Encounters with the neurotypical world

Do you struggle to understand vague and imprecise instructions?

Have you ever said exactly what you meant and offended people or not been believed?

Do people find you disconcerting, even when you follow the "small talk script" correctly?

Here we will dip into some research on how different neurotypes perceive and communicate (or fail to communicate) with one another.

We will focus on two papers and use these as a springboard for further discussions. The first is a research paper that investigates the initial impressions that neurotypical observers have when interacting with their autistic peers (Sasson et al., 2017). The second is a more philosophical paper that describes the 'double empathy problem' of differing experiences of the world and mutual incomprehension that can occur between autistic and non-autistic people (Milton, 2012).

There will be space to share your own experiences, if you choose to, ask questions, and learn from other attendees. Come along and join the discussion, or just sit back and take it all in.

You can find links to the two papers below. Please read them if you are interested. However, it is not essential as we will break them down during the talk.
Noah J. Sasson et al., (2017) "Neurotypical Peers are Less Willing to Interact with Those with Autism based on Thin Slice Judgments."
Damian E.M. Milton, (2012) "On the ontological status of autism: the ‘double empathy problem’."

You do not need a formal diagnosis to attend. Newcomers are welcome!

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