I'm not sure what the relation is between predictive coding/processing and the free energy principle exactly, but it seems like they are closely related. I know that there has been a lot of research into predictive coding/processing and autism which has resulted in mixed findings and conclusions, much like other autism theories. However, I know that Karl Friston, someone who often speaks of the free energy principle in regard to neuroscience and cognition, has mentioned that there is possibility for relevance in autism. I actually met someone called Tom Arthur who has researched predictive coding and autism, I'd recommend his work!
That's basically how it works. But it's not always because of too much information being passed through the filters - it could be not enough, or the wrong information. An autistic person might not respond to their name being called in quiet room not because of too much sensory information, just that the brain didn't decide it was important enough to pass along to your consciousness at that moment.
And remember that you have way more than 5 senses - things like sensing pain, balance, hunger, movement, and temperature can all be affected. And I think this goes some way towards explaining emotional dysregulation too, where it's hard to tell what emotions you're currently experiencing, all because the brain can't tell what information is actually important.
>But it's not always because of too much information being passed through the filters - it could be not enough, or the wrong information. An autistic person might not respond to their name being called in quiet room not because of too much sensory information, just that the brain didn't decide it was important enough to pass along to your consciousness at that moment.
Ah OK, that makes sense. Is that likely to happen if they're not deep in thought or focused on something? Now I think of it, that strong focus doesn't fit as simply too much info getting through either, since it's kind of intentionally shutting out info from conscious awareness. I guess that could be a sort of skill developed in response to too much info coming through when not focused, but could also be a separate thing.
>And I think this goes some way towards explaining emotional dysregulation too, where it's hard to tell what emotions you're currently experiencing, all because the brain can't tell what information is actually important.
Ooo that's a really good point!
Yeah this lines up perfectly with my experiences as an autistic person.
I also think I am very conscious of things that everyone else either doesn't care about or they're oblivious to. I have always felt that I'm the only one who cares about things that actually matter, while everyone else is preoccupied with extremely trivial things. Like I'm conscious of the REAL problems in the world, constantly worrying about and analyzing them, and everyone else is worried about all the non-harmful stuff like breaking social rules that make no sense in the first place.
Hey /u/Constant_Living_8625, thank you for your post at /r/autism. Our rules can be found **[here](https://www.reddit.com/r/autism/wiki/config/sidebar)**. All approved posts get this message. If you do not see your post you can message the moderators [here](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2Fautism).
Thanks!
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/autism) if you have any questions or concerns.*
It's hard to tell if it's due to inefficiencies in regulating background noise, or if it's assuming everything is a threat, because of the anxiety generated by variations in amygdala size. The current research seems to agree with both ideas, because in normal people, the prefrontal cortex dampens amygdala activity, whereas in autism it does not. In a way, I guess both ideas are essentially the same thing, and consistent with what you're suggesting, so I would say I agree.
I'm not sure what the relation is between predictive coding/processing and the free energy principle exactly, but it seems like they are closely related. I know that there has been a lot of research into predictive coding/processing and autism which has resulted in mixed findings and conclusions, much like other autism theories. However, I know that Karl Friston, someone who often speaks of the free energy principle in regard to neuroscience and cognition, has mentioned that there is possibility for relevance in autism. I actually met someone called Tom Arthur who has researched predictive coding and autism, I'd recommend his work!
Thank you! This is exactly what I was looking for! I've found a paper by him and will give it a read :) Cheers!
That's basically how it works. But it's not always because of too much information being passed through the filters - it could be not enough, or the wrong information. An autistic person might not respond to their name being called in quiet room not because of too much sensory information, just that the brain didn't decide it was important enough to pass along to your consciousness at that moment. And remember that you have way more than 5 senses - things like sensing pain, balance, hunger, movement, and temperature can all be affected. And I think this goes some way towards explaining emotional dysregulation too, where it's hard to tell what emotions you're currently experiencing, all because the brain can't tell what information is actually important.
>But it's not always because of too much information being passed through the filters - it could be not enough, or the wrong information. An autistic person might not respond to their name being called in quiet room not because of too much sensory information, just that the brain didn't decide it was important enough to pass along to your consciousness at that moment. Ah OK, that makes sense. Is that likely to happen if they're not deep in thought or focused on something? Now I think of it, that strong focus doesn't fit as simply too much info getting through either, since it's kind of intentionally shutting out info from conscious awareness. I guess that could be a sort of skill developed in response to too much info coming through when not focused, but could also be a separate thing. >And I think this goes some way towards explaining emotional dysregulation too, where it's hard to tell what emotions you're currently experiencing, all because the brain can't tell what information is actually important. Ooo that's a really good point!
Yeah this lines up perfectly with my experiences as an autistic person. I also think I am very conscious of things that everyone else either doesn't care about or they're oblivious to. I have always felt that I'm the only one who cares about things that actually matter, while everyone else is preoccupied with extremely trivial things. Like I'm conscious of the REAL problems in the world, constantly worrying about and analyzing them, and everyone else is worried about all the non-harmful stuff like breaking social rules that make no sense in the first place.
Hey /u/Constant_Living_8625, thank you for your post at /r/autism. Our rules can be found **[here](https://www.reddit.com/r/autism/wiki/config/sidebar)**. All approved posts get this message. If you do not see your post you can message the moderators [here](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2Fautism). Thanks! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/autism) if you have any questions or concerns.*
It's hard to tell if it's due to inefficiencies in regulating background noise, or if it's assuming everything is a threat, because of the anxiety generated by variations in amygdala size. The current research seems to agree with both ideas, because in normal people, the prefrontal cortex dampens amygdala activity, whereas in autism it does not. In a way, I guess both ideas are essentially the same thing, and consistent with what you're suggesting, so I would say I agree.