Oxytocin part of the "answer" to autism?

[amberlight]

Big news articles yesterday from the Times and DM about how Oxytocin spray can encourage autistic children to be affectionate and cuddly (temporarily).

I have very mixed views about it. Yes, great for those caring for us. Not so great if it encourages already vulnerable children who already can't tell friend from foe to want to go round cuddling just about anyone. Same for adults - is taking down our barriers to being hugged and being affectionate all good, or does it have a potential downside if we find a predator or rapist?

Any links?

I have reservations tbh.

nature.com link to original article here

how would this help? effection needs to be done because thew child wants to and is doing for their needs to be met. The only person that gets anything from this would be the adults, hardly good use of power is it

I guess it 'buys into' the idea that children are there to serve the needs of their parents, you're right. Worrying.

www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1250936/Spray-version-cuddle-hormone-ease-symptoms-autism.html

is the DM article. If it helps with facial expression-reading, that could be a good thing, but I still fret about children wanting to be all cuddly without having the proper 'stop and think - is it a dangerous person' responses in their minds.

I saw this at the weekend. Again demonstrates the need for subgroup identification IMO. My son couldn't be more cuddly and affectionate. Aged 10 he fights ds3 for space on my lap. He was trying to cuddle me at 3.30am and was most put out being told to go back to his bed. He's like it with a lot of familiar adults.

Any more cuddly and affectionate and it would be a problem - it borders on being a problem now tbh.

I wonder how well reported this was.

Because really I think it's a bit back to front. The reporting anyway.

Presumably the reason some people with autism avoid hugging and affection is due to their sensory processing - presumably hypersensitivities. Much as ds1 is over affectionate because he is so sensory seeking.

It's being reported as something cognitive again. But I wonder whether oxytocin has an effect on sensory processing (could explain better expression recognition). If that's the case could be interesting.

But not something to be dished out to everyone just because they're diagnosed autistic.

AMber I am not sure how much it reduces barriers tbh- when I breastfeed ds4 I get the oxytocin rush and am very awareof it, but it makesme want to cuddle him, not random people. It owuld depend perhaps on amounts and uptake I guess.

I rememerb reading about this one before and wondering if it ahd arole but tbh ds3 is ridiculously huggy.He'd hug anybody at all.Just another risk factor inducing variant of asd.

I think the originalarticle was about exposure to oxytocin prenatally, but can't for thelife of me remember where I found it. Perhaps that does helpdeveklop the 'kick' NT people get from contact but sensory is sovery important and IMO is the key root.

In fact,I was talking about ds2's issues (mildish dyspraxia) at his IEPand realised that the link between all my is their hyo response tos ensory stimuli. But they'renot allASD. I think the heritability factor in our family is that tbh and thats where the research needs to be

Seems very overly simplified. My ds can be very affectionate and cuddly, but also in a very inappropriate way.

Thats the problem, he will hug people he barely knows or at inappropriate times ie when other children are hitting him and being aggressive.

Also very confusing for others as it is always on his terms. If someone tried to initiate a hug, he could lash out or get upset.

Seems like a bit of a 'magic wand' treatment.

It may bethat it could improve family dynamics in familliesstruggling with that aspedct of asd,and family coping is essential

thats about it though

although having a biomed section in nextessay so hey Amber, ta [wubk]

www.newscientist.com/article/dn11530-ecstasy-really-does-unleash-the-love-hormone.html

Research shows it's the same effect as giving us an Ecstasy tablet in a nightclub - we'll hug anyone.

I don't know..perhaps it could be helpful for some cases

But,it's a spurious stereotype that all autistic children aren't affectionate, and it hasn't been my experience; DD2 is extremely affectionate and tactile, often overly so. In fact, her rather assertive hugging has been a problem at school, and we have had to do a lot of work with her on boundaries.
I imagine dosing her up with oxytocin could unleash a few problems