From Signs to Signifiers: Art and Language in Autism, by Leon Brenner.
Date: Saturday, March 02, 2024
Time: 10 am (PST)
Place: Online, register here.
Abstract:
Specificities in linguistic development deeply impact the ability of autistic individuals to encode and communicate complex concepts, particularly those that are general, ambiguous, or abstract. This challenge extends beyond mere language skills, significantly influencing their emotional and social navigation.
In this talk, we will explore the implementation of art therapy in strengthening the linguistic capabilities of those on the autism spectrum. Integrating insights from Lacan’s teachings, we will develop a unique perspective that reshapes our understanding of autistic language and its clinical implications. This approach goes beyond conventional methods, recognizing language as a critical element in the lives of autistic individuals.
Through a series of compelling case studies, we will demonstrate how accessing higher levels of conceptual complexity via art therapy can lead to dramatic transformations in their lives. This talk promises to be an invaluable resource for therapists, educators, caregivers, and anyone interested in the profound intersection of language, psychoanalysis, and autism. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain new insights and tools for enriching the lives of those on the autism spectrum.
Recommended Reading:
The autistic pseudosignifier: Imaginary dialectization of signs in the clinic of austism, by Leon S. Brenner. To download, click here.
Biography:
Dr. Leon S. Brenner is a psychoanalytic theorist and psychoanalyst from Berlin. Brenner’s work draws from the Freudian and Lacanian traditions of psychoanalysis, and his interest lies in the understanding of the relationship between culture and psychopathology. His book The Autistic Subject: On the Threshold of Language, is a bestseller in psychology in Palgrave/Springer publishing in 2021. He is a founder of Lacanian Affinities Berlin and Unconscious Berlin and is currently a research fellow at the International Psychoanalytic University Berlin and the Hans Kilian und Lotte Köhler Centrum (KKC) at the Ruhr Universität Bochum.
