Understanding visual consciousness in autism spectrum disorders.
Frontiers in human neuroscience January 1, 2015 Tal Yatziv, Hilla Jacobson 3 citations
Perceptual differences between autistic and typically developing individuals do not stem from a deficiency in basic phenomenal consciousness—the raw, immediate experience of the world. Instead, the atypicality is cognitive and conceptual, affecting how perceptual objects are integrated with concepts. Drawing on three-level processing models, the paper argues that the second level of perceptual processing, which supports viewer-centered visual representations and early integration (the mark of phenomenal consciousness), is typical in autism. The third, more cognitive level, which integrates perceptual objects with concepts, is atypical. Thus, autistic individuals likely have similar basic perceptual experiences but differ in cognitive access to those experiences.