Giftedness as Ultra-High-Functioning Autism?

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06 Jul 2005, 6:40 pm

People who are gifted and talented may, in fact, have an extraordinarily high-functioning form of autism. Certain facets of the Giftedness Scale are common characteristics in high-functioning autistic people and people diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome:

Quote:

1. Good problem solving/reasoning abilities (good reasoning abilities in high-functioning autism and Asperger's syndrome)
2. Rapid learning ability (common in Asperger's syndrome)
3. Extensive vocabulary (true of Asperger's syndrome)
4. Excellent memory (true of autistic spectrum)
5. Long attention span (true of autistic spectrum)
6. Personal sensitivity (true of autistic spectrum)
7. Compassion for others
8. Perfectionism (common in Asperger's syndrome)
9. Intensity (common in Asperger's syndrome)
10. Moral sensitivity
11. Unusual curiosity (true of autistic spectrum)
12. Perseverant when interested (true of autistic spectrum)
13. High degree of energy (common)
14. Preference for older companions (common)
15. Wide range of interests
16. Great sense of humor
17. Early or avid reading ability (not unusual in AS; hyperlexia)
18. Concerned with justice, fairness
19. At times, judgment seems mature for age
20. Keen powers of observation (true of autistic spectrum)
21. Vivid imagination (true of autistic spectrum; autistic inner world)
22. High degree of creativity (common in adults with high-functioning autism or Asperger's syndrome)
23. Tends to question authority (common in autistic spectrum)
24. Shows ability with numbers (common in autistic spectrum)
25. Good at jigsaw puzzles (common in autistic spectrum)

Source: Silverman, Linda Kreger, "Characteristics of Giftedness Scale," Gifted Development Center, 2004. <http://www.gifteddevelopment.com/Articles/Characteristics_Scale.htm>

Asperger's syndrome, high-functioning autism, and pervasive developmental disorder - not otherwise specified are far from unusual in scientists, mathematicians, engineers, philosophers, and even artists. In fact, the ability to become completely absorbed in one's "restricted and stereotyped pattern of interest" may be necessary to develop the theories and technologies that have advanced civilization. Interest in celebrity gossip and such trivia, a neurologically typical pursuit, is unusual in highly gifted people.

Giftedness is not equivalent to high intelligence. After all, what is an intelligent but extraverted person with a low attention span going to become? He or she might wind up a politician, actor, or someone else equally worthless!

anbuend
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06 Jul 2005, 8:30 pm

I think there are several things called giftedness, and autism can cause some of them. I don't think that all things that get called giftedness are autism-related. I have been in groups of "gifted" children and always been the outcast because of autism, there is a huge difference. Nor do I think being a politician or actor or somesuch automatically makes someone worthless because I don't think anyone is worthless. For that matter I know people who are politicians and/or actors and definitely autistic.

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Sophist
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07 Jul 2005, 1:45 am

I agree with anbuend. Giftedness is a very broad word and doubtless includes scores of types of people, disordered and ordered.

With regards to Savant Abilities, those seem to be very linked to the Autism Spectrum. However, I suspect this is not the group of "gifted' individuals you mean.

Giftedness spans many disorders, Autism being one of them. But it is not relegated to this set of disorders. There are even many NT individuals who are "gifted" as well, believe it or not.

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Last edited by Sophist on 08 Jul 2005, 12:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.

GalileoAce
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07 Jul 2005, 2:18 am

I haven't voted on this, cos I don't have an opinion either way...

But, I'll list how I fall on that list.

1. Good problem solving/reasoning abilities (YES)
2. Rapid learning ability (DEPENDS ON TEACHING METHOD)
3. Extensive vocabulary (AFFIRMATIVE)
4. Excellent memory (YES, BUT SHORT TERM LACKS)
5. Long attention span (NO)
6. Personal sensitivity (UNSURE OF THE MEANING)
7. Compassion for others (SOMETIMES)
8. Perfectionism (YES)
9. Intensity (NOT ALWAYS)
10. Moral sensitivity (YES)
11. Unusual curiosity (YES)
12. Perseverant when interested (YES)
13. High degree of energy (IT VARIES)
14. Preference for older companions (YES)
15. Wide range of interests (NO)
16. Great sense of humor (YES, IMO)
17. Early or avid reading ability (YES)
18. Concerned with justice, fairness (YES)
19. At times, judgment seems mature for age (AT TIMES)
20. Keen powers of observation (YES)
21. Vivid imagination (YES)
22. High degree of creativity (SOMETIMES)
23. Tends to question authority (ALWAYS)
24. Shows ability with numbers (SORTA)
25. Good at jigsaw puzzles (YES)

GA

anbuend
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07 Jul 2005, 6:49 am

Daniel Mont wrote a book about his son, the name of the book is escaping me right now. It's all about his autistic son, and one chapter is dedicated to his attempt to get his son into a group for gifted children. His son is on the sidelines the entire time, and afterwards, despite his son meeting criteria for the group, a parent calls him to tell him "Our extremely sensitive children can just feel when someone doesn't fit, and your son doesn't fit, so he won't be allowed back." (He decided these parents were turning their children into monsters, but despite the other kids having trouble socializing because of their different interests, they still had the typical social skills and patterns of non-autistic kids and knew an autistic kid when they saw one.)

Nomaken
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07 Jul 2005, 7:48 am

Ooooo oooo, i wanna say where i fall!

1. Good problem solving/reasoning abilities (Very)
2. Rapid learning ability (Very)
3. Extensive vocabulary (Very)
4. Excellent memory (Very)
5. Long attention span (Very)
6. Personal sensitivity (Very)
7. Compassion for others (VERY)
8. Perfectionism (Very)
9. Intensity (People think so.)
10. Moral sensitivity (Well... i'm VERY aware of it, but i am...very reasonable, so it looks like i dont have ANY morals)
11. Unusual curiosity (VERYVERYVERY)
12. Perseverant when interested (Damn strait! If i get interested, don't get in my way. It is like the saying Don't get between the nasqul and its prey)
13. High degree of energy (Depends)
14. Preference for older companions (Oh yeah. Definitely.)
15. Wide range of interests (Yes. I'm in school to learn as much as i can about everything before i die.)
16. Great sense of humor (I can find anything even remotely ironic, incongrueous, or exaggerated funny. Seriously.)
17. Early or avid reading ability (Yup)
18. Concerned with justice, fairness (Virtually every decision i make is mathematically worked out based on fairness, and justice.)
19. At times, judgment seems mature for age (Yup.)
20. Keen powers of observation (VERY)
21. Vivid imagination (I CAN'T get bored. Seriously, i wanna find a sensory deprivation chamber and challenge those people that i wont go nutty if you leave me in there for a day.)
22. High degree of creativity (Yup.)
23. Tends to question authority (Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha. I basically spent 5th grade through 12th grade in the principals office.)
24. Shows ability with numbers (Yup. Although you learn that people who like being match teachers are often people who should NEVER teach any other living human being.)
25. Good at jigsaw puzzles (This is where my long attention span first got noticed. God dammit, i am not f*****g going to bed until i finish this 10 thousand piece 3D puzzle!!)

Weeeee ^_^

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Last edited by Nomaken on 07 Jul 2005, 7:59 am, edited 1 time in total.

anbuend
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07 Jul 2005, 7:55 am

Guess I'll answer that part too:

1. Good problem solving/reasoning abilities - not sure
2. Rapid learning ability - not always
3. Extensive vocabulary - in some respects
4. Excellent memory - long-term yes, short-term or working, no
5. Long attention span - depends on what I'm focused on
6. Personal sensitivity - vague terms, not sure what they mean
7. Compassion for others - yes
8. Perfectionism - sometimes
9. Intensity - I'm told so
10. Moral sensitivity - yes
11. Unusual curiosity - not sure if it's unusual or not
12. Perseverant when interested - yes
13. High degree of energy - no
14. Preference for older companions - older or younger
15. Wide range of interests - not sure
16. Great sense of humor - apparently
17. Early or avid reading ability - yes
18. Concerned with justice, fairness - yes
19. At times, judgment seems mature for age - not sure
20. Keen powers of observation - depends on what I'm observing and when
21. Vivid imagination - sometimes
22. High degree of creativity - not sure
23. Tends to question authority - yes
24. Shows ability with numbers - not really
25. Good at jigsaw puzzles - yes

ashkelon
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07 Jul 2005, 11:20 am

Squares and rectangles...

I won't vote. "Giftedness" is in this case more categoricaly like "handedness" and some autistics may be an others not, just like NTs. I was in a TAG program with many gifted NTs. My brother is very gifted and very, very, NT.

Many autistics may be gifted, others not. But to say all "gifted" are necessarily on the autism spectrum is to deny all the social gifted, including those who ran in packs at my school, and that I work with every day.

Nomaken
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07 Jul 2005, 11:28 am

Actually i think everybody is on the autistic spectrum, and there is no such thing as NT.

anbuend
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07 Jul 2005, 11:46 am

ashkelon wrote:

Many autistics may be gifted, others not. But to say all "gifted" are necessarily on the autism spectrum is to deny all the social gifted, including those who ran in packs at my school, and that I work with every day.

And there can even be people who are very socially skilled at the same time as not being able to do academics very well at all. A lot of the recreation programs I've been in have been combinations of autistic people and people with intellectual disabilities, and the people with intellectual disabilities (but not autism) quite often ran rings around me socially.

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07 Jul 2005, 12:07 pm

Nomaken wrote:

Actually i think everybody is on the autistic spectrum, and there is no such thing as NT.

Well, to an extent that's probably true. Sort of like sexuality. I'm always amused and disgusted by people's attempts to pidgeon-hole sexuality.

But clearly (at least to me) there are people who have magic abilities to function with and understand other people. Not empathy, but that subtle (again to me) nudge-nudge, wink-wink thing that it seems I never have picked up on. Understanding that unspoken, subtly signed business that is social interaction doesn't have anything to do with intellect, or intellectual giftedness.

Perhaps the "giftedness" is too ill-defined. I also think there are many types of giftedness other than intellectual. If we narrow it down to logic and pattern skills, cognative and language ability, etc. -- well whee, I'M GIFTED. If you expand that to include "social engineering" skills, well guess what, then I am truly ret*d.

I don't believe that the criteria for "gifted" should be shunted or twisted artifically by somebody to imply that intellectual gifts and autism are necessarily part of the same thing or compensitory in some way. I have plenty of anecdotal evidence to the contrary sitting at desks to either side of me for 10-12 hours every day.

Last edited by ashkelon on 08 Jul 2005, 1:34 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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08 Jul 2005, 12:59 pm

1. Good problem solving/reasoning abilities - quite good
2. Rapid learning ability - erm, yes and no. Depends
3. Extensive vocabulary - Better than the average NT bear
4. Excellent memory - short term (esp. auditory) sucks, long term good
5. Long attention span - depends on the subject and my energy level
6. Personal sensitivity - very introspective (is this what this means?)
7. Compassion for others - eh. Not a lot. Great compassion for animals
8. Perfectionism - Ho yeah
9. Intensity - Half and half. I have my moments
10. Moral sensitivity - eh. I base things off consequences. Not morals.
11. Unusual curiosity - I am very curious about unusual things
12. Perseverant when interested - YES
13. High degree of energy - half and half
14. Preference for older companions - DEFINITELY
15. Wide range of interests - quite
16. Great sense of humor - People seem to think I'm funny
17. Early or avid reading ability - Good reading skills. Average age of learning
18. Concerned with justice, fairness - sorta. More concerned with contradictions in "justice" and "fairness"
19. At times, judgment seems mature for age - have been told so
20. Keen powers of observation - I observe the insignificant things. An elephant in my living room I might miss
21. Vivid imagination - very
22. High degree of creativity - yes
23. Tends to question authority - yes
24. Shows ability with numbers - eh. I ain't bad with 'em, but no genius either
25. Good at jigsaw puzzles - nope

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Namiko
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09 Jul 2005, 10:18 am

Here's my answers:

1. Good problem solving/reasoning abilities - yes
2. Rapid learning ability - fairly
3. Extensive vocabulary - above average
4. Excellent memory - decent. my NT sis has better long term memory
5. Long attention span - usually. either extensively long or only momentary (really short). It fluctuates between the two extremes.
6. Personal sensitivity - I guess. I'm sensitive about some things but not others
7. Compassion for others - not much
8. Perfectionism - oh gosh. yes.
9. Intensity - fluctuates between extremes. depends on what I'm doing.
10. Moral sensitivity - yes.
11. Unusual curiosity - I'm curious and people tell me I ask way too many questions
12. Perseverant when interested - definately
13. High degree of energy - depends what I'm doing
14. Preference for older companions - either older or younger and mature. not my age.
15. Wide range of interests - sort of. anything artistic related or science. does that count?
16. Great sense of humor - depends about what.
17. Early or avid reading ability - slow reader but early learner
18. Concerned with justice, fairness - yeah, mostly
19. At times, judgment seems mature for age - depends. usually.
20. Keen powers of observation - I notice different licence plates on cars and numbers on the side of the sidewalk, but not if someone blonde dyed their hair black.
21. Vivid imagination - yep
22. High degree of creativity - yeah...how else do you expect me to write like I do?
23. Tends to question authority - almost always, but never directly
24. Shows ability with numbers - love math. good at it until calculus
25. Good at jigsaw puzzles - not very good with spacial things.

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hale_bopp
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09 Jul 2005, 8:47 pm

1. Good problem solving/reasoning abilities (good reasoning abilities in high-functioning autism and Asperger's syndrome)Yes
2. Rapid learning ability (common in Asperger's syndrome)No
3. Extensive vocabulary (true of Asperger's syndrome)No
4. Excellent memory (true of autistic spectrum)No
5. Long attention span (true of autistic spectrum)No
6. Personal sensitivity (true of autistic spectrum)wtf?
7. Compassion for othersDepends
8. Perfectionism (common in Asperger's syndrome)Yes
9. Intensity (common in Asperger's syndrome)No
10. Moral sensitivityYes
11. Unusual curiosity (true of autistic spectrum)Yes, I'm as nosey as hell.
12. Perseverant when interested (true of autistic spectrum)Not really, but it depends
13. High degree of energy (common)No
14. Preference for older companions (common)Yes
15. Wide range of interestsYes
16. Great sense of humorYes
17. Early or avid reading ability (not unusual in AS; hyperlexia)Yes
18. Concerned with justice, fairnessYes
19. At times, judgment seems mature for ageYes
20. Keen powers of observation (true of autistic spectrum)Yes
21. Vivid imagination (true of autistic spectrum; autistic inner world)YesYesYesYesYesYes
22. High degree of creativity (common in adults with high-functioning autism or Asperger's syndrome)YesYesYesYesYes
23. Tends to question authority (common in autistic spectrum)YesYesYesYesYesYesYes
24. Shows ability with numbers (common in autistic spectrum)Sometimes
25. Good at jigsaw puzzles (common in autistic spectrum)Yes

Sean
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09 Jul 2005, 8:58 pm

hale_bopp wrote:

9. Intensity (common in Asperger's syndrome)No

Umm, this could be disputed. :lol:

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