We’re in the library today talking with autism researcher, Simon Baron-Cohen, about his new book, “The Pattern Seekers: How Autism Drives Human Invention.” In the book, he argues that understanding autism, and what he calls the Systemizing Mechanism to figure out why things are, is key to understanding the origins of and evolution of human creativity.
In this episode you will discover:
- What it means to be a hyper-systemizer and how it relates to difficulties in expressing empathy.
- The five brain types Baron-Cohen has identified in his research.
- How our education system is not designed for the hyper-systemizing brain and how we can teach the way our kids learn.
- The two kinds of empathy Baron-Cohen has identified in his research and how they affect social skills and relationships.
- The mental health implications for the hyper-systemizing brain.
- Discussion of the autism models of neurodiversity vs. disease, disorder and disability.
Meet Simon Baron-Cohen
Simon Baron-Cohen is professor of psychology and psychiatry and director of the Autism Research Centre at Cambridge University. He is the author of six hundred scientific articles and four books, including The Science of Evil and The Essential Difference.
Mentioned on the podcast:
- Join the conversation in our private Facebook group: Our Autism Blueprint Private Facebook Page
- Take the Brain Type quiz: yourbraintype.com
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