Breaking the Collaboration Blindfold: The Science of Shared Goals

Is it "selfishness"—or is it Context Blindness? 🧱

In the Farlands this week, our mission had a twist: you had to build your partner's house foundation before you could start your own. For many neurodivergent (ND) kiddos, this felt like an impossible detour.

It’s easy to label a child as "uncooperative" when they balk at helping a sibling or peer, but the science tells a different story. Between Context Blindness and the high cognitive cost of Joint Attention, many ND brains aren't ignoring their partner—they literally don't "see" the shared goal until it’s mapped out for them.

In my latest blog, I explore:

• Why "Hyperfocus" makes collaboration feel like a circuit break.

• How to turn vague requests into "Social Blueprints."

• The "Parallel Collaboration" trick for high-anxiety moments.