Temple Grandin’s theories - Autistic thinking patterns

Page 1 of 2 [ 24 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2  Next

ASPartOfMe
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 25 Aug 2013
Age: 67
Gender: Male
Posts: 36,404
Location: Long Island, New York

08 Dec 2017, 2:17 am

Autism: moving beyond labels

Quote:
Furthering her discussion of different minds, Grandin introduced four types of thinking used by those with autism: photo-realistic visual thinking, pattern thinking, verbal logic thinking and auditory thinking. Grandin explained how each thinking type has its respective strengths and weaknesses.

Individuals with autism who are photo-realistic visual thinkers tend to do poorly with math, while pattern thinkers tend to do poorly with reading. The verbal logic thinker typically struggles with drawing, while the auditory thinker tends to struggle with visual perception.

Grandin identifies herself to be a photo-realistic visual thinker who struggles very much with understanding algebra.

“I’m worried that our visual thinkers are getting screened out by some of the strict algebra classes,” Grandin said. “I think it’s just ridiculous. Let them take geometry; I’m not suggesting no math — I’m not suggesting that — but I think there’s some pattern thinkers that think you could have algebra in order to think. It didn’t make any sense to me; there are no pictures.”

Grandin identified what she believes to be many issues with the educational system. One of these was the top-down, verbal culture that doesn’t cater to some visual thinkers and individuals with autism or dyslexia, who she said are often “bottom-up” thinkers.

Grandin said bottom-up thinkers learn concepts on the basis of specific examples, which requires a high volume of data.

The audience was widely comprised of educators or parents of children with autism. In terms of working with diagnosed children, Grandin emphasized the importance of hands-on work, which allows them to develop work ethic.

Grandin said one of the worst things schools have done is take away hands-on courses like culinary and woodshop.


_________________
Professionally Identified and joined WP August 26, 2013
DSM 5: Autism Spectrum Disorder, DSM IV: Aspergers Moderate Severity

“My autism is not a superpower. It also isn’t some kind of god-forsaken, endless fountain of suffering inflicted on my family. It’s just part of who I am as a person”. - Sara Luterman


TheAvenger161173
Velociraptor
Velociraptor

Joined: 21 May 2015
Posts: 460
Location: England

08 Dec 2017, 11:47 am

Terrible at maths. I see pictures when I think,but I also sometimes hear my voice.



CockneyRebel
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 17 Jul 2004
Age: 50
Gender: Male
Posts: 117,178
Location: In my little Olympic World of peace and love

08 Dec 2017, 5:42 pm

I'm a photo-realistic thinker and I'm horrible at maths. I thought there was something wrong with me because I am horrible at math and most autistic people aren't. I got my answer reading the article. The article makes a lot of sense. Thank you for sharing it.


_________________
The Family Enigma


Sofisol612
Raven
Raven

Joined: 15 Feb 2017
Age: 29
Gender: Female
Posts: 109

08 Dec 2017, 5:59 pm

I´m a verbal logic thinker. I´m average at math and very good with reading, but I´m hopeless with visual perception and drawing, and I can´t visualize anything in my mind.


_________________
Professionally diagnosed with PDD NOS as a child, but only told by my parents at the age of 21.

Autism Quotient: 30
Aspie quiz: 123/200 aspie; 75/200 NT
RAADS: 135


Raleigh
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 7 Jul 2014
Age: 125
Gender: Non-binary
Posts: 34,575
Location: Out of my mind

08 Dec 2017, 6:07 pm

It's a shame that practical classes seem to be disappearing due to health and safety ridiculousness and the view that practical subjects are less important than academic subjects.


_________________
It's like I'm sleepwalking


jonny23
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 27 Mar 2012
Age: 46
Gender: Male
Posts: 515
Location: Sol System/Third Rock/USA

08 Dec 2017, 6:29 pm

Not just less important but there is a stigma that they are for the less intelligent.



magz
Forum Moderator
Forum Moderator

User avatar

Joined: 1 Jun 2017
Age: 39
Gender: Female
Posts: 16,283
Location: Poland

08 Dec 2017, 6:40 pm

Why couldn't there be mixed cases? Or maybe there are.
My thoughts are very abstract, I can't even describe what they are. Like pure ideas. So I guess I'm a pattern thinker.
Music and math are my loves. Good. But also poetry and literature. So it doesn't really fit the "pure" pattern thinker stereotype.
The only thing I'm sure of is I'm not visual.

The school system I know seems to be very different from what you are talking about so I can't really say much here.


_________________
Let's not confuse being normal with being mentally healthy.

<not moderating PPR stuff concerning East Europe>


TheAP
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 28 Dec 2014
Age: 26
Gender: Female
Posts: 20,314
Location: Canada

08 Dec 2017, 6:53 pm

I wonder which one I am. I'm not very good at art or music or visual-spatial things. I like logic, and I like statistics if they have to do with things that interest me. I was good at math for most of school. But I only have a vague interest in STEM subjects; when I actually have to practice them, I find them more difficult than interesting. I'm really good at writing and grammar, and I like to read and write. I also love to use my imagination and think of ideas and characters in my head.



magz
Forum Moderator
Forum Moderator

User avatar

Joined: 1 Jun 2017
Age: 39
Gender: Female
Posts: 16,283
Location: Poland

08 Dec 2017, 7:00 pm

TheAP wrote:
I wonder which one I am. I'm not very good at art or music or visual-spatial things. I like logic, and I like statistics if they have to do with things that interest me. I was good at math for most of school. But I only have a vague interest in STEM subjects; when I actually have to practice them, I find them more difficult than interesting. I'm really good at writing and grammar, and I like to read and write. I also love to use my imagination and think of ideas and characters in my head.

Sounds like verbal/logical.


_________________
Let's not confuse being normal with being mentally healthy.

<not moderating PPR stuff concerning East Europe>


TheAP
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 28 Dec 2014
Age: 26
Gender: Female
Posts: 20,314
Location: Canada

08 Dec 2017, 7:09 pm

magz wrote:
TheAP wrote:
I wonder which one I am. I'm not very good at art or music or visual-spatial things. I like logic, and I like statistics if they have to do with things that interest me. I was good at math for most of school. But I only have a vague interest in STEM subjects; when I actually have to practice them, I find them more difficult than interesting. I'm really good at writing and grammar, and I like to read and write. I also love to use my imagination and think of ideas and characters in my head.

Sounds like verbal/logical.

Maybe. I'm not sure though, because would a verbal/logical thinker the way Grandin defines it be more into non-fiction and facts than fiction and imagination?



Edna3362
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 29 Oct 2011
Gender: Female
Posts: 12,734
Location: ᜆᜄᜎᜓᜄ᜔

08 Dec 2017, 10:00 pm

In my case, I could've been any nonverbal learner/thinker. From visual, to kinesthetic, to auditory, to logical, to pattern thinking, to pure abstract. I could do and think with arts, music, sciences, maths, etc.
Whether it's formal or informal imagination, thinking, feeling, intuiting, I could do it. If the orientation is internal or external, I could also do it. Even it if involves facts or fiction, I could do it too.
The only thing that's missing for me is motivation, habit, and access for several certain subjects to practice.


Just practically anything but verbal. If it involves verbal -- whether spoken or written -- I have to 'translate', and I'm translating almost constantly but never consistently. :|


_________________
Gained Number Post Count (1).
Lose Time (n).

Lose more time here - Updates at least once a week.


ASPartOfMe
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 25 Aug 2013
Age: 67
Gender: Male
Posts: 36,404
Location: Long Island, New York

09 Dec 2017, 2:41 am

I quess I am verbal logical thinker and I do have trouble drawing(scribbling is more like it) but I ascribe it to poor fine moter skills.


_________________
Professionally Identified and joined WP August 26, 2013
DSM 5: Autism Spectrum Disorder, DSM IV: Aspergers Moderate Severity

“My autism is not a superpower. It also isn’t some kind of god-forsaken, endless fountain of suffering inflicted on my family. It’s just part of who I am as a person”. - Sara Luterman


Dataunit
Snowy Owl
Snowy Owl

User avatar

Joined: 1 Jul 2016
Gender: Male
Posts: 152

09 Dec 2017, 3:25 am

CockneyRebel wrote:
I'm a photo-realistic thinker and I'm horrible at maths. I thought there was something wrong with me because I am horrible at math and most autistic people aren't.

I read somewhere that most autistic people are actually worse than average at maths. It's just a cultural stereotype that we're all maths geniuses.

I'm average at it, but I have disliked it since early childhood because my grandmother constantly forced me to take extra maths lessons after school with her. She had a horrible teaching style where she would overwork me and shout at me if I made mistakes. Naturally, it put me off to the point were I stopped properly concentrating during my maths lessons at school, thinking "oh, God, not this again". I finished school with a C in maths - my worst grade. I'm angry because her counterproductive lessons mean that I don't understand Bertrand Russell when he talks about maths having a "cold and austere beauty", and it's something I'd love to understand.


_________________
Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?
- Epicurus


MrsPeel
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 1 Oct 2017
Age: 53
Gender: Non-binary
Posts: 1,854
Location: Australia

09 Dec 2017, 5:22 am

I was bad at maths because the teachers never explained why I needed to know what they were teaching. I think if I'd understood the practical value of it, I think I might have had more motivation to learn.



MrsPeel
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 1 Oct 2017
Age: 53
Gender: Non-binary
Posts: 1,854
Location: Australia

09 Dec 2017, 5:30 am

I'm not sure what kind of thinker I am.
Sometimes when I speak I see the words in typeface in my mind, which might suggest verbal/logical, but I'm OK at drawing and I enjoy spotting patterns in music. Probably not visual, because I don't think in pictures.
So... :?



blazingstar
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 19 Nov 2017
Age: 71
Gender: Female
Posts: 6,234

09 Dec 2017, 6:42 am

I think I am a pattern thinker. I used to describe my learning new things to people (such as a new task or new job) that I have a very long lag phase and then I get it and do fine. This fits with Grandin's description of pattern thinkers...it takes a lot of data to see complex patterns. It also makes it difficult for me to explain to others why I know something. Of course, if I encounter some outlier to the pattern, then I really get thrown for a loop and my anxiety takes over until I can pin it down again.


_________________
The river is the melody
And sky is the refrain
- Gordon Lightfoot