NSN Short | Magic and Autism

What this episode covers

Tapping into social cues to trick their audience, magicians rely on a phenomenon called joint attention. Most audience members will pay attention to what a magician is looking at—so a magician can direct their attention away by looking in the opposite direction. People on the autistic spectrum can have trouble picking up on the cues of joint attention and may not be fooled by a magician's sleight of hand. Researchers are now looking to magic as a useful technique to teach children with autism how to read social cues. For more, watch "How Does the Brain Work?" on pbs.org/nova. Original footage produced for NOVA by Terri Randall. Video (all) © WGBH Educational Foundation

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