Free webinar at 1 p.m. Eastern time (US), Wednesday, October 25, 2023
Learn about recent findings suggesting that autistic individuals may be more likely to anthropomorphize, the tendency to ascribe human-like attributes, such as mental states, to non-human agents, than non-autistic individuals, and how researchers are developing virtual and augmented reality techniques that allow for anthropomorphic experiences
Autism and Anthropomorphism
The speaker:
Gray Atherton, PhD, has a BSc in Child Development from Vanderbilt University, a Master’s in Counselling from University of Houston, and a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology and Individual Differences from University of Houston. She has previously lectured at University of Houston and the University of Wolverhampton. Prior to entering academia, Gray was a counselor for adolescents with neurodevelopmental conditions. “I am interested in understanding how people with autism spectrum condition see the social world. Specifically, I explore individual differences in social processing and how these differences often found in people with autism also exist in the general population. I also investigate anthropomorphism, or seeing the human in the non-human, and how this relates to social processing in autism. To investigate this I am developing virtual reality techniques that allow for anthropomorphic experiences. My other research interest lies more broadly in embodied social processing. I am particularly interested in how movement can affect the way we see ourselves and our social partners, and how this can be used to understand special populations.”
Creating a Well-Structured Classroom for Autism
Educational consultant Amy Moore Gaffney, M.A, discusses classroom strategies that can provide helpful support for students with autism. Handouts are online HERE About the
LGBTQIA+ and Autism
Contemporary research on the intersection of autism, sexuality, and gender identity asserts that autistic individuals are more likely to identify as LGBTQIA+ than the neurotypical population. Similarly, the prevalence of autism is
ASD Support: The Ins and Outs of Dating
Dr. Aarti Nair discusses the ins and outs of dating as it specifically applies to individuals with autism. She considers the need for teaching such skills to autistic adults and answers common questions
Understanding Social Development in ASD
Dr. Matthew D. Lerner, Ph.D., discusses social development in individuals with autism. He emphasizes understanding theoretical mechanisms that underly processes generally accepted as social “skills.” The presenter outlines recent findings and discusses their implication
Evidence Basis for Teaching Social Skills
Aarti Nair, Ph.D., is a postdoctoral fellow with the UCLA Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center and the UCLA PEERS® Clinic at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience
Social Skills
Presented by Mina Park, PhD at the Fall 2012 Autism Research Institute Conference In this interactive and lively presentation, Dr. Park provides an overview of PEERS, an empirically supported social skills program for