Not All Autistics Are Mathematic Savants, But Many Have Above-Average Math Abilities. It turns out that, despite impressions, most ASD patients may not be any better at math than their counterparts at a particular age or developmental stage.
Autistic children can experience deficits in executive functioning. This can lead to difficulties in math word problem solving as it involves: Organizing information and operations. Flexibly moving between pieces of information.
Autistics are up to 40 percent faster at problem-solving than non-autistics, according to a new Université de Montréal and Harvard University study published in the journal Human Brain Mapping.
Although some individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may find college overwhelming or too challenging, many students with autism do well in an academic environment, particularly if they have the opportunity to focus on areas of personal interest.
Anxiety, depression, and other mood disorders. Communication challenges. Difficulties with emotional regulation. Executive functioning problems.
Analytical Thinking: People with an autism spectrum disorder think in a logically consistent way that leads to quick decision making. These thinkers can make decisions without experiencing the framing effect that inhibits most neurotypicals from making decisions without bias.
“High-functioning autism” isn't an official medical term or diagnosis. It's an informal one some people use when they talk about people with an autism spectrum disorder who can speak, read, write, and handle basic life skills like eating and getting dressed. They can live independently.
People with high autistic traits and ASD might express more interest in science and its associated work involving individual projects and patterned work. However, different combinations of traits can also lead to talents in art, music and creativity.
About 70% of autistic people have an intellectual disability, which means they have an IQ lower than 70. The remaining 30% have intelligence that ranges from average to gifted. Autism and intelligence are two separate characteristics. A person can be autistic with any level of intelligence.
Autistic children are often good at learning by heart (rote memory). Many autistic children can remember large chunks of information, like conversations from movies, words to a song, number plates and so on.
Kids with autism experience “deficits in developing, maintaining, and understanding relationships, ranging, for example, from difficulties adjusting behavior to suit various social contexts; to difficulties in sharing imaginative play or in making friends; to the absence of interest in peers (DSM-5).”
Older epidemiological studies suggested that the IQ-related spectrum tends to be skewed to the left, i.e., a larger proportion of individuals with ASD have below average intelligence, while only few individuals with ASD may have an IQ above average.
Sir Isaac Newton – Mathematician, Astronomer, & Physicist.
Children with ASD may have difficulty developing language skills and understanding what others say to them. They also often have difficulty communicating nonverbally, such as through hand gestures, eye contact, and facial expressions.
Defining the Traits and Behaviors of Level 1 Autism
Difficulty switching between activities. Problems with executive functioning which hinder independence. Atypical response to others in social situations. Difficulty initiating social interactions and maintaining reciprocity in social interaction.
ADHD is not on the autism spectrum, but they have some of the same symptoms. And having one of these conditions increases the chances of having the other. Experts have changed the way they think about how autism and ADHD are related.
Low functioning autism refers to children and adults with autism who show the most severe symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder and are diagnosed as having Level 3 ASD. They are usually unable to live independently and require support from a guardian throughout their lives.
Every autistic person is different, but sensory differences, changes in routine, anxiety, and communication difficulties are common triggers.
In summary, autistic people see the world differently from neurotypical people and face many challenges in their everyday lives. However, they also have unique strengths and perspectives that we can learn from.
Robyn Steward, Autism and Asperger's trainer, explains that autistic people can see the world differently through their senses, such as taste, smell, touch, sound and sight. Sensory sensitivities can have a huge impact on an autistic individual's everyday life.
When Does Autism Get Easier? A new study found that around 30% of young autistic children have less severe symptoms at age 6 than they did at age 3. Interestingly, some children lose their autism diagnoses entirely.
Social anxiety – or extreme fear of new people, crowds and social situations – is especially common among people with autism. In addition, many people with autism have difficulty controlling anxiety once something triggers it.