The Autism Society Event and Education Recordings Archive

Richard Howlin (2003) paired the terms Asperger Syndrome and “Social Dyslexia.” The concept aptly captures the experience of many college students with ASD. Dyslexia is a disorder that poses familiar challenges in reading—specifically developing the ability to derive meaning from print symbols. The process of reading involves increasingly fluent decoding and comprehension of sounds and symbols. The struggling reader fails to develop automatic access to a lexicon of words and their associated meanings. We posit a parallel “social lexicon” that underlies decoding and comprehension of interpersonal interaction. Human communication is based on understanding of these dual codes. Social dyslexia or failure to develop automaticity in accessing the meanings of interaction may be at the core of ASD.

“Social Thinking,” as used by Michelle Garcia Winner, defines a behavior used to think as a social being in interpersonal interaction.  Most neurotypicals develop this skill naturally; however, the use of Social Thinking may be a skill that must be explicitly taught to individuals with ASD. When Social Thinking is impaired by Social Dyslexia, how do we as college service providers accommodate?

College is an extremely social (and sociable) environment. The typical college student navigates the social atmosphere with aplomb, and seldom thinks about how to be social. Traditional college-age students are social-seeking older adolescents by their very nature (Robinson & Tower, 1988). Living with others of similar age and interest, and meeting lifelong friends and prospective mates are the social goals of most college students. This is not the luxury for many students with ASD.

Students on the autism spectrum are strangers in the land of Social Thinking. This Social Dyslexia is at once debilitating and can be very depressing. The inability to understand how other students comprehend the social landscape without being directed is a course of constant struggle, very similar to the frustration accessing the written word for students with dyslexia.

This session will look at the concept of Social Dyslexia and apply Social Thinking for college students with autism spectrum disorders. According to Michelle Garcia Winner, “Social Thinking is required before the development of social skills. Successful Social Thinkers consider the points of view, emotions, thoughts, beliefs, prior knowledge and intentions of others (this is often called perspective-taking - considering the perspectives of others). This is for most of us an intuitive process. We can determine the meanings behind the messages communicated by others and how to respond to them within milliseconds to three seconds. Social Thinking occurs everywhere, when we talk, share space, walk down the street, even when we read a novel and relate to our pets. It is an intelligence that integrates information across home, work and community settings - something we usually take for granted!” (Michelle Garcia Winner, 2009).

Therefore, college students on the autism spectrum have an innate problem negotiating life on a college campus, solely due to the social nature of higher education. This session will introduce the concepts of Social Dyslexia and Social Thinking, and demonstrate how disability service professionals can assist students in developing these skills that are so crucial to success in college.