Re: Autism Spectrum Disorders as Context Blindness - a Link to the Book itself

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Good find!

A very easy Internet search gives ya: http://www.aapcpublishing.net/book/view/693/autism-as-context-blindness Autism Asperger Publishing Company has snagged a real winner in Vermeulen's book. He's an author best known on the continent rather than in this country, since we have "learning psychologists" whose real expertise isn't learning at all, but rather expertise in boosting their egos in very open competition on the American market. They could care less about the universality of their findings or whether they'er even valid at all, and this is a peculiarly American treat in the field as a whole. Ever since Piaget came up with his now partially discredited theses about how children learn, the Europeans have been far advanced over their British and American counterparts, especially if they're in Switzerland, or in some relatively innocuous backwater, where they've been free to develop perfectly common-sense theories and test them out bit by bit. Vermeulen is well-respected on the Continent, but he doesn't like to travel and isn't actively looking for any kind of a star following. Incidentally, on the Continent, the Belgians have consistently "got it right." Remaining low key is, for example, how Lorna Wing and her colleagues -- among them Uta Frith and Judith Gould -- came up with the Diagnostic Interview for Social Communication, the only meticulously researched and validated autism diagnostic instrument requiring rigorous and disciplined training before it can be administered. That's why arrogant member of the psychological community in the US continue to "boycott" learning about the DISCO which requires going to the UK to get trained in its administration. Incidentally, due to the same degree of caution and care in research came some of the best observations about sensory issues by Olga Bogdashina, who's really become more of a Brit than an Eastern European over the past ten years or so, but of the conservative research and findings school more connected with the University of London rather than the "flash and gee-whiz" school at Cambridge headed by Baron-Cohen. Before Kingsley recently turned her interest into other areas than autism, shehad been a strong but low-keysupporter of Vermeulen's work and interest, as has Tony Attwood, and since Tony is still itinerant but is now settling down to more of a senior status as a faculty member of a couple of Australian universities, we're likely to see more of the mature observations of both Vermeulen and Attwood in the area of cognition and autism, something we Americans still can't seem to get right because of all the infighting and backbiting that's endemic in our academy.. If someone on the list can afford the twenty five bucko's the book costs, please do consider buying it and give it some kind of review here. I might very well call up Myles, the publisher of AAPC to find out whether he could send me a review copy, but that might be a long shot. The one thing Vermeulen and Frith have done is to come up with a different way of framing cognition so that and now Judity Beck's Cognitive Behavioral Therapy can be more practically shorn of its obsessive features and trappings of American psychodynamic obeisance to classical and neo-classical Freudian clinical technique. If Attwood and Gaus can see their way clear of that type of clutter, maybe there's some hope for developing short-term, practical "re-thinking" work in cognitive behavioral approaches that are affordable, short-term, and whose effectiveness can be quickly ascertained before they entirely bankrupt clients and patients.

Therapy that's effective is distinctly NOT one size fits all when it comes to adult autism.

N. Meyer

Grumpy out on the West Coast but delighted to read 's "find."

Autism Spectrum Disorders as Context Blindness > >Greetings: > >I saw this book and concept on another list. > >Comments? > > > > >------------------------------------ > > "We each have our own way of living in the world, together we are like a symphony. >Some are the melody, some are the rhythm, some are the harmony >It all blends together, we are like a symphony, and each part is crucial. >We all contribute to the song of life." > ...Sondra > > We might not always agree; but TOGETHER we will make a difference. > > ASPIRES is a closed, confidential, moderated list. >Responsibility for posts to ASPIRES lies entirely with the original author. > Do NOT post mail off-list without the author's permission. > When in doubt, please refer to our list rules at: > http://www.aspires-relationships.com/info_rules.htm > ASPIRES ~ Climbing the mountain TOGETHER > http://www.aspires-relationships.com >