“Strictly speaking, autism exists as a spectrum of disorders, from classical autism (nonspeaking, socially isolated, intellectually disabled, with repetitive behaviours like rocking and hand flapping), on one end, to high-functioning autism and Asperger’s syndrome (good language skills, average or above-average intelligence, interest in specialized areas), on the other.”
"Autistic individuals have significant difficulty with one-on-one personal contact. They have what has been termed 'mindblindness' - the inability to perceive or even guess at the thoughts of other people.[...] They have difficulty reading faces and gestures, guessing intentions, perceiving motivations, and most especially, perhaps, understanding emotions. [...] They usually demonstrate unusual and repetitive interests and behaviours".
Autistic individuals have strong visual-spatial skills and ability to see details that are part of systems. "Autistic people are seen in terms of what they can't do (empathize) rather than in terms of what they can do (systematize). Their personal interests are often regarded as 'obsessional' and 'unimaginative', or as 'splinter skills", rather than being appreciated for what they are: a specific fascination with a particular system".
People in the Autism Spectrum benefit from learning and working in environments where they can use their special interests in their relatiosnhips with classmates and colleagues, which in turn can lead to expressing their individual talents. "Another important element in niche construction for people on the autism spectrum is the modulation of sensory input. Because of their high perceptual processing abilities, many autistic individuals are acutely sensitive to sensory stimuli, such as noise, lights, touch, smells, and tastes. Part of creating a niche involves eliminating those stimuli that cause pain or discomfort and adding sensory input that is pleasing".
Source: Armstrong, Thomas. Neurodiversity Discovering the Extraordinary Gifts of Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia, and Other Brain Differences. First Da Capo Press edition. Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Lifelong, 2010.
