Autism and the Foundations of Language and Communication

The aim of the conference is to bring together researchers interested in developmental disorders - particularly Autism Spectrum Disorder - and also in meta–representation, language, meaning and thought, to investigate data and theories of interdisciplinary concern.   Contributions are welcome from researchers in the disciplines of psychology, philosophy and (psycho)linguistics.

Speakers include:

Deirdre Wilson (University College London)

Naomi Eilan (University of Warwick)

Luca Surian (University of Trento, Italy)

Melissa Allen (Lancaster University)

Mikhail Kissine (Université Libre de Bruxelles)

Catherine Wearing (Wellesley College, USA)

Jean Quigley (Trinity College Dublin)

The conference will address (but is not limited to) issues such as:

•              The link between pragmatics and mindreading in autism

•              Challenges to or support for Relevance theory in the psychological data on autism.

•              Autism as a purported counterexample to theories of meaning (cf, Laurence 1998 and Glüer & Pagin 2003)

•              Symbolic understanding of words in toddlers and children with autism

•              The role of joint attention in linguistic development

•              The role of perspective taking in linguistic development

•              The origins of the sense of the objective nature of reality.  

The conference is open to all but places are limited – registration via email confirming intent to attend will be required. Registration emails should be sent to: [email protected]. Further information will be released shortly, and all information will be available on the conference website (which will be online soon). 

The conference is in association with, and supported by:  the Trinity Long Room Hub Arts and Humanities Research Institute, the School of Psychology in TCD, the School of Social Sciences and Philosophy in TCD, the Department of Clinical Speech and Language Studies, the Department of Philosophy and the National College of Ireland.

Organising committee

Irene Walsh (Clinical Speech and Language Studies), Caroline Jagoe (Clinical Speech and Language Studies), Jean Quigley (Psychology), Sinéad McNally (Psychology), James Levine (Philosophy), and Meredith Plug (Philosophy).