I was at an autism conference last week and, whilst listening to Dr. Wenn Lawson, I realised there was a proper name for a challenge I’ve had since I was a young child. The thing I am referring to is officially called ‘object permanence.’ This is the understanding that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be observed (seen, heard, touched, smelled or sensed in any way).
The simplest example of object permanence is the game ‘Peek a boo’. The person covers their face with their hands and then abruptly moves them to reveal their face. A young baby will laugh and smile with excitement when he or she sees the person’s face. Why are they so animated in their response to such a simple game? The baby genuinely has no idea that the face is behind the hands, no matter how many times the person hides/reveals it. Every time he or she sees the face, he or she is surprised!
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