Question

Ted is a mildly autistic adult who has difficulty empathizing with the feelings of others and inferring what emotions another person might be experiencing. Some theorists would speculate that this is because Ted has:

Answer 1

Answer:

Some theorists would speculate that this is because Ted has: a broken limbic system.

Explanation:

The limbic system is the set of interconnected structures that mediate emotions, learning and memory. Autism is a spectrum of disorders characterized by severe, permanent and profound developmental deficits that affect socialization, communication, imagination and behavior, among other things. According to research, there is presence of specific damage to the limbic system in patients with autism, particularly in the amygdala and hippocampus. The amygdala controls aggression and emotions. Many autistic individuals are aggressive towards themselves or others, or conversely, extremely passive. Also, autistic children and adults often seem to have no emotions. In addition, the amygdala responds to a variety of sensory stimuli, such as sounds, sights, and smells; as well as stimuli related to fear and emotions. We know that autistic individuals often have problems with each of these senses. The presence of densely packed neuronal bodies in the amygdala and hippocampus of people with autism probably interferes with the formation of brain networks and hinders communication between neurons in different areas. Damage appears to occur during the prenatal stage of development. This finding reinforces the theory that autism has an early prenatal origin, and probably genetic.