I use critical phenomenological resources in Tetsurō Watsuji and Sarah Ahmed to explore the
spatial origin of some social impairments in Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD). I argue that a
critical phenomenological perspective puts pressure on the idea that social impairments in ASD
are exclusively (or even primarily) neurocognitive ...
I use critical phenomenological resources in Tetsurō Watsuji and Sarah Ahmed to explore the
spatial origin of some social impairments in Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD). I argue that a
critical phenomenological perspective puts pressure on the idea that social impairments in ASD
are exclusively (or even primarily) neurocognitive deficits that can be addressed by focusing on
cognitive factors internal to the autistic person — for example, training them to adopt a more
neurotypical approach to social cognition. Instead, I argue that the structure and character of
some neurotypical spaces may play a regulative role in shaping aspects of at least some of the
social impairments autistic people exhibit when they inhabit these spaces. I also briefly consider
some possible therapeutic applications of this critical phenomenological approach.