Theory of mind. Theory of mind can be summed up as a person ability to recognise and comprehend the thoughts, beliefs, desires and intentions of other people. People on the autism spectrum may have difficulty recognising and processing the feelings of others. This is sometimes referred to as “mind-blindness”.
Autistic people may act in a different way to other people
find it hard to understand how other people think or feel. find things like bright lights or loud noises overwhelming, stressful or uncomfortable. get anxious or upset about unfamiliar situations and social events. take longer to understand information.
Some children and young people with autism may find it difficult to see things from other people's point of view. This can be explained by having a difficulty with Theory of mind (Baron-Cohen, Leslie & Frith 1985).
Empathy and autism. Some characterizations suggest that autistic people do not feel empathy. However, research indicates that rather than lacking empathy, autistic people may have imbalances in empathy skills compared with neurotypical people.
Associative Thinking: Most individuals on the spectrum are associative thinkers rather than linear thinkers. In other words, one thought connects to another and so on through sometimes loose or seemingly irrelevant connections.
While cognitive empathy can be lower in people with autism, affective empathy—which is based on instincts and involuntary responses to the emotions of others—can be strong and overwhelming. In fact, newer research suggests that some people with autism may actually feel other people's emotions more intensely.
If you're autistic and feel like logical thinking is one of your strengths, there's research to support this. Autistic people tend to have enhanced logic and deliberation skills, which may help to offset a reduced drive toward intuition and spontaneous decision-making.
A few different factors converge to explain why autistic people have an “overly full head” and disorganized thoughts, as well as why we may be scatterbrained, quick to lose oversight, and more prone to overstimulation and dysregulation. All these factors are likely caused by overconnectivity in the brain.
Some kids on the spectrum feel a constant need for affection because they are not sure when or if the attention will be available. Schedule 5 to 10 minutes every day when you can provide your youngster with undivided attention (i.e., no computer, T.V., cell phones, etc.).
Sensory Issues
Many people with autism experience sensory processing disorder. This is more commonly known as sensory overload. Noise, crowds, bright lights, strong tastes, smells, and being touched can feel unbearable to someone with HFA. This makes going to restaurants, movies, and shopping malls difficult.
One key finding was that children's symptom severity can change with age. In fact, children can improve and get better. "We found that nearly 30% of young children have less severe autism symptoms at age 6 than they did at age 3.
Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often experience difficulty with selective listening in the presence of multiple sounds despite their normal puretone thresholds.
Love and affection may be felt but expressed differently
They may show love, for example, through a practical act, and tidy up for you, or iron your shirt, rather than through a more neurotypical way of looking at you and telling you or using physical affection.
Social-Emotional Reciprocity
On the other hand, some people with autism might overshare and might not know when to let the other person have a turn to talk. People with autism might also struggle to share what they are thinking or feeling with other people.
Autism and Emotional Intelligence
Many autistics struggle with emotional intelligence.
Signs of High-Functioning Autism in Children
May appear more mature for their age and have above-average intelligence. A tendency to avoid eye contact. Trouble deviating from a routine or adapting to changes. Trouble making friends and maintaining social relationships or not “fitting in” with peers.
Early brain changes and autism spectrum disorder
Research is suggesting that, in future, brain scans may be used to diagnose autism, possibly even before behavioral symptoms become apparent.
People with autism tend to have insomnia: It takes them an average of 11 minutes longer than typical people to fall asleep, and many wake up frequently during the night. Some people with the condition have sleep apnea, a condition that causes them to stop breathing several times during the night.
“Autistic people may also have trouble sorting different objects in the home. For example, we may not realize that the enormous pile of 'stuff' on the bed can be broken down into separate piles of clothes, books, papers, and trash, and therefore managed more easily.
Many autistic people have intense and highly-focused interests, often from a fairly young age. These can change over time or be lifelong. It can be art, music, gardening, animals, postcodes or numbers. For many younger children it's Thomas the Tank Engine, dinosaurs or particular cartoon characters.
Children who are autistic typically perform at average or above average levels when it comes to decoding written language. However, they are generally better at sounding out and identifying words than understanding what they have read. This may be because comprehension is a more abstract skill than decoding.
Some autistic people can experience difficulties making themselves understood, understanding what's being said to them, and understanding facial expressions and body language. This can cause considerable frustration and anxiety which may result in anger or distressed behaviour.
Many autistic people experience hypersensitivity to bright lights or certain light wavelengths (e.g., LED or fluorescent lights). Certain sounds, smells, textures and tastes can also be overwhelming. This can result in sensory avoidance – trying to get away from stimuli that most people can easily tune out.
Some autistic people might like more 'obvious' forms of flirting like grand gestures, crafting things for someone or writing letters.