Interestingly, there is research that suggests that low-functioning people with autism may be gifted, and more intelligent than people without autism in some ways. This is mainly because of how their brains process data which makes them better at understanding numbers and patterns.
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.
Many children with autism develop focused interests. Strong interest in letters and numbers is particularly common. It's important to understand that your son's pursuits may be a source of happiness and pride for him.
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.
Memory strengths of ASD
In ASD, memory seems to be least related to social and emotional experiences. The sensory experience of some individuals with autism help to encode some events into memory. Most high-functioning autistic children can recall personal events from a young age. Zamoscik, et al.
Spatial working memory depends on a specific region of the frontal cortex that is known to be dysfunctional in autism. Despite these two impairments, the children with autism did not have global memory problems. They showed good associative learning ability, verbal working memory and recognition memory.
While memory difficulty is not part of the diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum disorder (ASD), it is a common symptom experienced by many autistic people.
They're just as smart as other folks, but they have more trouble with social skills. They also tend to have an obsessive focus on one topic or perform the same behaviors again and again.
People with ASD often have problems with social communication and interaction, and restricted or repetitive behaviors or interests. People with ASD may also have different ways of learning, moving, or paying attention. It is important to note that some people without ASD might also have some of these symptoms.
Non-autistic people tend to assess concepts before details, also known as top-down thinking. Autistic people take the opposite approach with bottom-up thinking and use details to build concepts. It may take longer to filter out sensory details with this approach, but you're less likely to miss important information.
People with Asperger's Syndrome were found to have spatial working memory deficits compared with control subjects on the Executive-Golf Task, although these may be indicative of a more general deficit in non-verbal intelligence in people with ASD.
Research shows that more than half of all autistic individuals have an above-average IQ, while roughly 16% have an IQ higher than 130. But having high intelligence doesn't mean that autistic individuals don't experience some challenges associated with the diagnosis.
Prosopagnosia, also known as face blindness, is a condition in which people have difficulty recognizing and remembering faces. This condition is often seen in people with autism spectrum disorder.
For instance, autistic people tend to be particularly honest, reliable, and loyal — some of the most important traits for a long-term relationship. You may just need to be more direct when communicating than you are used to and be prepared to give your partner space when they feel overstimulated.
Autism Prevalence
31% of children with ASD have an intellectual disability (intelligence quotient [IQ] <70), 25% are in the borderline range (IQ 71–85), and 44% have IQ scores in the average to above average range (i.e., IQ >85).
They may also have exceptional memory, attention to detail, and problem-solving skills. In fact, some autistic people have a unique way of thinking that allows them to see patterns and connections that others may miss. One of the reasons why people associate autism with intelligence is because of the "savant syndrome".
Savant syndrome is a rare, but extraordinary, condition in which persons with serious mental disabilities, including autistic disorder, have some 'island of genius' which stands in marked, incongruous contrast to overall handicap.
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.
ASD Level 1 – Level 1 ASD is currently the lowest classification. Those on this level will require some support to help with issues like inhibited social interaction and lack of organization and planning skills.
Interestingly and contrariwise to the mentioned experimental studies, some individuals with high-functioning autism seem to be able to recall personal events from a very young age [e.g., Ref. (11–13)]; and moreover, these memories are rich in sensory detail.
There is no consensus on whether autism is a form of brain damage. Some researchers believe that autism is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors, while others argue that it is a result of brain damage.
"A study of Medicaid and other public health records show middle-aged adults with autism are 2.6 times more likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer's and other dementias than those without ASD," said Dr. Braden. Dr. Braden leads a longitudinal study exploring the link between ASD and Alzheimer's.