In this ground-breaking book, Olga Bogdashina examines traditional theories of sensory perception and communication in autism. Drawing on linguistics, philosophy, neuroscience, psychology, anthropology and quantum mechanics, she shows that a wider perspective can reveal much about how the nature of the senses informs an individual's view of the world, and about how language both reflects and constructs that view.Examining the 'whys and hows' of the senses, and the role of language, Olga Bogdashina challenges common perceptions of what it means to be 'normal' or 'abnormal'. In doing so, she shows that autism can help to illuminate our understanding of what it means to be human, and of how we have developed faculties that have shaped our cognition, language and behaviour. Her findings lead her to explore phenomena commonly associated with the paranormal - including premonitions, telepathy, and déjà vu - which, she suggests, can largely be explained in natural terms.This intelligent and incisive book will appeal to anyone with a personal or professional interest in autism, including clinical practitioners, individuals on the autism spectrum and their families, students and researchers, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists and other professionals.