Asperger's #1 Brittle Intelligence

This is the first in a series of posts about traits that I experienced as a student with Asperger's Syndrome (AS). If you don't know much about AS, there are lots of great books and websites out there. Thanks to anyone who arrived at this blog after attending the session today.

In brief, AS is a pervasive developmental disorder on the autism spectrum. It looks similar to high-functioning autism, but is a distinct diagnosis. The number of cases of diagnosed Asperger's Syndrome has been rising consistently for the last two decades.  Here's a primer on one trait common to people with AS—normal or above average intelligence with narrow interests:

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My intelligence is brittle.  It may be strong, but my knowledge is inflexible.  I may know more facts and details about a subject than even you do, but that does not mean I comprehend them.  Like the Star Trek android Data and his antecedent Mr. Spock, I combine voluminous informational capacity with spectacular emotional ignorance [immaturity].  I think and learn in ways that are so rigid they become irrational.  I may know every math fact on the timed test, but if you change the color of the paper on which it is printed, I lose composure and can’t concentrate.  My speech seems unusually adult, because I hear and mimic phrases and intonations perfectly.  Then, when I go off script, my literal thinking and failure to grasp idioms make me seem like an English language learner who lost his phrasebook.  Not only can I not think “outside the box”, I spend most of my time trying to figure out the box.  There is safety and predictability in the box.  If I can only figure out the size, texture, social rules, schedules and dozens of other characteristics that govern the box called your classroom then maybe I can get through another day without a major meltdown.  If not, watch out.  Fortunately, there are specific strategies you can use to scaffold my brittle intelligence:

1.                     Use concrete language.  I misunderstand abstractions, allusions and idioms.  They distract and confuse me.  If you must, explain them to me in literal terms and check to see if I can translate them into useful understanding.

2.                     Incorporate visuals.  I am so literal that the symbolism of language can escape me.  Adding visuals–drawings, flow charts, maps, or pictures will amplify and consolidate my comprehension.

3.                     Be consistent.  I crave sameness.  I invest so much energy figuring out how to navigate your expectations, homework formats, lesson style and classroom management that I will give up and withdraw if you change things up.  What may seem boring and predictable to you is life support to me.  I appreciate repetition and redundancy–they give me the confidence I desperately need.