Aspie, low grades, but very high intelligence

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I am always told I am intelligent, I took several IQ tests and have a IQ of ~127, but for some reason I have a hard time understanding some things when they are told to me, or being able to listen to a teacher when he/she speaks. Even in some of my favorite classes (science/math) just sitting there listening to him drone on and on without putting in some sort of kick can be very hard for me. and high school days just zap out all my concentration.

I am going to college soon and hopefully can do more hands-on experiences and teachers which put more hip in their hop. I also have a hard time staying focused during the day, I do not drink caffeine in the morning, but should just to make sure I am up.

IDK, I want to do well, but its really hard to do so in such boring classes, I hope college is better. My grades are lower depending more on how interesting the class is. my english and history teacher made it to be in their class, and I always zoom through all the work with excellent grades in many of my classes (math, not as much anymore), sometimes even classes I really like (science) can be a bore depending on the time of day and the teacher (I get really groggy after lunch)

But the real question I wanted to ask is: Is it normal for a aspie to be highly intelligent, yet get lower grades in school?

And also: Is college going to be easier to handle than highschool?

We aspies do things differently in a NT world. In a NT world things are designed for NTs and we aspies have to adapt to this. As it says on the front page of WP, "aspies usually have normal or above normal IQs". I hope that answers your question

I got bad grades yet I am intelligent, and I think a lot of people here are similar - because we have two cirriculums to learn: one educational and one social - we have a lot more on our plates and have much fewer coping mechanisms.

This is why i believe all autistics - no matter how high functioing - should receive some special education.

This was my experience.



I think that's probably highly variable.

When I was first reading about Asperger’s I came across something saying that Aspies are often considered highly intelligent underachievers, and that seems more or less consistent with my high school career. I have a high IQ, but more significantly I have a very strong memory and am particularly adept at spatial reasoning. I always did well in math and art -- my grades were always 100% or close to it -- but in other subjects my grades were typically average to slightly above, although some of my teachers in those subjects remarked that I was a strong student. My focus on my own interests undoubtedly got in the way, and people forget how arbitrary some of the grading in high school is.

The good news is that when I got to college I maintained a 4.0 for a while. College classes are typically more edifying than high school classes, and most of them are less personal. But then there came one semester where I really didn’t learn anything. With the exception of one class, the professors were bland, the topics were all unimportant, and although I hated it I still got a 4.0. Personally, I saw that as pretty good evidence that grades are of limited importance, and I stand by that view to this day.

For a while I dated a woman who would easily be able to obtain a diagnosis of Asperger’s, and while she was unusually intelligent she received high school grades which were modest in comparison. And considering all the ways that social idiosyncrasies can wreak havoc with being in a classroom, I think being a highly intelligent underachiever is only natural for an Aspie.

BTW, I have a horrible headache so I apologize if that was poorly written.

You use a lot of very advanced words! I misspelled many words, so I honestly only care if its in text speak, which it is not. So your good! If I can write like you I may have more viewers on my blog! XD

I think it is quite common for Aspies to be smarter than their grades reflect. Grading rubrics simply don't play to Aspie strengths, often containing too much emphasis on organizational skills or teamwork. It can also be difficult for some Aspies to figure out how to please the teacher to maximize scores, or sometimes even to figure out what the teacher's goal at all.

On the parenting board we often see smart kids who can recite all the material still flunking out of a class. I would never have considered it possible, but it is. It is something that I, as a parent, have to vigilantly advocate for my child with. Sometimes getting accommodations, sometimes taking on administrative tasks for my child.

My son knows his science in and out, but struggled to get B's in the subject in middle school. He did all the work, that was never the issue; getting it turned in was. Yet on the 8th grade STAR test, he had a PERFECT score.

It is really aggravating when grading rubrics don't reflect real learning, but life is not always fair.

I don't know if it is better in college; it may depend on the school.

I do think you should talk to your parents or the IEP team about your specific issues. You may have an audio processing issue, for example, that could be remedied by getting copies of lectures in writing.

If you can figure out what the hurdles are, you may be able to mitigate them.

Last edited by DW_a_mom on 25 Aug 2011, 1:31 am, edited 2 times in total.

I appreciate someone who can spell and use proper grammar. Also iceveela:

"So your good!" should be "So you are good!" or "So you're good!"

Yes, college is easier to handle than high school because you get to choose the classes and the schedule. More importantly, you're there for your benefit and by your own will. The issue with high school is its full of people that are forced to go to it and dont care about their education.

Low grades/High IQ: This I believe is usually an issue of the student's learning style vs the teacher's teaching style.

People learn in different ways. These ways are linked to your senses.

Some people are audio learners, visual learners and tactile learners. Most people are strong in 2 of the three.

This is where the teaching style comes into 'conflict' : If you're an audio learner and your teacher expects you to read a chapter before class, discuss it superficially in class and uses lots of visual aids then the audio learner student will have a very hard time at it. Likewise, if you're a visual learner and your teacher just talks and talks all day and doesnt use visuals or puts up notes on the whiteboard... you're going to have a problem keeping up.

Tactile learners use both 'rote' learning (writing down things over and over) as well as the traditional 'hands on' learning. This group tends to have the most conflict with teacher styles since so few classes can be taught effectively through tactile techniques.

If you can identify which two learning styles work best for you then you can adapt your study habits and in-class behavior to maximize your chances of learning.


Groggy after lunch: Try having carbohydrate heavy foods for lunch instead of the usual protein+sugar meal. Most people eat a sandwich or a pizza with a soda or some sort of sweetened drink... that causes your body to go into sugar low for about an hour after you eat. Carbohydrate foods like potato-based, rice based or pasta-based foods take a lot longer for your body to consume so you will have a constant supply of energy with no 'low' period.

learn to make sushi (veggie sushi to take to school) or take salads (salad with some chicken is ok too) or pasta for lunch..and drink iced tea or water or fruit juices (just avoid sodas and gatorade like stuff). That groggyness will be gone

It would.... IQ is based on several factors, some which will be stronger than others. For instance you can be really high on factual knowledge and verbal reasoning but have below average memory processing speed, the number you get is your average performance across these factors - if there's a lot of variation between areas your IQ score doesn't quite really tell you where you sit. You could have a lower performance IQ than the rest of it which would contribute to things not quite adding up...... essentially to summarize IQ tests might give you a number but it's actually pretty complicated and your performance in particular areas might be higher or lower than your actual score, which might in part account for some of your difficulties.

What a great post!

I'm an audio and tactile learner! This is great for science/engineering classes with lots of hands-on lab time, not always so good for Language/Social Science classes.

The way I cope the more passive, lecture based classes is by listening intensely and taking very detailed notes--the head down and scribbling method. When I have lots of reading, I read a section and then write a brief summary of the text before moving on.

The act of writing seems to satisfy my tactile requirements and when it's time to study, reading the notes out loud lets me reprocess the info by ear.

The lowest grade I've ever received was a C-, and that was in geometry. I knew the material, but I never had enough time to finish my tests. Really, considering that, it's a wonder I passed at all. But as long as I have enough time, I do fine, as my intelligence would suggest.

Many peoples with high intelligence get low grades. More so, it may be the reason why you're bored in school.

Aha, I quit college many times, am back at 54 again, tested in high school at 145 and 155 on standardized IQ tests, didn't know what that meant for many years.

Much of what goes on in any institution is BS, that's what has been hardest for me to take. But, that same bs is out there at most workplaces, the dumb a$$ who get promoted because he golfs with the big boss, the charming woman who looks nice in a sweater chatting herself up gets the raise, the company being responsible for the death of someone on the street, and everyone deciding to lie so that bonuses won't be effected. BS, just get through any way you can, lay low, safe the speaking up for the big things.
But don't listen to me, I am broke, in debt, no car, back in school at 54 (just wish that someone would have given me some of the above advice in my younger years).

My problem is that on the tests at school I'm never prepared (which means last minute cramming) no matter what because I honestly to this day think that a test is supposed to grade you on how much knowledge you've acquired on the subject but not how much info you've crammed overnight or in a day or two before the tests. Although that works for some people it is not a measure of their knowledge. You ask them the same questions after the day of the test they can't answer. I honestly don't think grades measure intelligence and I don't believe that having a degree with 4.0 GPA makes you an expert in that field. Unfortunately most employers and my parents think that way which is really sad. In college atleast you can choose your modules and stick to a major so you have it easier.

Extended time for tests is now a common IEP item. Common issue for those with AS.