Peter Clive Mundy | |
---|---|
Born | United States |
Nationality | American |
Occupation(s) | Developmental psychologist and an academic |
Academic background | |
Education | B.A. psychology M.S. developmental psychology PhD developmental psychology |
Alma mater | Stockton State University University of Miami |
Academic work | |
Institutions | University of California,Davis |
Peter Clive Mundy is an American developmental psychologist and an academic. He is an emeritus Distinguished Professor of education and psychiatry at University of California,Davis. [1]
Mundy is most known for his works in child clinical psychology,and neurodevelopmental disorders. Among his authored works are his publications in academic journals,including Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders [2] as well as a book titled Autism and Joint Attention:Development,Neuroscience,and Clinical Fundamentals,The Guilford Press.
Mundy completed his BA in Psychology from Stockton State University in 1976,followed by an M.S. in developmental psychology from the University of Miami in 1979. Later,in 1981,he earned his PhD in developmental psychology from the same institution. [1]
Mundy began his academic career in 1981 at the University of California,Los Angeles (UCLA),where he held several positions. From 1991 to 1996,he assumed the role of associate professor of psychology and pediatrics at the University of Miami,subsequently being appointed as a professor of psychology and pediatrics from 1996 to 2007 at the same institution. From 2008 to 2023,he served as the professor and Lisa Capps Chair in Neurodevelopmental Disorders and Education at the UC Davis M.I.N.D. Institute,while concurrently holding a position as a Distinguished Professor of education and psychiatry from 2017 to 2023. Since 2024,he has held the title of emeritus Distinguished Professor of education and psychiatry at UC Davis. [1]
Mundy served as the director of the Psychological Services Center in the Department of Psychology at the University of Miami from 1991 to 1999. Concurrently,he held appointments as the vice-president of International Society for Autism Research between 1997 and 1998,founding director of the Center for Autism and Related Disabilities from 1993 to 2007. He developed the Marino Autism Research Institute at the University of Miami,serving as its founding director from 2005 to 2007. Subsequently,he was appointed as the director for Educational Research at UC Davis M.I.N.D Institute from 2008 to 2023. During this time,he concurrently served as the associate dean for Academic Personnel and Research in the School of Education at UC Davis from 2016 to 2019. He also held an appointment as the president of International Society of Autism Research between 2019 and 2021. [3]
In his early research from 1979 to 1981,Mundy concentrated on assessing and aiding children with intricate developmental disabilities at the Linda Ray Intervention Center,part of the Mailman Center at the University of Miami. Alongside Jeff Siebert and Ann Hogan,he contributed to shaping the Early Social Communication Scales (ESCS). [4] This development influenced the understanding of autism spectrum development,particularly in terms of early social attention and cognitive distinctions as well as the design of the Autism Diagnostic Observation Scale 2. [5] In 1981,he began his autism research at UCLA where he examined how differences in nonverbal indicating behaviors are a key characteristic distinguishing young autistic children from typically developing children and a control group,suggesting it as a significant marker in diagnosing autism. [6] Specifically,he explored differences in social interactions between young autistic children and typically developing or intellectually disabled peers,highlighting a significant difference social attention coordination behaviors among autistic children during interactions with caregivers. [7] His 1990 collaborative work with M Sigman and C Kasari investigated the correlation between gestural joint attention skills and language development in autistic children compared to children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). The study found deficits in gestural joint attention skills in autistic children and identified gestural nonverbal joint attention as a significant predictor of language development in this group. [8] Furthermore,he also examined how autistic children,compared to typically developing children with IDD,demonstrated difficulties in displaying positive affect during joint attention situations,suggesting a link between joint attention deficits and disturbances in motivation and the experience of a sense of intersubjectivity. [9]
Mundy,in his 1994 research examined joint attention deficits in autistic children,particularly focusing on nonverbal aspects and their relationship to cognitive abilities,symptom presentation,and parental observations of social and communication-related symptoms,suggesting that deficits in children's tendency to initiate bids for joint attention may be the most pronounced and consistent across developmental levels than their tendency to respond to joint attention bids. [10] Later in 1998,he explored the relationship between individual differences in joint attention skills,particularly following gaze and pointing,and their predictive role in receptive language development,while also exploring whether various joint attention skills reflect distinct or common cognitive processes in early social-communication development. [11] While examining the development of joint attention in infants aged 9 to 18 months,his 2007 study found that initiating and responding to joint attention displayed different patterns of early development but that early developments in both types of joint attention predicted language development at 24 months. [12] Moreover,in the same year,he explored the interplay between joint attention,social cognition,and the shared neural mechanisms involved,highlighting the significance of integrated attention networks in infancy for the development of social understanding and its implications for conditions like autism. [13]
In 2009,Mundy provided a discussion of the role of joint attention in autism,emphasizing its dynamic and transactional development from infancy,its neural underpinnings,and significance for social cognition. This paper suggested that differences in joint attention were central to autism,likely began to develop by 4 to 6 months and were connected to differences in learning and social competence in autism. [14] Subsequently,he pioneered the use of virtual reality methodology in the study of social attention in autism. [15] [16] He also examined how the learning differences of autism might impact the reading profiles of 8-16-year-old children with higher functioning autism spectrum disorders (HFASD),as well the connection between social symptoms and reading. His research team observed four distinct reading profiles and significant differences between these profiles and ASD symptomatology. [17] In 2022 while being part of The Lancet Commission,his work discussed the global significance of autism. The study also advocated for increased investment in scientific research and improvements in social and service systems to enhance the quality of life for individuals with autism and their families. [18]
Asperger syndrome (AS),also known as Asperger's syndrome or Asperger's,was a diagnosis used to describe a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by significant difficulties in social interaction and nonverbal communication,along with restricted,repetitive patterns of behavior and interests. Asperger syndrome has been merged with other conditions into autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and is no longer a diagnosis in the WHO's ICD-11 or the APA's DSM-5-TR. It was considered milder than other diagnoses which were merged into ASD due to relatively unimpaired spoken language and intelligence.
In psychology,theory of mind refers to the capacity to understand other people by ascribing mental states to them. A theory of mind includes the understanding that others' beliefs,desires,intentions,emotions,and thoughts may be different from one's own. Possessing a functional theory of mind is crucial for success in everyday human social interactions. People utilize a theory of mind when analyzing,judging,and inferring others' behaviors. The discovery and development of theory of mind primarily came from studies done with animals and infants. Factors including drug and alcohol consumption,language development,cognitive delays,age,and culture can affect a person's capacity to display theory of mind. Having a theory of mind is similar to but not identical with having the capacity for empathy or sympathy.
Sir Simon Philip Baron-Cohen is a British clinical psychologist and professor of developmental psychopathology at the University of Cambridge. He is the director of the university's Autism Research Centre and a Fellow of Trinity College.
The neurodiversity paradigm is a framework for understanding human brain function that recognizes the diversity within sensory processing,motor abilities,social comfort,cognition,and focus as neurobiological differences. This diversity falls on a spectrum of neurocognitive differences. The neurodiversity paradigm argues that diversity in neurocognition is part of humanity and that some neurodivergences generally classified as disorders,such as autism,are differences and disabilities that are not necessarily pathological. Neurotypical individuals are those who fall within the average range of functioning and thinking.
Mind-blindness,mindblindness or mind blindness is a theory initially proposed in 1990 that claims that all autistic people have a lack or developmental delay of theory of mind (ToM),meaning they are unable,or less able,to attribute mental states to others. According to the theory,a lack of ToM is considered equivalent to a lack of both cognitive and affective empathy. In the context of the theory,mind-blindness implies being unable to predict behavior and attribute mental states including beliefs,desires,emotions,or intentions of other people. The mind-blindness theory asserts that children who delay in this development will often develop autism.
The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) is a standardized diagnostic test for assessing autism spectrum disorder. The protocol consists of a series of structured and semi-structured tasks that involve social interaction between the examiner and the person under assessment. The examiner observes and identifies aspects of the subject's behavior,assigns these to predetermined categories,and combines these categorized observations to produce quantitative scores for analysis. Research-determined cut-offs identify the potential diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder,allowing a standardized assessment of autistic symptoms.
Autism therapies include a wide variety of therapies that help people with autism,or their families. Such methods of therapy seek to aid autistic people in dealing with difficulties and increase their functional independence.
In psychology and neuroscience,executive dysfunction,or executive function deficit is a disruption to the efficacy of the executive functions,which is a group of cognitive processes that regulate,control,and manage other cognitive processes. Executive dysfunction can refer to both neurocognitive deficits and behavioural symptoms. It is implicated in numerous psychopathologies and mental disorders,as well as short-term and long-term changes in non-clinical executive control. Executive dysfunction is the mechanism underlying ADHD paralysis,and in a broader context,it can encompass other cognitive difficulties like planning,organizing,initiating tasks and regulating emotions. It is a core characteristic of ADHD and can elucidate numerous other recognized symptoms.
Classic autism,also known as childhood autism,autistic disorder,(early) infantile autism,infantile psychosis,Kanner's autism,Kanner's syndrome,or (formerly) just autism,is a neurodevelopmental condition first described by Leo Kanner in 1943. It is characterized by atypical and impaired development in social interaction and communication as well as restricted,repetitive behaviors,activities,and interests. These symptoms first appear in early childhood and persist throughout life.
Autism,or autism spectrum disorder (ASD),is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by repetitive,restricted,and inflexible patterns of behavior,interests,and activities,as well as deficits in social communication and social interaction,and the presence of high or low sensory sensitivity. The underlying spectrum of ASD results in a variety of manifestations and support needs of the disorder. For example,some are nonverbal,while others have proficient spoken language.
The relationship between autism and memory,specifically memory functions in relation to autism spectrum disorder (ASD),is an ongoing topic of research. ASD is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by social communication and interaction impairments,along with restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior. In this article,the word autism is used to refer to the whole range of conditions on the autism spectrum,which are not uncommon.
Francesca Gabrielle Elizabeth Happé is Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience and Director of the MRC Social,Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre at the Institute of Psychiatry,Psychology and Neuroscience,King's College London. Her research concerns autism spectrum conditions,specifically the understanding social cognitive processes in these conditions.
Nonverbal autism,also called nonspeaking autism,is a subset of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) where the person does not learn how to speak.
Connie Kasari is an expert on autism spectrum disorder and a founding member of the Center for Autism Research and Treatment (CART) at the University of California,Los Angeles (UCLA). Kasari is Professor of Psychological Studies in Education at UCLA and Professor of Psychiatry at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. She is the leader of the Autism Intervention Research Network for Behavioral Health,a nine-institution research consortium.
John N. Constantino is a child psychiatrist and expert on neurodevelopmental disorders,especially autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Constantino is the inaugural System Chief of Behavioral and Mental Health at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. He is a Professor of Pediatrics,Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Genetics at the Emory University School of Medicine.
Marian Diamond Sigman (1941–2012) was a developmental and child clinical psychologist known for her research on autism spectrum disorder (ASD). At the time of her death,she was Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences and Psychology at the University of California,Los Angeles (UCLA).
Social (pragmatic) communication disorder (SPCD),also known as pragmatic language impairment (PLI),is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by difficulties in the social use of verbal and nonverbal communication. Individuals who are defined by the acronym "SPCD" struggle to effectively indulge in social interactions,interpret social cues,and may struggle to use words appropriately in social contexts.
The theory of the double empathy problem is a psychological and sociological theory first coined in 2012 by Damian Milton,an autistic autism researcher. This theory proposes that many of the difficulties autistic individuals face when socializing with non-autistic individuals are due,in part,to a lack of mutual understanding between the two groups,meaning that most autistic people struggle to understand and empathize with non-autistic people,whereas most non-autistic people also struggle to understand and empathize with autistic people. This lack of understanding may stem from bidirectional differences in dispositions,and experiences between autistic and non-autistic individuals,as opposed to always being an inherent deficiency. Studies from the 2010s and 2020s have shown that most autistic individuals are able to socialize,communicate effectively,empathize well or build good rapport,and display social reciprocity with most other autistic individuals. A 2024 systematic review of 52 papers found that most autistic people have mostly pleasant experiences interacting with most autistic people,and autistic-autistic interactions were generally associated with better quality of life across various domains. This theory and subsequent findings challenge the commonly held belief that the social skills of all autistic individuals are inherently and universally impaired across contexts,as well as the theory of "mind-blindness" proposed by prominent autism researcher Simon Baron-Cohen in the mid-1990s,which suggested that empathy and theory of mind are universally impaired in autistic individuals.
Vikram Kenneth Jaswal is a developmental psychologist known for his work on autism,particularly augmentative communication supports for nonspeaking autistic people using the discredited method of facilitated communication. He holds the position of Professor of Psychology at the University of Virginia.
Jan K. Buitelaar is a Dutch medical doctor,psychiatrist,author,and academic. He is a professor of psychiatry and child and adolescent psychiatry at Radboud University Medical Centre and former Head of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Karakter Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.