Children with Autism are often viewed as less capable than neurotypical children. Determining what your child with autism is good at may come in handy in terms of providing him/her with the sense of achievement. You can blend these abilities into their everyday activities. They will get the joy and satisfaction while learning more. The more they practice their skills or build upon their strengths, the happier and more successful they will become in their upcoming life.
These strengths may be the points they will determine what they will be taking up as a job in the future. Determining the abilities and working on the challenges can greatly improve both your and your child’s life in general.
Some individuals with autism possess unusual skills and exceptional abilities. While true savants (savant syndrome describes a person with a mental deficit who has one or more genius level abilities) are rare, many individuals with autism have strengths that may make them unique or interesting. Some of the strengths some people with autism possess are outlined here.
No single individual has all these strengths, but with a little effort and a watchful eye, parents and teachers can discover the special skills that make autistic children stand out from the crowd.
Some of the strengths you may see in people with autism are:
Ability to understand and retain concrete concepts, rules, sequences and patterns
Hyperlexia, which is decoding written language at an early age; some children with autism can decode written language before they can comprehend it
Good memory of details or rote facts (math facts, train schedules, baseball statistics)
Problem solving ability (when you cannot ask for something you want, you can get pretty creative about getting your hands on it yourself.)
Independent thinking, which is being less concerned about what others may think of them
Computer and technology skills
Musical ability or interest
Intense concentration or focus, especially on a preferred activity
Artistic ability
Mathematical ability
Ability to decode written language (read) at an early age (but not necessarily comprehend)
Strong encoding (spelling)
Honesty
Direct communication
Thinking in a visual way
Punctuality
Honesty
Detail oriented
Average to above average intelligence
Loyalty
Non-judgmental listening
Extensive knowledge resulting from deep study in favorite topics
Understanding rules and sequences
Logical thinking that is helpful in decision-making process
Intensive focus when working on a favorite activity
Often the unique talents of people with autism are a reflection of the focus they place on a particular area, and how much it interests them. If sorting out the days on a calendar helps provide structure and predictability to an otherwise confusing world, then it might make sense that an individual would be able to memorize incredible amounts of information and be able to tell the day of the week on which a person was born, when provided the date.
Inherent to the development of these exceptional skills is the individual’s understanding of the processes and patterns involved, and the motivation to focus on them - absolutely critical features to keep in mind when undertaking the task of teaching something new.
Breaking down tasks into understandable components, and providing motivational support (remembering that what motivates a child with autism may be different from what motivates a typical child) will help expand a student’s set of skills and strengths.
As mentioned earlier, children with ASD are not able to filter sensory inputs. When we look at a page full of information, we are able to filter out what is important and what is not - our brain does this for us without us having to make a conscious effort. Children with ASD can’t do this – when they look at information, they take in all of it. While this is stressful a lot of the time, it can also be useful. It means that autistic children don’t miss information. When looking for errors in codes, finding mistakes and attention to detail, this can be very helpful.
However, it is important to remember that while every autistic child has their strengths, there are barriers in their environment that turn these strengths into weaknesses. Changing the environment and removing stressors will help children focus their energy on using their special skills. For example, a child who is skilled at recognizing patterns will be able to use this skill better if the possible noise and visual distractions are limited.
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