Autism is a neurological disorder that presents with widely diverse symptoms. As with all forms of autism, those with the high-functioning type experience difficulties with communication, social skills and often have motor and sensory problems. Children with high-functioning autism (HFA) often achieve developmental milestones such as speaking late. However, they have average or above-average cognitive abilities and may be gifted in a specialized area such as art or science.
Difficulties with Communication
Individuals with HFA often experience several communication challenges. They may have an attention deficit or language-processing disorder that makes it difficult to focus and follow a teacher's lesson or a co-worker's directions. A student might still be thinking about what a classmate said while the teacher has moved on to a different topic. Individuals with HFA struggle with abstract language such as idioms or metaphors--this affects their abilities to understand characters in books or movies as well as those in the social world. Difficulties reading body language also affect the ability to differentiate motives such as those of a bully who is making fun of a victim or a friendly person engaged in normal behavior such as joking around.
Difficulties with Social Skills
Children with HFA struggle to understand social behavior such as why others don't want to repeatedly hear about the same arcane subjects. They can't read the social cues that indicate others are uncomfortable with their behaviors. Another challenge to developing social skills is called "theory of mind." This is the ability to understand another person's perspective. An example of this is when a teenager doesn't call her friend back because she assumes the friend knows that she is busy studying for a test. Individuals with HFA may avoid eye contact and speak or move in a mechanical way that seems void of emotion. Teaching them to recognize and change these behaviors may help them to develop relationships. Some adults learn to overcome these social challenges by studying and imitating the behaviors of others who are socially successful. Adults can also develop careers that enable them to excel in their areas of intense interest--winning friends and respect in the process.
Difficulties with Sensory Processing
Individuals with HFA may have a sensory-processing disorder that makes it difficult to interpret and respond to stimuli such as touch and movement. They may be picky eaters, avoid touching unusual textures, find touch from others aversive and fear movement experiences. Children with HFA may appear clumsy, perform poorly during sports or struggle with handwriting. As teens or adults, however, they may succeed in noncompetitive sports such as cycling or backpacking and discover a talent for not only using a keyboard as an alternative to writing, but excel at programming or other computer skills.
References
- "Asperger Syndrome and Adolescence"; Teresa Bolick; 2001
- "Developing Talents"; Temple Grandin and Kate Duffy; 2004
- "Asperger Syndrome and Sensory Issues"; Brenda Smith Myles, Katherine Tapscott Cook, Nancy E. Miller, Louann Rinner and Lisa A. Robbins; 2000
- "The Source for Autism"; Gail J. Richard; 1997
- "Socially Curious and Curiously Social"; Michelle Garcia Winner and Pamela Crooke; 2009
