It is rare for a parent to celebrate the news of having an autistic child. Society has made some people assume that neurodivergent kids are slow learners and troublemakers. Autism spectrum disorder, characterised by difficulty communicating and understanding nonverbal cues, is one disorder that often gets this unpleasant reputation. Autistic children are regularly misportrayed as rude, unintelligent and strange. But did you know that they could also be hiding miraculous, almost supernatural, abilities? This is called savant syndrome, a phenomena whereby seemingly ordinary children exhibit extraordinary talents. Could your autistic child be one of these gifted individuals? Here are 7 superpowers your autistic child may have that you may not be aware of:
Hyperlexia
It sounds like a medical condition but I can assure you, it’s definitely a superhuman ability. Hyperlexia is the uncanny ability of some children to be able to read far beyond their years. This is usually accompanied with an obsession with numbers and letters. An astounding number of autistic children under the age of 5 have been found exhibiting the reading skills of a neurotypical 10 year old. It’s most surprising in some cases how they can accomplish this without anyone teaching them. Being hyperlexic suggests greater intelligence, better language acquisition and memory retention. If they are already reading beyond their level, they may very could advance into reading comprehension and composition.
Memory Recall
Speaking of memory, autistic children are also able to memorise things with great precision and accuracy. As adults, memory recall is something we all covet only because there are simply so many things that we forget. For autistic children, this may not be a problem. You can ask them what happened at school on the 23rd of June three years ago at 3:30 p.m. and chances are they’d be able to recall the event with great detail. Having a superhuman memory also allows them to remember miscellaneous facts about animals, plants, countries, outerspace, human anatomy, etc. Depending on their interest or what kind of books you get them, your child could be a prodigy of science, history, geography and even music.
Higher IQ
Recent surveys show that autistic children are more likely to have above average intelligence. Over 53% of autistic children have an IQ of 116 and above. This may help explain their almost supernatural ability to think, learn and process information far more effectively than normal children. A trait that definitely qualifies as being indicative of savant syndrome. There is also a significant correlation between mathematical aptitude and autism—which may explain the high IQ in many autistic children. Due to their love of patterns, autistic children also tend to love solving puzzles, which is another indicator of above average intelligence. However, because they are often quiet and reclusive, people mistake them as being ‘slow’. A good way to help your autistic child express themselves is through assistive technology. The thoughts, ideas and revelations they wish to communicate may surprise you.
Enhanced Creativity
Some autistic children have been known to exhibit exceptional creativity. Their unique perspective of the world grants them the ability to think outside the box, in ways that may not be obvious to a neurotypical child. Autism also grants enhanced visuospatial ability, a skill which allows you to understand the relationship between objects. Concepts like shape, distance, structure and form may come easily to an autistic child. Now, while this may not necessarily make them the next Picasso, it does open a world of opportunities. Isaac Newton was the first to quantify and measure gravity. Albert Einstein formulated the theory of relativity, which helped us better understand the inner workings of space and time. Many people overlook the fact that creativity is as essential to science as it is to art.
Superhuman Perception
Due to their tendency to hyperfixate and their sensorial sensitivity, autistic children are more observant of their surroundings. They can pick up on things that may normally pass the attention of neurotypical individuals. Things such as sight, sound, smell, touch and taste are heightened for an autistic child. They can detect the slightest change in their environment and may be prone to extreme cleanliness or organisation. This gives them an almost perfectionist streak and an attention to detail. Many autistic children value order, routine and rules as it gives them stability. Such traits may help them attain promising careers in computer science, analytics, information management, and even criminology.
Enhanced Concentration
Another benefit of being able to hyperfixate on a task is that autistic children have the ability to concentrate for hours on end. This may be one of the reasons they are able to memorise and master a desired skill at an almost superhuman capacity. Being able to immerse oneself complete in an activity, such as playing an instrument for instance, is one of the key factors in fostering a talent.
Logical Thinking
Many of us are often ruled by our emotions and relationships. Autistic children are not burdened by such tendencies and tend to be more ‘left-brained‘. This allows them to make important, perhaps even life-saving decisions during moments of chaos. But a negative consequence of this trait is that they may have a lower level of empathy and as a result may also struggle making moral judgements. Moreover, even with their superior problem-solving skills, autistic children still experience meltdowns and outbursts. Especially if their psychological equilibrium is off. This can be the result of anything such as a break in routine, external stressors or even stressful life events.
Unleashing Your Child’s Potential
Many of the famed scholars and thinkers of the past and present had autism. This shows that just because you may have a neurological disorder doesn’t mean that you can’t succeed in life. In fact, some might even say that it gives you a competitive advantage, in a way. Unfortunately, society has begun to put so much pressure on parents to get their kids to tap into this virtually limitless intellectual potential. Moreover, even with these skills at their disposal, not every autistic child can master all of them. Nor are they at the optimal spectrum of autism to allow these abilities to manifest.
In conjuction with Autism Awareness Day this year, our advice is to simply let them explore their own capabilities, interests and talents. Your very gifted and special child will soon find what they are destined for soon enough. All you need to do is be there to help them every step of the way.
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