The broad family of characteristics that are shared by people on the autistic spectrum.
The Autism Spectrum
The concept of autism has evolved over time, and the idea of a spectrum emerged as clinicians began to recognize that the condition can manifest in various ways and degrees of severity.
While experts once used terms like Asperger’s syndrome and PDD-NOS, all of these conditions have now been placed on one single spectrum and are referred to as one single diagnosis: ‘autism spectrum disorder’ (ASD). Before this new framework emerged, the four conditions were characterized as different types of autism.
Asperger’s syndrome, for example, was considered a milder form of autism, with individuals often displaying exceptional intelligence and the ability to manage daily life, but struggling with social interactions.
PDD-NOS stands for Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified. It referred to children whose autism symptoms were more severe than Asperger’s, but less severe than those with autism.
Autistic disorder, the most well-known form of autism, involved symptoms as seen in Asperger’s or PDD-NOS, but at a more intense level.
Finally, childhood disintegrative disorder was the rarest and most severe form of autism. Many of these children also develop a seizure disorder.
From Autistic Linear Spectrum to the Autistic Wheel
The phrase “If you’ve met one autistic person, you’ve met one autistic person” reflects the diverse and unique experiences of individuals on the spectrum.
ASD can manifest itself differently from person to person, but some common traits include difficulty understanding social cues, repetitive behaviors, and sensory sensitivities.
The concept of ASD as a linear spectrum has been challenged by the idea of the autistic wheel. This views autism as a multi-dimensional concept, with three levels of severity: support needs, communication needs, and sensory needs.
The support needs level refers to the amount of assistance and accommodations required to navigate daily life. The communication needs level represents the ability to communicate, including the use of language and nonverbal cues. Finally, the sensory needs level reflects the sensitivity to sensory input, including sound, touch, and light.
The autistic wheel allows for a more nuanced understanding of ASD, recognizing that individuals may have varying needs across multiple domains.
Myths Surrounding Autism
Despite the growing awareness of autism, there are still many myths and misconceptions surrounding it. For example, some people believe that they always lack empathy or cannot form meaningful relationships with others. However, research has shown that autistic people can experience a wide range of emotions and have strong connections to their families and friends. Another common misconception is that all autistic people are geniuses – while some may possess exceptional skills in certain areas, this is not true for everyone on the spectrum.
Misrepresentation in the media also contributes to these misunderstandings; often characters with autism are portrayed as robotic or emotionless figures who lack any kind of personality. This perpetuates stereotypes which can be damaging and lead to further stigma. In reality, each person on the autism spectrum is unique and should be treated as an individual rather than being lumped into one category based on outdated ideas about what it means to be ‘autistic’.
Savant Syndrome
Savant syndrome is a rare condition in which someone on the spectrum has exceptional skills or abilities. Savants generally show characteristic social deficits of ASD while also having some exceptional abilities in a specific area, such as music, art, or mathematics.
Famous examples of people with savant syndrome include Kim Peek, who served as one of the inspirations for the character in the movie “Rain Man,” and Stephen Wiltshire who draws lifelike, accurate impressions of cities, skylines, and street scenes after having only observed them for mere seconds.
Similarly, musical savant, Noel Patterson, could reproduce any musical composition he heard on the piano. Patterson was the subject of intense study and starred in the 1986 documentary on autistic savants called The Foolish Wise Ones.
Finally, Daniel Tammet is an autistic savant who holds multiple world records for memorizing numbers; including reciting pi up to 22,514 digits.
Other savants may have abilities in areas such as calendar calculation, language acquisition, or mechanical skills.
Autism and Gender Differences
While males are typically diagnosed with autism at a higher rate, it is becoming increasingly recognized that the condition may be underdiagnosed in females.
This may be due to bias in diagnosis as well as gender differences in symptom presentation. For example, it has been suggested that girls mask their autistic traits more than boys do. Masking refers to learning certain behaviors and suppressing others to be more like the people around them. This can make it difficult to detect the condition.
Additionally, females may have fewer stereotypical interests or behaviors traditionally associated with autism, which can further contribute to missed diagnoses.
Autism and Theory of Mind
Theory of Mind (ToM) has been studied extensively in relation to ASD. It refers to the ability to understand that other people have different beliefs, desires, knowledge, and intentions than oneself.
It was first introduced by psychologists Simon Baron-Cohen, Uta Frith, and Alan Leslie in the 1980s. They proposed that people on the spectrum have difficulty understanding what others are thinking and feeling because they lack the ability to attribute mental states to others, which is referred to as “mind-blindness.” This may contribute to social and communication troubles. For example, they may have difficulty understanding sarcasm, irony, or metaphors, and may struggle with turn-taking and perspective-taking in conversations.
One way researchers measure ToM is through ‘false-belief tasks’, such as the Sally-Anne test. It involves a story about two characters named Sally and Anne who put a toy into a basket. When Sally leaves, Anne hides the toy. The child is then asked where Sally will look for her toy when she comes back. The child passes the test by reasoning that Sally will still look in the basket instead of in the new location as she doesn’t know that Anne hid it.
The results show that typically developing children pass this test at age five while those on the autism spectrum may not pass until much later or not at all. People with language impairment or intellectual disability also tend to do poorly on the task.
Communication Differences in Autism
Autistic individuals often experience difficulty with communication, which can manifest in a variety of ways. For example, some may have trouble understanding nonverbal cues such as facial expressions or body language, while others struggle to use spoken language effectively.
However, this does not mean they cannot communicate; studies show that even people who lack verbal skills can still understand complex concepts and engage in meaningful conversations using other methods.
One such example is Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). AAC refers to all of the ways that someone communicates besides talking, and it can take many forms, including sign language, picture exchange systems, and electronic devices that generate speech.
Sensory Processing Disorder
Sensory processing disorder (SPD) is a condition that affects how individuals process sensory information from their environment. It can manifest in several ways, such as difficulty tolerating loud noises or bright lights, an aversion to certain textures or tastes, and hypersensitivity to touch.
These differences in sensory processing can have a big impact on daily life. People with SPD are often bothered by sounds or textures that most people don’t even notice, and many describe it as being attacked or invaded by everyday experiences.
While SPD is not the same as ASD, they are sometimes confused and often co-occur.
SPD is also commonly found in people with ADHD. This may be because they both include symptoms related to sensory processing challenges. Constant movement, for example, is a trait that is commonly linked to both conditions.
