ABSTRACT
Chapter 2 closed with the question, is it time for a new model of autism spectrum disorder (ASD)? The psychological and psychiatric constructs defining ASD today describe issues with social interactions in very narrow ways. The methods of inquiry about social and cognitive issues are more an art than a science. They have turned into a stumbling block in scientific advancement, preventing progress toward the discovery of possible causes linking early sensory-motor issues in neurodevelopment with differences in social exchange that emerge later in life. This chapter uses a seemingly simple social encounter to illustrate how, by adopting different perspectives, one can better appreciate and objectively quantify the complexity of the social dyad. Using the hypothetical accounts of a behaviorist, a physiologist, and a computational neuroscientist as they each describe the same encounter, we show that indeed there is more than meets the eye.
