Matthew Belmonte is a reader in psychology at Nottingham Trent University who researches the behavior and neurophysiology of autistic individuals.[1] He has studied the behavioral aspects of autism by providing subjects with videogames that measure several perceptual properties.[2] Belmonte has received a $700,000 National Science Foundation grant to study this aspect, and uses MRI and EEG technology to measure brain activity of autistic and non-autistic individuals. He has an older brother with autism, and both have a fascination with order and regularity.[3] In his essay 'Life Without Order: Literature, Psychology, and Autism', Belmonte stated that he was inspired to pursue a career in science because of his need for a single right answer.[4]
Matthew Belmonte | |
|---|---|
| Born | Matthew Belmonte |
| Nationality | British |
| Known for | The Com DEALL Trust |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Neuroscience |
| Institutions | Nottingham Trent University |
| Website | Official website |
Belmonte stated that repetitive behaviors of autistic people are usually associated with nonsocial phenomena as a protection against chaos, claiming that weakened neural connectivity interferes with narrative linkage.[5] Specifically, weakened connections are in the areas of perception, attention, and memory.[6][7] He has claimed that being a scientist and being autistic are both "compulsions to order", but the thought processes of a scientist are more abstract than thought processes of an autistic.[8] He has written that the autistic mind is more at ease with an orderly environment, where the expectations are known in advance.[9]
Dr. James T. Todd, a professor of psychology, has criticized Belmonte for believing that Tito Mukhopadhyay, a non-verbal autistic individual, can independently write as Belmonte did not explain why the lack of someone touching Tito while writing guarantees authorship, and that simply using a keyboard at a basic level is not difficult.[10]
Belmonte has criticized the neurodiversity movement; Alissa Quart mentions his concerns when she summarizes the view of many parents that the neurodiversity movement is a "dangerous distraction" that could interfere with parents' search for help.[11]
References
edit- ^ "Matthew Belmonte Nottingham Trent University". www.ntu.ac.uk. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
- ^ Gold, Lauren. "Belmonte uses video games to explore facets of autism | Cornell Chronicle". Cornell Chronicle. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
- ^ Kernis, Jay. "Intriguing people for January 29, 2010 - CNN.com". CNN. Retrieved 10 November 2016.
- ^ Jacobs, Barbara (2003). Loving Mr. Spock : understanding an aloof lover. Arlington, Tex.: Future Horizons. ISBN 9781932565201.
- ^ Quayson, Ato (2007). Aesthetic nervousness disability and the crisis of representation. New York: Columbia University Press. p. 156. ISBN 978-0231511179.
- ^ Wexler, Alice (29 January 2016). Autism in a Decentered World. Psychology Press. p. 37. ISBN 9781317594338. Retrieved 10 November 2016.
- ^ Osteen, Mark (26 April 2010). Autism and Representation. Routledge. ISBN 9781135911485. Retrieved 10 November 2016.
- ^ Cowen, Tyler (2010). The age of the infovore succeeding in the information economy. New York: Plume. ISBN 978-1101432990. Retrieved 10 November 2016.
- ^ Cumberland, Debra; Mills, Bruce (2010). Siblings and Autism Stories Spanning Generations and Cultures. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. ISBN 9780857002952. Retrieved 10 November 2016.
- ^ Todd, James T. (2015). Controversial Therapies for Autism and Intellectual Disabilities: Fad, Fashion, and Science in Professional Practice. Routledge. p. 375. ISBN 9781317623830. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
- ^ Quart, Alissa (2013). Republic of outsiders the power of amateurs, dreamers, and rebels. New York: New Press, The. ISBN 978-1595588944. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
External links
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