Autism and Photography
There has always been dispute surrounding the cause of autism and the signs of the condition. Before the term Autism was used, it was considered to be signs of schizophrenia until 1911 when Eugene Bleuler a psychiatrist from Switzerland first coined the term to describe a group of symptoms which used to be considered to be symptoms of schizophrenia. This led to a variety of theorised causes and treatments which weren’t as effective as more modern behavioural therapies are with better understanding of autism. In 1943 Kanner publishes his characterisation of Autism as a social and emotional disorder in children. This was the main definition of the condition until Hans Asperger developed his version of autism a year later. It was in 1987 when autism was expanded in DSM including the medical diagnostic criteria which is used to diagnose autism up till this day. It was in 2013 when the different forms of autism were combined as one condition, previously they were classified as distinctly different disorders. Autistic Spectrum Disorder is a term that covers the wide variety of signs of the condition which allow for the fact that not all signs of autism fits every autistic person.
Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder where the brains pathways have connected in a way that is different to the neurotypical norm. ‘We should understand autism as a differing neurotype’ (page 19, Beardon, 2017). There is no official cause of autism or Asperger’s but there are thought to be several possible contributors; environmental and genetics. There are several other conditions associated with autism such as anxiety, ADHD, hypermobility and Tourette’s. Autism is not the same day to day for each person but changes depending on the person’s mood and the environment that they are in. Autism can add to anxiety as it impacts on how a person reacts to a situation. With autistics in can include pre-event stress and post-event stress as well as stress from the event itself. As autism cannot be taken away it is the environment that must be changed to reduce the anxiety. Someone with autism may not need support all the time but might have a period that they need support for most of the day.
We are simply individuals who need our weaknesses supported, our strengths recognised, and our abilities encouraged.’ (Page 66, Hoopmann, 2013). This is a great quote for autism as autistics can be great employees as they can rely on order and routine allowing them to function better with the world. People with autism can be highly skilled with their interests whether practical or not. Those who become well known for their special talents are the more able autistics. The majority of autistic people remain unknown to the world at large which is not a bad thing as autistics tend to prefer being out of the spotlight as that can be a significant cause of stress for them. There are several organisations providing more information and support for people with autism or Asperger's or for the family of that person. These organisations can arrange counselling, trips and activities for all involved to alleviate the normal stresses of the condition whether physical, emotional or financial. The organisations can also help the autistic person learn invaluable skills for coping with the demands of the outside world. There have also been many blogs and chat sites set up so people can seek advice and support from other people in similar situations.
There have been several famous people such as painters, writers and philosophers who have been recognised as having autism even after they are long dead. One such person is Vincent van Gogh, a Dutch painter who is well known for his post-impressionist paintings. Van Gogh is well known for having bouts of insanity and for being unsuccessful in love. Van Gogh is thought to have had both Asperger Syndrome and Affective Disorder also known as Manic Depressive Psychosis. He dabbled in different careers before becoming a painter in 1879 and distanced himself from his family and disassociated from the family name. He moved around a lot looking for a place where he could fit in. He tried to build an enclave of artists in search for an accepting environment, but it didn’t succeed. His unusual behaviour is documented through a variety of sources such as the asylum records and family documentation. Van Gogh fits the DSM-IV criteria for Asperger’s as he showed severe impairment of social interaction and self-imposed routines. He also had narrow interests that consumed his time and demonstrated unusual non-verbal communication.
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Fig 1: Van Gogh, V. (1887). Self Portrait. Painting. Musee d'Orsay.
Source: https://www.biography.com/people/vincent-van-gogh-9515695
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1) Indoors and of people
2) Indoors no people
3) Outdoors
The study found that the people with ASD spent longer taking the photos and took more photos of people. These images were repetitive in that the photos were blurred, unusual angles and avoiding the face. The study had independent raters come in and examine the photos to see whether they could identify patterns in the images taken. Typically the photos of people shot by the people with ASD appeared to lack connection with the subject. Overall there was no difference between the composition of the photos taken by both the controls and the people with ASD. The study isn't definitive as the sample was too small and didn't take into account the way that autism can affect people differently in the way that they interact with people and the environment. Although this study is a great start in the understanding of how autistic people see the world and the people around them, the study was limited and would need to be repeated with an expansion in the number of people with autism and they would need to be spread across the spectrum.
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