Daniel and mental health: Difference between revisions

His naïveté, poorly developed social skills, and the many [[meltdowns]] Daniel has are all common symptoms of ASD. Daniel has been speculated to have sensory issues, which is commonly seen among those with autism. This is evidenced by the fact that Daniel rarely, if ever, [[Hygiene|bathes]]. This has caused theories to form, speculating if Daniel may have hypersensitivity issues to bathing — meaning that he has an aversion to bathing due to the sensation and/or texture of it on his skin.  

As seen in the [[Tennyson Center|Tennyson Center Interview]], Daniel can be viewed "stimming" and fidgeting repeatedly with his hands, which is defined as, “repetitive movements or noises. Stimming seems to help some autistic children and teenagers manage emotions and cope with overwhelming situations."<ref>[https://raisingchildren.net.au/autism/behaviour/common-concerns/stimming-asd#:~:text=Stimming%20is%20repetitive%20movements%20or,replacing%20it%20with%20safer%20behaviour. https://raisingchildren.net.au/autism/behaviour/common-concerns/stimming-asd#:~:text=Stimming%20is%20repetitive%20movements%20or,replacing%20it%20with%20safer%20behaviour.]</ref>

Another, much more dangerous, symptom is his [[Self Harm|self harm]]. Daniel can be seen in several meltdowns hitting himself, punching holes in walls, screaming, wailing, and slamming his head into his hands. This may be his version of saying that he does not like what is going on around him, as that is a common reason people with autism self-harm this way.<ref name=":0">https://autism.org/causes-and-interventions-for-self-injury-in-autism/</ref> Even though this is often a way for people with autism to signal things, it has also been speculated that Daniel does this to simply garner sympathy. Self harming is, oftentimes, a learned behavior, and Daniel may have self harmed this way when he was younger to get the attention he wants.<ref name=":0" />

Contrary to popular beliefs, autism does not necessarily make someone automatically smart, nor does it increase someone's IQ (unlike the much more appropriate "Savant syndrome"). In fact, around 60-70% of all autistic person have <90 IQ and only 5% of autistic people have greater-than average IQ. It is also said that low-functioning autist (or classical autist) are most likely to get an intellectual disability. Its possible that Daniel Larson is between the mid to low functioning autism. However, he is definetly not high functioning autistic as most of the people who are high functioning typically live a normal adult life without needing any help.