Strategies for Success: Autism as Context Blindness with Dr. Peter Vermeulen 

Anyone wanting to support people with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) needs to understand how people on the spectrum perceive and understand the world.  We need to see beyond their behavior and try to understand where that behavior comes from. 

In this workshop, we will present a framework that helps us to gain a deeper understanding of the typical information-processing style in ASD: context blindness.  The concept of context blindness unifies the existing cognitive models in autism (theory of mind/extreme male brain, executive functioning, and central coherence) and offers a unique and practical understanding of autism.  For example, difficulty seeing and understanding context may explain why people with autism have difficulties with communication, social interaction, as well as flexible thinking and behavior in daily life

Session 1:

Why Autism Is Like an Iceberg and Why a Rabbit Can Also Be a Duck

The focus of this session is on understanding autism from within – the “outside” and the “inside” of ASD – as well as the “why” of autistic behaviors: the autistic way of processing information as the bridge between brain and behavior.

Finally, we will explore the role of contextual sensitivity in the human brain, in particular why context is pivotal in understanding the world around us, what context is, why we need it and how we use it.  Experience you own contextual sensitivity!

Session 2:

Why We Don’t Need Faces to Recognize Emotions and Why Some People Put a Parrot on Their Head

This session will highlight the following:

• What if you miss the context?  ASD as context blindness

• Consequences of context blindness on sense making and giving meaning to the world around us

• Consequences of context blindness on social cognition (e.g., understanding emotions) and social interaction

Session 3:

Why People Never Say What They Mean, Why You Never Know When “Later” Is, and Why Even Pictures Can Be Confusing

The consequences of context blindness on communication, both verbal and nonverbal, will be discussed along with context blindness as an explanation for the routines and rituals in ASD.

Session 4:

Why Pushing the Context Button Is the Cornerstone of Autism-Friendly Behavior and Support

In this conclusion session, we will look at the implications of context blindness for instructional lessons and approaches in autism.  How can we deal with context blindness?  Autism-friendly teaching style and communication: pushing the context button!