Neurocognitive Variety in Neurotypical Environments: The Source of “Deficit” in Autism

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Legault, M., Bourdon, J. N., & Poirier, P. (2019). Neurocognitive Variety in Neurotypical Environments: The Source of “Deficit” in Autism. Journal of Behavioral and Brain Science, 09(06), 246-272. https://doi.org/10.4236/jbbs.2019.96019

Publication date: 1 Jan 2019 Added to AutiHub: 6 Jul 2026 Type: Article Article language: English
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Authors

Publication authors
3
Publication authors identified as autistic
1 / 3 (33.3%)
  1. Mylène Legault *
  2. Jean-Nicolas Bourdon
  3. Pierre Poirier

Abstract

As recent developments in autism research offer alternative explanations to the mainstream options, it can now be argued that the so-called cognitive deficits in the social domain associated with autism have been mischaracterized or, at least, oversimplified. We will use predictive models within a 4E (i.e., embodied, embedded, enactive and extended) conception of cognition to address the question of cognitive impairment in psychiatrics and autism. Such models force us to reassess what “cognitive deficit” means by integrating the environment not only in its usual sense (evo-developmental), but by understanding all cognitive performances as embedded in environments (or fields of affordances) that shape and sustain them. By adopting a predictive 4E perspective, we aim to show that the “cognitive deficits” associated with autism are in fact mismatches between environmental resources and the particular form of neurological functioning of autistic people (neurodiversity), brought about by the fact that the cultural niches that set up the relevant fields of affordances are structured by and for neurotypicals. This mismatch leads to epistemic injustices, both testimonial and hermeneutic, that feed back into research on autism and clinical approaches, thereby making the “deficits” appear based on individual shortcomings. In this context, autism interventions should partly focus on the development of social policies aimed at modifying those aspects of cultural niches that make environments unsuitable for the full development of all individuals.

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Cited references
73
Total cited references integrated for this publication.
Cited references with an identified autistic author
3 / 73 (4.1%)
Cited author occurrences identified as autistic
3 / 131 (2.3%)
Among occurrences linked to AutiHub author records: 3 / 32 (9.4%). Distinct cited authors identified as autistic: 3 / 116 (2.6%).
Cited author occurrences linked to AutiHub author records
32 / 131 (24.4%)
Distinct linked cited authors: 26 / 116 (22.4%)
Linked cited-author occurrences not identified as autistic
29 / 32 (90.6%)
Among linked cited-author occurrences only. Across all cited-author occurrences: 29 / 131 (22.1%). Distinct linked cited authors not identified as autistic: 23 / 26 (88.5%).
2 cited bibliography entries could not be fully enriched from DOI metadata.
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