Rethinking Autism: Implications of Sensory and Movement Differences for Understanding and Support
📄 Original study📌 Appears in:
Plain English Summary
This paper challenges how we think about autism. The traditional view says autistic people have deficits in social skills and communication — that they choose not to engage. Donnellan and colleagues argue that what looks like social withdrawal is often rooted in neurological differences in processing sensation and movement. Imagine wanting to wave hello but your body will not cooperate. One striking finding: motor skill at age 2 is the strongest predictor of losing an autism diagnosis by age 4, underscoring how central movement is to the whole picture. The paper urges a shift from controlling autistic behavior to accommodating sensory and movement differences instead.
Research Notes
Foundational theoretical piece for Folder 11: provides the neurological rationale for why autistics may appear socially uninterested without being so, directly supporting Jaswal & Akhtar (2019) and Weiler-Woollacott (2025). Originally published in Disability Studies Quarterly (2010); reprinted with expansion in Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience (2013). PDF mislabelled in library ("Leveraging_Autism") but verified to contain the Rethinking paper.
Challenges the traditional definition of autism as a triad of deficits in social interaction, communication, and imaginative play, arguing that neurological differences in sensory and movement systems account for many behaviours previously interpreted as volitional social withdrawal. Drawing on Thelen's dynamic systems theory, neuroscience literature, and self-advocate testimonials, the paper proposes that difficulties initiating, stopping, or switching sensation and movement underlie the social presentation of autism. Motor skill at age 2 is the strongest predictor of losing the autism diagnosis by age 4. Recommends accommodation of sensory-movement differences rather than behavioural control.
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Related Papers
Same Research Program
- Harnessing Repetitive Behaviours to Engage Attention and Learning in a Novel Therapy for Autism: An Exploratory Analysis — Chen, Grace Megumi (2012)
- Being versus Appearing Socially Uninterested: Challenging Assumptions about Social Motivation in Autism — Jaswal, Vikram K (2019)
- Eye-Tracking Reveals Agency in Assisted Autistic Communication — Jaswal, Vikram K (2020)
- Rethinking Communication and Consciousness: Lessons from The Telepathy Tapes Podcast — Weiler, Marina (2025)
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📋 Cite this paper
Donnellan, Anne M, Hill, David A, Leary, Martha R (2013). Rethinking Autism: Implications of Sensory and Movement Differences for Understanding and Support. Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnint.2012.00124
@article{donnellan_2013_rethinking,
title = {Rethinking Autism: Implications of Sensory and Movement Differences for Understanding and Support},
author = {Donnellan, Anne M and Hill, David A and Leary, Martha R},
year = {2013},
journal = {Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience},
doi = {10.3389/fnint.2012.00124},
}