Rote memory skills and autism. Autistic children are often good at learning by heart (rote memory). Many autistic children can remember large chunks of information, like conversations from movies, words to a song, number plates and so on.
Though they may not recollect a name or face, some individuals on the spectrum could surprise you with the small details they can recall. Things others might've missed, patterns of colors, numbers, and letters, might come to them easier than the “average” person's memory.
Memory strengths of ASD
In ASD, memory seems to be least related to social and emotional experiences. The sensory experience of some individuals with autism help to encode some events into memory. Most high-functioning autistic children can recall personal events from a young age.
In general, children with autism have a weak episodic memory and they can't always recall things that happened in the past. Taking a lot of pictures and documenting the story or emotion behind the pictures has proven to work wonders for improving episodic memory.
Some children with autism are great at academics, such as being above average in reading or math skills compared to peers their age. Some children with ASD have a great memory and can remember things extremely well. Many children with autism are visual learners.
TV and Videos Can Open the World to A Child
Many children on the autism spectrum are fascinated by animals, trains, or other aspects of the real world. Selected TV and videos, such as "Animal Planet" and the "Eye Witness" videos can build on those interests.
Having an extraordinarily good memory (being able to remember facts for a long period of time). Being precise and detail orientated. Exceptional honesty and reliability. Being dependable in regards to schedules and routines.
About one-third of young children with ASD lose some skills during the preschool period, usually speech, but sometimes also nonverbal communication, social or play skills are also affected.
Studies on autistic people have shown impairments to their episodic memory but relative preservation of their semantic memory. The brain regions that play a major role in declarative learning and memory are the hippocampus and regions of the medial temporal lobe.
Autistic people have difficulties recalling episodic memories, including retrieving fewer or less specific and detailed memories compared to typically developing people.
They may also have exceptional memory, attention to detail, and problem-solving skills. In fact, some autistic people have a unique way of thinking that allows them to see patterns and connections that others may miss. One of the reasons why people associate autism with intelligence is because of the "savant syndrome".
Routines, restrictive and repetitive habits
Autistic individuals prefer predictability, routines, and patterns, making sudden changes difficult. It bothers them greatly when unexpected changes occur, and they become very upset about it.
Signs of High-Functioning Autism in Children
May appear more mature for their age and have above-average intelligence. A tendency to avoid eye contact. Trouble deviating from a routine or adapting to changes. Trouble making friends and maintaining social relationships or not “fitting in” with peers.
According to researchers from San Diego State University, these deep folds and wrinkles may develop differently in ASD. Specifically, in autistic brains there is significantly more folding in the left parietal and temporal lobes as well as in the right frontal and temporal regions.
“High-functioning autism” isn't an official medical term or diagnosis. It's an informal one some people use when they talk about people with autism spectrum disorder , or ASD, who can speak, read, write, and handle basic life skills like eating and getting dressed. They can live independently.
Children and adolescents with autism often have an enlarged hippocampus, the area of the brain responsible for forming and storing memories, several studies suggest, but it is unclear if that difference persists into adolescence and adulthood1,2.
We also asked each person to report any difficulties that they have with recognizing faces in everyday life. We find that, as a group, people with autism have difficulties with both remembering and perceiving faces, and report more problems recognizing faces in everyday life.
While cognitive empathy can be lower in people with autism, affective empathy—which is based on instincts and involuntary responses to the emotions of others—can be strong and overwhelming. In fact, newer research suggests that some people with autism may actually feel other people's emotions more intensely.
Many children on the autism spectrum use echolalia, which means they repeat others' words or sentences. They might repeat the words of familiar people (parents, teachers), or they might repeat sentences from their favourite video. When children repeat words right after they hear them, it's known as immediate echolalia.
The study brings hope to those parents who worry that children who are not talking by age 4 or 5 are unlikely to develop speech at all. Some children with ASD develop meaningful language after age 5. "There is a burst of kids in the 6- to 7- age range who do get language," Dr. Wodka said.
Uneven language development.
Some may be able to read words before age five, but may not comprehend what they have read. They often do not respond to the speech of others and may not respond to their own names. As a result, these children are sometimes mistakenly thought to have a hearing problem.
Therefore, it appears that while some individuals may be aware they are autistic, others may not fully understand why they have difficulties connecting with people socially or engaging in conversation - yet still realize they are 'different.
However, the fitness tests showed that aerobic fitness, flexibility and body mass index of children with autism spectrum disorders was similar to the children without autism. The strength test was the only one that children with autism spectrum disorders did not perform as well in, the study said.