How to Understand Autism – The Easy Way

Alex Durig received a Ph.D. in the social psychology of perception from Indiana University in 1992, where he was awarded a National Institute of Mental Health post-doctoral fellowship and spent two years as a visiting professor. Alex then spent 5 years as a professor at California State University, San Marcos. His first book, Autism and the Crisis of Meaning, was published in 1996. He has published in numerous academic journals, and has co-authored an article in the Encyclopedia of Sociology. Alex speaks publicly to healthcare professionals, psychologists, sociologists, linguists, and families whose lives have been impacted by autism. Alex retired from full-time teaching in 1999, and now lives in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida where he dedicates his time to research, writing, and public speaking.

• Introduction. 1. Social thinking and computer thinking. 2. How social thinking and computer thinking work together. 3. Exploring the experience of autism. 4. How to begin communicating with autistic people. 5. How we are all autistic to one extent or another.6. The practical side of understanding autism: tips for teaching and interacting with autistic people. Conclusion. References. Index.

In How to Understand Autism - The Easy Way, Alex Durig challenges the deficit approach that has highlighted autism for the last fifty years. Instead of being viewed in terms of its shortcomings Durig focuses on the positive aspects of ASD.