Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-8ctnn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T07:26:18.032Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Autistic people may lack social motivation, without being any less human

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 July 2019

Sue Fletcher-Watson
Affiliation:
Patrick Wild Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH10 5HF, United Kingdom. sue.fletcher-watson@ed.ac.ukcatherine.crompton@ed.ac.ukwww.dart.ed.ac.uk
Catherine J. Crompton
Affiliation:
Patrick Wild Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH10 5HF, United Kingdom. sue.fletcher-watson@ed.ac.ukcatherine.crompton@ed.ac.ukwww.dart.ed.ac.uk

Abstract

In arguing that autistic people are socially motivated, Jaswal & Akhtar miss the opportunity to puncture the notion that social motivation is a prerequisite for humanity. Instead, we contend that some autistic people may indeed find social interactions to be unmotivating and that this doesn't have to be seen as a problem.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2019 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Calder, L., Hill, V. & Pellicano, E. (2013) ‘Sometimes I want to play by myself:’ Understanding what friendship means to children with autism in mainstream primary schools. Autism 17(3):296316. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1362361312467866.Google Scholar
Faso, D. J., Sasson, N. J. & Pinkham, A. E. (2015) Evaluating posed and evoked facial expressions of emotion from adults with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders 45(1):7589.Google Scholar
Neumann, D., Spezio, M. L., Piven, J. & Adolphs, R. (2006) Looking you in the mouth: Abnormal gaze in autism resulting from impaired top-down modulation of visual attention. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience 1(3):194202.Google Scholar