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"Autism is a superpower"

Rainbowgirl

I see this type of message everywhere, people talking about the amazing talents that autistic people they've met have and calling it a superpower. They act like being autistic just comes with these amazing abilities.

I appreciate putting a positive light on autism rather than a negative one but it makes me feel like something is wrong with me. I don't have a superpower.

I'm slow, I'm bad at math, my memory is so bad that I fear I may have amnesia, I only ever did average at school and I've been learning the same language for 4 years yet I can't hold a real conversation. 

I'm not really intelligent or talented. The thing I'm best at is just being really interested in certain things (I consider it a good quality of mine) but it's nothing that would be considered a superpower.

Does anybody else feel this way? Is this type of thinking actually damaging to the image of autistic people?

Parents

  • Your communication is quite good for someone suggesting they don't believe they're intelligent! Are you learning a second language and having trouble or is English your first and one that's still remarkably difficult?

    I had learned a few systems of thought which really helped me over the years not necessarily become quicker, but more intentional and expand my possibilities of learning/ reasoning. If you're interested in a few ideas to work with, I'm happy to share. 

    What are you interested in?

  • in reply to JuniperFromGallifrey

    Thank you. English was actually my strongest subject in school but the rest I was very average or below average at. 

    I've been learning a foreign language for around 4 years. I've seen people I know pick it up and get way past my level in a matter of months while I'm stuck repeating the same bits just to try and drill them into my memory. 

    I'm very interested in what you have to share if you're willing to :) 

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  • in reply to JuniperFromGallifrey

    Thank you. English was actually my strongest subject in school but the rest I was very average or below average at. 

    I've been learning a foreign language for around 4 years. I've seen people I know pick it up and get way past my level in a matter of months while I'm stuck repeating the same bits just to try and drill them into my memory. 

    I'm very interested in what you have to share if you're willing to :) 

Children
  • in reply to Rainbowgirl

    Excelling at a thing while being terrible at many others is a "Spike-y Profile" it's apparently particular to autism. Many things will take me much longer than others as well, but then I may end up with a deeper knowledge in the long-run.

    From what I've heard, a second language is remarkably much easier to pick up when around others who are native to it. So if I'd like to learn French, it's probably best I learn a little and then move to France for a bit.  

    Memory is a thing which can be disciplined or can 'grow'. And by 'exercising' our memory, it then becomes more useful for the tasks it's required for. But it can take some time, like any muscle to build. One of the best techniques I've found is something used in Theatre training for cold reading. It's best with a fiction book or even poetry book, though you could use a newspaper as well. Start where ever you wish and look at a sentence. Then close your eyes if it helps and think about or even visualise that sentence. You can role play and assume the character or envision that sentence in an environment. Then without looking at the book, repeat the sentence back out loud. Look back at the book, collect and internalise the next sentence and repeat. 

    This can take some time to get used to, but after a while you may find this technique requires more context. This feeling is suggesting fundamental information is useful for having the full understanding and when you do, it becomes much more easy to intake and retain information. This is the beginning of learning to critically evaluate as well.

    For many of us, this is a key element of what we were missing from Education and felt incomplete. There's a book called A Field Guide for Earthlings which talks about this in relation to the autistic brain-type. We learn and process information different. Once we start using the techniques we need to learn, ideally, we can excel at things which interest us. It's just not how neurotypicals individuals learn. :)