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Handbook of Autism Spectrum Disorder and the Law pp 71–96Cite as

Neuroscience of Autism in the Legal Context

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Abstract

Over the past twenty years, there has been a burgeoning literature on the neuroscience of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). This literature has identified a number of differences which distinguish the brains of people with ASD from their typical counterparts, including findings related to the brain systems underlying empathy and social ability. These findings come from an array of imaging modalities, including EEG and fMRI. While this literature is clearly relevant to the legal determinations both in and out of the courtroom, in that identifiable brain differences may be linked to precise functional deficits, and in turn, problematic behaviors, there are several fundamental issues with applying the results of neuroscience testing to individual cases. This chapter reviews the neuroscience literature on ASD. In particular, we focus on the case example of neuroimaging, the modality most frequently invoked in court cases, and discuss the potential that this science has to inform official discretion and factfinding in the legal system, as well as some fundamental limitations.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    While there can be a significant occurrence of Oppositional Defiant Disorder or Conduct Disorder, or their symptoms in conjunction with ASD, is not clear the extent to which these conditions actually militate against rigid adherence to social rules considered to be morally important, once learned.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Law and Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA

    Stephanie Yarnell-Mac Grory & Alexander Westphal

  2. Harrington & Mahoney Buffalo, NY, USA

    Mark Mahoney

Authors
  1. Stephanie Yarnell-Mac Grory
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  2. Mark Mahoney
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  3. Alexander Westphal
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Correspondence to Stephanie Yarnell-Mac Grory .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Yale Child Study Center and Autism Center of Excellence, Yale University and Southern Conn. State University, New Haven, USA

    Fred R. Volkmar

  2. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, USA

    Rachel Loftin

  3. Division of Law and Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, USA

    Alexander Westphal

  4. Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK

    Marc Woodbury-Smith

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Yarnell-Mac Grory, S., Mahoney, M., Westphal, A. (2021). Neuroscience of Autism in the Legal Context. In: Volkmar, F.R., Loftin, R., Westphal, A., Woodbury-Smith, M. (eds) Handbook of Autism Spectrum Disorder and the Law. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-70913-6_4

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