Your Anxious Child Context Blindness and What Really Works for Children with Autism: Interview with Peter Vermeulen
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Sep 4, 2024 Peter Vermeulen, an internationally recognized expert on autism and author of over 15 books, discusses his groundbreaking hypothesis of context blindness as a core feature of autism. He explores how understanding this concept can illuminate the unusual fears and behaviors seen in autistic individuals. Vermeulen emphasizes the importance of predictability during medical procedures and effective strategies for enhancing contextual awareness in children. He also highlights how nurturing their unique interests can link to practical skills, fostering both competence and happiness.
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Behavior Reflects Processing, Not Identity
- Behavior is a consequence, not the essence, of autism, so ask why a behavior occurs.
- Understanding underlying processing gives clearer, tailored responses than just correcting behavior.
Context Blindness Explains Odd Responses
- Autistic people often struggle to use context to assign meaning, a concept Peter Vermeulen calls context blindness.
- Without context, details become absolute rules, causing confusion and unexpected behavior.
Push The Context Button
- Do "push the context button": clarify situations with visuals and concrete details to reduce confusion.
- You don't need special credentials to make contexts explicit for autistic children.
