David Rawcliffe

Emotion is one of the key areas of diagnosis in ASD. So it is that the myth of people with ASD being non-emotional or at least having a flattening of emotional affect is perpetuated. The talk will examine how our emotions are developed and expressed. It further examines gender differences and how this has resulted in a bias of diagnosis towards males. This key note will look behind the mask of emotion, to see how the emotion of the person with ASD can be seen in their reactions to routines and to their sensory input. But then goes further, drawing on the science of positive psychology specifically around positive emotions and how this can be used to give the individual and their families an effective emotional toolbox.