Can The World Afford Autistic Spectrum Disorder?
Nonverbal Communication, Asperger Syndrome and the Interbrain by Digby Tantam Ph.D. FRCDPsych reviewed by Enid Gort, Ph.D. People familiar with Asperger Syndrome and other Autistic Spectrum disorders often say that these conditions are marked by deficiencies in nonverbal communication. After making this judgment, they quickly move on to discussions of theory of mind, central coherence theory, or other theories they believe have equal or greater explanatory value. Digby Tantam, in his ground-breaking book, Can the World Afford Autistic Spectrum Disorder? Nonverbal Communication, Asperger Syndrome and the Interbrain, unequivocally states that “an impairment of nonverbal communication is the fundamental disability in anyone on the autistic spectrum.” By breaking down this blanket phrase, Tantam, Clinical Professor of Psychotherapy at Sheffield University, England, and an international expert on Asperger Syndrome, forces the reader to think deeply about the many aspects of nonverbal commun
Digby Tantam argues in this book that the world affords us a web of subliminal nonverbal communication that regulates our brains. It helps us understand whether our beliefs do or do not have social approval, and it generally guides us in our relations with others. People with autism do not seem to be influenced by these subliminal signals and this results in the difficulties in social interaction that are so characteristic of all the autistic spectrum disorders. How is such nonverbal communication carried out, and why do people on the autism spectrum find it so difficult? What are the consequences of this for them, and how do these consequences affect their personality, self-awareness, and sense of place in the world? Digby Tantam explores the latest theories on nonverbal communication and how it shapes social behaviour. He provides abundant evidence for it being impaired in people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). He shows how knowledge of this difference can be used to overcome so
Digby Tantam proposes that people are constantly updating and refining their understanding of the social world through the exchange of subtle non-verbal information. This unconscious flow of information between individuals creates a network which he considers to be analogous to the internet, hence his coinage of the term interbrain . Using this model, he suggests that impairments in non-verbal communication cause individuals with autism-spectrum disorder to have an inefficient connection to the interbrain and this, in turn, is what underlies the social and behavioural difficulties which characterise these conditions. The book unfolds in a logical and sensible manner, beginning with a thorough introduction to non-verbal communication. In subsequent chapters, Tantam carefully builds his argument by drawing on evidence from research and clinical practice, also discussing the possible biological underpinnings of his ideas. Finally, he covers the extended consequences of non-verbal communic
