The scientist who pioneered the “severe male brain” theory of autism has actually stated he regrets characterising the condition in this method because the phrase lends itself to misunderstandings.Prof Simon Baron-Cohen’s
theory that autistic individuals tend highly towards systemising over empathising has been extremely influential in shaping the popular understanding of autism over the past twenty years. The underlying science had actually stood the test of time, he said, however he now views the “severe male brain “label as unhelpful. “A few of those terms were very easily misinterpreted
and so I do be sorry for that, “he said.” It can result in simple headings like’autistic people lack compassion’, which is not true.”Some of that language, like male brain and female brain, I just don’t
believe it works today. “Speaking to the Guardian before the announcement of a ₤ 26m( $34.5 m )gift to
Cambridge University from the US philanthropist Lisa Yang, Baron-Cohen said the funding would be utilized for research guided by the concerns of the autistic community.It is one of the biggest ever contributions to a UK university for autism research and will be utilized to create the K
Lisa Yang Centre for Autism Research Study, and a medical autism centre in a future Cambridge children’s health center, both of which Baron-Cohen will oversee.The research centre is expected to focus on improving life span and health outcomes for autistic people, earlier diagnosis
and practical services to improve quality of life. The physical health of autistic individuals, in particular, is a location that has been neglected, according to Baron-Cohen.”Although people consider autism regarding finish with the mind and the brain, what’s been neglected is the truth that autistic people
tend to die younger,”he said.Recent findings by his team, which are yet to be peer-reviewed, suggest autistic individuals are at considerably increased risk of heart disease.
Based on data from 141,672 individuals, they concluded that autistic women were at 71% greater threat of a cardiac arrest, stroke and other severe cardiac events, even after taking into consideration recognized threat aspects such as high blood pressure, diabetes and weight problems.”If you ‘d asked me twenty years ago to take a look at autism and cardiovascular disease, it simply would not have actually been on our radar, but it’s originated from the autism neighborhood, “Baron-Cohen said.Reasons for the association could consist of difficulty accessing NHS services, lifestyle or hereditary factors.”It suggests if your client is autistic, you need to be looking for these particular things too, “he stated.”
It could have a direct advantage.”The centre is also likely to check out physical health experiences of autistic females, including childbirth and menstrual-related distress, which some previous findings show might be more common.” That might associate with the sensory hypersensitivity, however it might be directly hormonal too,”said Baron-Cohen.”The dialogue with the autism neighborhood is altering where we shine a light and which are the phenomena, or the problems, that need attention and
that were being neglected.”Baron-Cohen has formerly stimulated controversy in the autism community, dating back to his “severe male brain” theory, which was criticised for framing autism as an empathy deficit and reinforcing gender stereotypes.In fact, he stated, his own research study revealed that autistic people tend to vary in cognitive compassion(interpreting facial expressions and language)but not affective compassion (the internal response to others’sensations ).” As soon as they know that someone is upset, it upsets them and they wish to do something about
it, “he said. “There’s a kind of myth that autistic people lack compassion.” More recently, Baron-Cohen’s group faced a reaction over a plan to series the genomes of 10,000 autistic people, which eventually resulted in the job being dropped after a two-year assessment with the autistic community. He said there was now a far greater emphasis on assessment at an early adequate phase for research study top priorities to be formed, or enriched, by the input of autistic people.”I can’t generalise, however numerous autistic people think in a different way, they’re not simply being led by style or convention, they’re thinking from first principles for themselves and might create an extremely fresh method of taking a look at something,”he said.The Cambridge donation comes against a background of a continued increase in autism diagnoses.
There was a nearly 800 %increase in the UK between 1998 and 2018 and, in 2024-2025 the number of cases of children described psychological health services with possible autism rose by nearly 50 %in a single year.Some argue that”over-diagnosis”is to blame, however Baron-Cohen dismissed the idea that individuals would look for a medical diagnosis in”a casual way”. His team is doing a pilot of whether GPs can identify autism as properly as professional recommendation centres, which he stated might”cut the waiting lists over night”.