Thirteenth International Conference on Interdisciplinary Social Sciences

Abstract

Neurodiversity is an emergent area of scholarship that views neurological differences as resulting from natural variations in the human genome. The continuum of neurodiversity encompasses a wide range of neurological differences including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), learning disabilities (LD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and various psychological disorders. Aligned with these neurodiversities are recurrent departures in both sensory processing behaviors and social communication patterns. The combination of these phenomena often results in impairments in social skills and difficulties in navigating new social environments, leading to potential academic failure, social isolation, and loss of employment. These individuals often require support to achieve positive social outcomes. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association describes social communication skills as the ability to vary speech style, take the perspective of others, understand and appropriately use the rules for verbal and nonverbal communication, and use the structural aspects of language (e.g., vocabulary, syntax, and phonology) to accomplish these goals. Understanding the nature of an individual’s approach to succeeding in social learning has become critical in today’s ever-changing world. This study identifies the challenges of social communication differences in a variety of neurodiverse populations and addresses the advantages of identifying associations between sensory processing patterns and social communication skills.