Autistic Thinking This Is The Title

To understand the ways people with autism think, Peter Vermeulen argues, we need to try to get inside their world. The latest scientific thinking is clearly explained, and illustrated by numerous personal accounts. This introductory book offers the reader a real window into the autistic mind and the very individual way in which it processes information. Honest and accessible, this book will be invaluable to anyone involved in the care of an autistic child.

Autism was only identified and recognised relatively recently, but even so one might have expected the church to have moved further in its thinking about how autistic thinking can contribute to the life of the church. At a time when churches exhibit a heightened awareness of ‘inclusion’ and recognition of difference in all manner of ways, it is startling how little attention is given to those who have autism. Drawn from extensive research amongst autistic worshippers, Autistic Thinking in the Life of the Church develops and explores a model in which churches can strengthen and retain the cognitive engagement of those worshippers in their congregations who are on the autistic spectrum.

What if our previous teachings and beliefs regarding processing stimuli, reading emotions and understanding human behaviour is all untrue? In this book, Peter Vermeulen investigates new findings on the predictive brain and what these insights mean for autism and current interventions. Recent research has shown that the classic ideas about how the human brain first needs to process incoming information about the world before it can react are no longer tenable. Rather, to survive in the volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous environment of modern society, what we need is a brain that predicts the world quickly and unconsciously, while taking proper account of the context. This book explains the new theories relating to the predictive brain, summarising some of the more recent highly technical research studies about the predictive mind and autism into as accessible and understandable language as possible. Shedding new light on the predictive brain and its relation to autism, the chapters lead readers to the inevitable conclusion that many of the current interventions used in connection with autism urgently need updating and outline possibilities for revising. This approachable book synthesises advanced research for professionals across disciplines working with people with autism spectrum disorder along with readers who have or have family members with ASD.

Offers the latest research and science on autism, including new neuroimaging and genetic research that provide new theories on what causes autism spectrum disorders as well as new ways to treat and diagnose them.

Challenging existing approaches to autism that limit, and sometimes damage, the individuals who attract and receive the label, this book questions the lazy prejudices and assumptions that can surround autism as a diagnosis in the 21st Century. Arguing that autism can only be understood through examining 'it' as a socially or culturally produced phenomenon, the authors offer a critique of the medical model that has produced a perpetually marginalising approach to autism, and explain the contradictions and difficulties inherent in existing attitudes. They examine and dispute the scientific validity of diagnosis and 'treatment', asking whether autism actually exists at the biological level, and question the value of diagnosis in the lives of those labelled with autism. The book recognises that there are no easy answers but encourages engagement with these essential questions, and looks towards service provision and practice that moves beyond a reliance on all-encompassing labels. This unique contribution to the growing field of critical autism studies brings together authors from clinical psychiatry, clinical and community psychology, social sciences, disability studies, education and cultural studies, as well as those with personal experiences of autism. It is essential and challenging reading for anyone with a personal, professional or academic interest in 'autism'.

Raising awareness and understanding of autism has school-wide benefits, such as helping to improve the attitudes of pupils and staff and allowing children with autism to thrive socially, emotionally and educationally alongside their peers. This comprehensive resource provides a whole school programme for raising autism awareness and promoting inclusion. It includes training for staff in the knowledge and skills they need to support pupils, a sample school assembly, and lesson plans for teaching groups of pupils to be 'autism champions'. This programme also offers photocopiable worksheets and online presentations to use as part of the staff training, school assembly and peer awareness lessons. There is advice for involving children with autism and their parents in school activities. Easily adaptable for different age groups, this is a ready-made resource for schools committed to promoting autism awareness and whole school welfare.

What is autism really like? Academic literature often defines autism in a clinical, pathology-orientated way, whereas personal testimony can tell health and social care professionals how it feels. This book presents personal accounts from people whose lives have been touched by the day-to-day realities of autism: people with autism, professionals who interact with them, their parents and their siblings. The stories are mostly told ‘straight’, with brief introductory comments and a few reflections at the end of each chapter. As Autism Programme Leader at the University of Cumbria for the past 13 years, Steve Mee is uniquely placed to compile such a book. He has met, and befriended, many people with autism and their families. Through listening to their stories, he has had moments of profound challenge and insight. In this book, he shares these personal narratives and what he has learnt from them. Reading these accounts will enable professionals to develop a real understanding of what it is like to live with autism, in all its nuanced detail. This in turn can provide vital insights into the impact (both positive and negative) of professional interventions.