DISCUSSION FORUM

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Hi, I just want to first say how wonderful this site is. Its fantastic. Your video library and panal of expert interviews with a focus of three essential learnings is outstanding!

Are you still doing the question and answer spots with Dr. Attwood? And if you are, I have a question I would like you to consider asking Dr. Attwood.

There is one aspect of Asperger's Syndrome that I would ask him to clarify if he could. Individuals with Asperger's Syndrome are extremely perceptive of all the little details of things, whereas neurotypicals tend to focus on the "big picture". My question is this:

Why don't individuals with Aspergers Syndrome notice the details of social interaction? Such as facial expressions, voice intonation and such? Why do they miss these details and only focus on the spoken word with no regard for the intricate details of the conversation? Is this a matter of either brain chemestry or brain biology in a specific section of the brain? Or are individuals so intensily interested in only the spoken word that they overlook the non verbal conversational cues?

When I ask this I am mainly thinking of the dramatic case of Dr. Grandin where she sees the detail of things, she notices intricate details, and has such amazing insight, but being a person with autism, she misses facial expressions, non-verbal cues and such. How is this area of detail so elusive to the individual with an autism spectrum disorder?

I have just had the pleasure of listening to Dr. Attwood speak at the autsim conference in Colorado. I look forward to seeing him again at future conferences.

Thank you for considering this question,
Barbara Zayas


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