A recent report in the New Scientist by Kamila and Henry Markram from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne has looked at brain function in people with Autism.

It has put forward the theory that children who develop autism have “supercharged” brains. The brain is so clever and sensitive that everyday experiences become overwhelming report the neuroscientists.

Therefore autism is not caused by a brain deficiency but rather an overload, which makes situations appear frightening and overly intense. The Markrams explain that their hypothesis is that “autistic people perceive, feel and remember too much”. Their research is backed by evidence that by the age of two or three, when symptoms of autism occur, the brain volume is about 10% larger than average.

This overload results in situations being perceived as too intense and hence autistic infants withdraw from them, resulting in impairment of their social and linguistic abilities.

This new theory reverses previous theories that autism is the result of an underperforming brain.

This information was taken from an article by Richard Alleyne in the Daily Telegraph on Thursday 18 September 2008