Medicine:Autism spectrum in animals
The existence of autism spectrum conditions (or simply autism) in animal species is a contested claim.[citation needed]
In the book Animals in Translation, Temple Grandin has claimed that animals in general can have savant characteristics similar to that of some autistic humans. This claim has been contested by researchers that argue that while animals with savant-like abilities exist, they don't exhibit the characteristic cognitive patterns associated with autism.[1][2] Grandin responded by noting the similarities between certain autistic thought patterns and animal thought patterns, like visual thinking and less flexible cognition. Grandin's claim is not that some minority of animals possess autism, but that the typical animal brain is similar to the typical autistic human brain.[3]
Dr. Christian Jarrett asserts that "autism is a neurodevelopment condition found in humans, and some of the diagnostic criteria, such as a delay in language development, can’t apply in a straightforward way to animals," though "some animals do display autistic-like traits, such as a tendency toward repetitive behaviour or atypical social habits."[4] Some research has found parallels between monkey or dog[5] behavior and brain activity and autism,[6] though no research has definitively concluded that an animal has autism.
Background
Whether or not animals can have autism dates back to the early or mid 1960s.[7]
See also
References
- ↑ "Debunking Animal Autism". The Scientific American Inc. February 22, 2008. https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/3e744d29-dd5a-eb39-ec70f5438254a14a. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
- ↑ Vallortigara, Giorgio; Snyder, Allan; Kaplan, Gisela; Bateson, Patrick; Clayton, Nicola S; Rogers, Lesley J (2008). "Are Animals Autistic Savants" (in en). PLOS Biology 6 (2): e42. doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.0060042. ISSN 1545-7885. PMID 18288892.
- ↑ Bowers, Kathryn (2017-06-12). "Can Dogs Have Autism?" (in en-US). Slate. ISSN 1091-2339. https://slate.com/technology/2017/06/can-dogs-have-autism-the-answer-could-help-humans.html.
- ↑ "Is autism found in any other animals?" (in en). https://www.sciencefocus.com/nature/is-autism-found-in-any-other-animals/.
- ↑ Fox, M. W. (1966-06-01). "A syndrome in the dog resembling human infantile autism". Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 148 (11): 1387–1390. ISSN 0003-1488. PMID 5950969. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/5950969/.
- ↑ Yoshida, Kyoko; Go, Yasuhiro; Kushima, Itaru; Toyoda, Atsushi; Fujiyama, Asao; Imai, Hiroo; Saito, Nobuhito; Iriki, Atsushi et al. (2016-09-02). "Single-neuron and genetic correlates of autistic behavior in macaque" (in en). Science Advances 2 (9): e1600558. doi:10.1126/sciadv.1600558. ISSN 2375-2548. PMID 27679817. Bibcode: 2016SciA....2E0558Y.
- ↑ Can Dogs Have Autism. Pet MD. https://www.petmd.com/dog/behavior/can-dogs-have-autism. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
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