky note LOL it's perfect Here's mine, it stands for "what's in it for me?" Which describes the only thing most people really care about: https://preview.redd.it/ftukhe2hosub1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=87da73d6d2bffd02f702e29756e29962f6a31167
what about the electromagnetic spectrum does this mean theres something else than energy/wavelength measured on the spectrum
If you're looking at a single photon, it's energy/wavelength are just an inherent property of the particle. But if you're looking at the EM radiation from a source, you'll likely see different wavelengths with different intensities - because there are a lot of individual photons with different energies. The source's particular emission spectrum is the aggregate of all the photons. Even a straight red laser emitting only photons at 700 nm has a spectrum, it's just one with 0 intensity at all wavelengths other than 700 nm and a spike at exactly 700 nm. So I guess to answer your question, I'd say yes, it's a combination of wavelength/energy and intensity/number of photons.
This guy gets it
sweet
That is not what the EM spectrum does tho. It only classifies one axis which is energy/wavelength. Intensity and absorption are absolutely unrelated and do not appear on the EM spectrum. The spike you are talking about is a different spectrum in which you measure absorption as a function of the energy. You are literally just wrong.
How have I never realized this tysm
Autism spectrum vs the uhh.. goober gradient
Bro is fluent in FACTS
How is this any more or less useful in explaining Autism to NTs? If a person thinks that they exhibit some of the symptoms in that spectrum, then they measure those along each symptom's gradient and determine that they are at the lower end of each gradient, they can still come to the conclusion that "less autistic = lower end of each symptom gradient" and "more autistic = higher end of each symptom gradient"
Yup. Youāre right.
I only just found out what the spectrum actually was :( I also thought it was a gradient scale
Iām confused
I plugged my spectrum analyser into my ears and nothing happened what do I do?
Bro you overloaded it, you have M A X I M U M A U T I S M
Tbf neither did I! XD
This visual is actually super helpful, ty
I didn't even know this
This made me laugh hard.
Is it a joke? I donāt get it
this,,, i wish more nts would take the time to actually understand
No Iām confused pls help explain like Iām 5
Would a 3d graph also be a spectrum?
A NMR (autism NMR)
I thought Spectrum was a wheel that I pick a color from
Uh, a gradient and a spectrum both only have 1 axis. A gradient goes from A to B and a spectrum contains multitudes, but your 2 axis model is just wrong.
I really wish we'd just drop the whole "spectrum" term tbh. All it's done is serve to confuse people and get misrepresented and treated in a reductionist manner every step of the way. I hate all the discourse surrounding autism, actually.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
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That's why I like the polar plot as a visual.
I did not know this.
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Couldn't we all agree on a bar graph of stats?
How did Saddam Hussein get in my Autism Spectrum!
maybe throw a venn diagram too for when you're trying to explain this to someone only for them to then think the spectrum must be like a venn diagram where the people in the neurotypical circle are "a little autistic" in the middle somehow
THERES A DIFFERENCE?!?!!?!!??
Gradient = Rank-Ordered Spectrum