The concept of "occurring"

Many years ago, probably in the early 1990's, I attended a clinical neuropsychology workshop presented by Dr Muriel Lezak. She is the writer of one of the foremost books in clinical neuropsychology, Neuropsychological Assessment.



At the workshop Dr. Lezak introduced an idea that I found useful ever since, the concept of "occurring". She related it to the disinhibition often found in persons with pre-frontal lobe injuries. Appreciation of the inappropriateness of their disinhibited behaviour and the effect thereof on others "just does not occur" to them.

The concept of "occurring" is useful in helping parents and teachers understand the cognitive effects of brain injuries and some developmental disorders on children. I believe that the concept can be extended to explain in simple terms the misunderstandings that often arise due to sexual, cultural and generational differences. We often do not appreciate the extent to which differences in culture, education and life experiences influence our perceptions, habits and the understanding of our environment. If the neural capacity, memory trace or access to it, or specific knowledge does not exist or is destroyed, a simple "it just did not occur to him/her", may sometimes be the key to understanding and acceptance.