Differential Diagnosis of Autism

Abstract

A diagnosis without knowing cause is merely a label that creates the illusion of understanding. Autism is over-diagnosed and now includes a spectrum of conditions of uncertain similarity, primarily because professionals diagnose by ticking off symptoms on a checklist with minimal understanding of cause and effect. This study (a) identifies the unique and defining characteristic of autism that is responsible for all its observed traits, (b) maps the neurophysiological differences between an autistic brain and a neurotypical brain, (c) explains the neuropsychological differences between autism and conditions that are often mistaken for it, and (d) provides a litmus test whereby you can determine if someone suspected of being autistic has been correctly diagnosed. Autism is caused by a dysfunctional cingulate gyrus (CG) that keeps a person’s attention fixated in the left frontal lobe, the logical/analytical part of the brain.