Autism and The Predictive Brain

'Peter Vermeulen makes accessible our understanding of how the brain works. Using vivid examples, he unpacks the theory to better explain the difficulties that autistic people experience in the uncertain and unpredictable world of everyday life. His recommendations for autistic people, parents, and practitioners are startling as well as compelling, a rare match between theory and practice.' - Uta Frith, DBE FRS FBA FmedSci, Emeritus Professor of Cognitive Development, University College London 'After reading this book, my first reaction was: what a positively written book. It reflects my opinion and experience as an autistic person. Nowhere is it absolutely stated that people with autism cannot do something at all. This innovative book radiates a lot of strength, hope and optimism.' - Sam Peeters, Autistic Self-Advocate, Author and Blogger, Belgium 'Translating cutting-edge research and complex theories into clear and useful information is challenging. Reading Peter's book is not. It offers opportunity to understand human thinking and behaviour in new and thought-provoking ways. In the context of autism, it provides new insights that can support autistic people, parents and professionals to deal with the everyday challenges of autism.' - Dr. Marita Falkmer, Associate Professor, School of Education and Communication, CHILD, Swedish Institute for Disability Research, Joenkoeping University, Gjuterigatan, Sweden and Dr. Torbjoern Falkmer, Emeritus Professor, Curtin University, Perth, Australia 'Peter Vermeulen does it again! Vermeulen, more than most any other professional in the field of autism, has changed how we understand the autistic neurology. I thought it impossible that he could surpass the brilliance of Context Blindness, but I was wrong. This book on prediction provides new and much needed insights into how individuals on the spectrum react to and understand the world. To say this book is a "must-read" may sound trite, but this book is essential if you want to understand autism!' - Brenda Smith Myles, PhD, Speaker and Author 'Peter Vermeulen has written another game-changing work that is sure to fundamentally shift how we understand autism. Just as he did in Autism as Context Blindness, Vermeulen makes an important but complex theory accessible, relatable and even often entertaining to read about. Drawing from the latest findings in neuroscience, he demonstrates the startling differences in how autistic and non-autistic people's brains respond to predictions and explores the dramatic implications of these findings for better understanding the incredible strengths and also very real challenges for autistic people living in a complex and ambiguous world. Readers are sure to look at social, sensory and communication differences in a whole new light, and will be equipped with autism-friendly approaches of offering greater predictability and certainty to reduce "uncertainty stress" and increase well-being for the autistic people in their lives.' - Aaron Lanou, MSED, Special Educator, Inclusive Education Consultant, and Former Director of ASD Nest at New York University's Steinhardt School, New York City, US 'In this fascinating, accessible and fitting sequel to Autism as Context Blindness, Peter Vermeulen discusses how the autistic brain anticipates and processes uncertainty, and how this contributes to the "characteristics" of autism. In juxtaposing established theories of autism, and the psychology of human biases, important questions are raised about the prevailing autism narrative and the way autism is framed. In so doing, Vermeulen challenges many of the common heuristics about what is helpful to autistic people, and even of the nature of autism itself.' - Richard Mills, Associate Consultant & Adviser to the Board, AT-Autism 'This book uses established, innovative research about the human brain and relates it to real world experiences. Peter applies his wealth of knowledge to focu

Peter Vermeulen, PhD, is an internationally respected lecturer/trainer in the field of autism and has written several books. In 2019, Peter received the Passwerk Lifetime Achievement Award for his more than 30 years of work in the autism field in Belgium.

Foreword Introduction 1. The predictive brain 2. The predictive brain and autism 3. The predictive brain and sensory processing in autism 4. The predictive brain and navigating in social traffic 5. The predictive brain and communication 6. The predictive brain and autism: what now? Notes References Index