“In each day life, seeing is intricately linked to understanding, with (visible objects)…functioning as most popular carriers of which means and understanding. Nevertheless, a more in-depth have a look at visible practices demonstrates that the connection between sight, visible imagery, and understanding and decoding them is considerably extra complicated than one would possibly suppose” (Beiweis and Briel, 2024).
The truth is, our “[a]bility to pinpoint the precise location and measurement of issues varies from one individual to the following, and even inside our personal particular person field of regard” (Anwar, 2020).
Autism and Visible Sensory Overload
Whereas people understand the world by extra senses than imaginative and prescient alone, there’s way more analysis on imaginative and prescient than on some other sensory modality—[B]ecause the accessible, present-day know-how is healthier suited to finding out imaginative and prescient than for finding out different [sensory] modalities (Hutmacher, 2019).
Individuals “assume [their] notion is an ideal reflection of the bodily world round us,” however research present that “every of us has a singular visible fingerprint” (Anwar, 2020). This can be very true for these of us on the Spectrum, whose worlds may be really chaotic and overwhelming. We are usually delicate to our surroundings and have simply overloaded sensory methods.
Prevalence in ASD
In response to a research by the Geneva Centre for Autism in Toronto, Canada, as many as 80% of people with autism report distorted notion. Essentially the most generally reported have been difficulties with depth notion; distorted notion of measurement, form, and movement; and seeing solely small particulars somewhat than the entire (Autism – Greater than Meets the Eye, 2022).
Fragmented, Scary World
In her e-book, No person Nowhere (1992), the late Donna Williams wrote, “Colours and issues and folks would fly, doorways would get kicked in, and generally faces would, too. Nevertheless it was by no means complete individuals, solely their items.” Her e-book is a glimpse into the customarily scary world during which many with ASD dwell.
The location, Goodreads, describes Williams as “[L]abeled, at instances, deaf, retarded, or disturbed, Donna Williams is autistic — by a baffling situation of heightened sensory notion that imprisons the sufferer in a non-public, virtually hallucinatory universe of patterns and colours” (Goodreads, 1992).
Given how chaotic the visible atmosphere of individuals on the autism spectrum may be, some researchers and clinicians speculate that eye contact avoidance and stimming could also be makes an attempt to calm this distorted and chaotic visible world.
Affect of Visible Processing Distortions
The visible processing experiences of people with autism can have far-reaching results on numerous elements of each day life:
- Difficulties recognizing faces, decoding facial expressions, and the societal expectation that Aspies make eye contact usually make social interactions overwhelming.
- Visible processing variations influence studying, writing, and math expertise. E.g., some Aspies wrestle with visible monitoring whereas studying or have issue organizing data on a web page.
- Challenges in visual-spatial processing could make it tough to navigate unfamiliar environments or choose distances precisely, doubtlessly impacting mobility and independence.
- Visible processing variations could create challenges in some job-related duties, notably these requiring visible consideration to element or speedy processing of visible data.
- This heightened sensitivity could result in sensory overload in visually complicated environments, leading to extreme anxiousness or meltdowns (Autism and Visible Processing: The Advanced Hyperlink Defined NeuroLaunch editorial workforce, 2024a).
Prosopagnosia
A “notable side of visible notion in autism is the problem many people expertise with facial recognition…[K]nown as prosopagnosia or face blindness, [it] could make it more durable for individuals with autism to acknowledge and keep in mind faces, doubtlessly contributing to social difficulties” (Autism Notion – How Individuals With Autism See the World, NeuroLaunch, 2024a).
Prosopagnosia Plus
“Shut your eyes and movie a world the place each flicker of sunshine, each refined sample, and each minute element bursts into vivid, overwhelming focus.” That’s how NeuroLaunch introduces the visible realm of autism. And this visible perspective is only one side of the complicated situation referred to as autism spectrum dysfunction (ASD) (Autism and Visible Processing: The Advanced Hyperlink Defined, NeuroLaunch, 2024b).
I relate absolutely to the NeuroLaunch description. Prosopometamorphopsia is a uncommon mind dysfunction that impacts how individuals see faces. To Neurodivergents, different individuals’s options may appear warped or demonic regardless of showing fully regular to others (Schmidt, 2020).
Alice in Wonderland Syndrome (AIWS) In Different Neurological Situations
The visible distortions of prosopometamorphopsia are usually not particular to Autism Spectrum Dysfunction, and maybe it’s a coincidence to search out each syndromes in a single individual. However, AIWS happens in a wide range of neurological circumstances, having been reported by individuals who have incurred a traumatic mind harm, a stroke or seizure, mind tumor, migraine complications, drug abuse, and a few psychiatric issues (Clinic, 2022).
Not too long ago, just a few Autistic YouTubers have offered their experiences with signs that sound very like AIWS (Davis, 2023; Kelly, 2024).
AIWS is a uncommon situation that disrupts the mind’s capability to course of sensory enter. The disruption impacts how people understand the dimensions of issues round them, the texture or look of their very own physique, or each. It may additionally distort our sense of actuality.
What Does AIWS Have To Do With Alice’s Wonderland?
The situation is popularly referred to as Alice in Wonderland Syndrome as a result of similarities to visible distortions the fictional Alice has contained in the rabbit gap. The writer, “Lewis Carroll is thought to have been a Migraineur, and it’s thought that a lot of the imagery for his “Alice in Wonderland” could have been impressed by his personal Migraine auras and distortions in notion” (Neuropsych, 2015).
Primarily identified in youngsters, AIWS is a uncommon, transient, momentary situation. It may, nonetheless, persist long-term or be triggered in maturity by an harm or sickness. The shortage of identified instances could also be as a consequence of reticence amongst sufferers to report such “loopy” signs. Subsequently, its prevalence and scientific traits stay poorly understood (Fitzek et al., 2024).
I’ve lived with AIWS since very early childhood. The visible delusions frightened me, and I had no phrases to explain them. Even now, I wrestle to place my distorted perceptions into phrases that others would possibly comprehend. Lengthy earlier than I started looking out the web literature for this paper, I might fruitlessly Google combos of key phrases, hoping for some semblance of a solution. After a lot trial and error, my searches led me to outcomes for Alice in Wonderland Syndrome.
However whether or not I exploit “AIWS” or “prosopometamorphopsia,” a key aspect of my very own expertise remains to be lacking. Maybe one of the best time period for my lifelong visible distortions could be Auto-Prosopometamorphopsia, as a result of I don’t understand distortions in different individuals’s faces. I see faces which are subjectively disturbing, and a few visible course of triggers depersonalization, and I really feel as if I’m carrying that face, searching by these eyes.
I do know my face isn’t morphing. After I Googled that, I discovered the assertion: Auto-Prosopometamorphopsia doesn’t appear to happen, and “A doable purpose for the dearth of [such] instances…could also be that, in an evolutionary sense, areas dedicated to personal (versus different’s) face could also be a comparatively late addition to the face-selective community, probably branched from areas dedicated to acquainted faces” (Blom et al., 2021).
I imagine it might be extra correct to state it’s not recognized to occur. Doubtlessly, Auto- symptomatology has been subsumed below a distinct diagnostic label, resembling Dissociative Id Dysfunction, specifically, depersonalization. However once more, I’ve learn and know from my very own expertise sufferers could merely not try to explain the phenomenon. And in the event that they do, they might be met with responses just like those I’ve obtained:
Me: The shoe regarded big from the highest of the steps however shrank as I obtained nearer.
Psychiatrist: (Laughs) “However that’s loopy!”
In a short overview, the Cleveland Clinic states, “[T]right here’s no solution to diagnose AIWS conclusively. That’s as a result of the situation is uncommon and normally short-lived, so there aren’t any official standards for it. The more than likely method a supplier will diagnose this situation is by asking you questions in regards to the signs you might have” (Clinic, 2022).
Name To Motion
Drafting this text has introduced me nearer to the solutions I’ve been looking for for many years. It’s been a journey of studying between the traces of subtle neuropsychiatric analysis. Understanding of prosopometamorphopsia remains to be in its infancy. Regardless of my long-held perception that I’m not fairly human, I lastly have diagnoses that designate lots of my ‘peculiarities.’ The puzzle that’s me is nearer to completion.
However I can’t discover all of the solutions myself. I refuse to simply accept attitudes like, if there’s no proof, it doesn’t exist. If anybody’s trying, maybe they’re not asking the best questions. Over time, I’ve realized that there are others like me on this world.
I’ve been informed that distorted perceptions are usually not life-threatening and to cease obsessively looking for solutions. However disordered perceptions proceed to intervene with my life, and discovering solutions means asking questions.
I’d like clinicians to ask their higher-functioning autistic sufferers how they see the world. Studying how many individuals with ASD fall by rabbit holes into surreal worlds could be a very good begin. Some, like myself, apparently do. Realizing I’m not fully alone within the rabbit gap helps me settle for myself, and I imagine others seemingly really feel the identical.
Annie Kent, MA, spent twenty years working in public sector incapacity, psychological well being, and infectious illnesses advocacy and training. Identified with three carefully associated classes of neurodiversity, a lack of knowledge and understanding led to autistic burn-out and departure from the sphere. She stays an energetic advocate, studying and fascinating remotely with a number of Autism organizations and boards, together with Autism Northwest. For extra data, e mail Annie at ajollymo@lakeheadu.ca or anjolie1031@gmail.com
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