Core Challenges of Autism

Bill Nason, an American clinical psychologist, «a humanistic behaviourist» as as he calls himself, tells us about the differences in the means of functioning between people with autistic spectrum disorders and neurotypi¬cal people. The second chapter of his Blue book «Autism Discussion Page» is devoted to the peculiarities in processing of cognitive information of the individuals with the autistic spectrum. B. Nason divides all cogni¬tive difficulties in autism into three main categories: 1. Information processing difficulties, 2. Rigid, inflexible thinking, and 3. Executive functioning difficulties. While working through each of these aspects in a simple and detailed way the author emphasizes on the respect and acceptance of the peculiarities of people who func¬tion differently, not worse and not better than us, just in a different way. Each feature of cognitive functioning has both its pluses and minuses. The main thing is to be aware of them and to learn to use them properly, turn¬ing weaknesses into strengths and gifts.