Has unusual reactions to the way things smell, taste, look, feel, or sound Has trouble adapting when routines change Has trouble understanding other people’s feelings or talking about their own feelingsĭoes not play “pretend” or interactive games High expectations of self and others, often leading to feelings of frustration Has trouble relating to others or not have an interest in other people at all Signs of Autism Spectrum Disorder *Taken from the CDCĭifficulty connecting with same-age peers Shared Characteristics on Behavior Checklists for Both Giftedness and ASD Signs of Giftedness *Taken from NAGC & the Davidson Institute As the table below demonstrates, there are several identifying traits that both profiles share. In addition, both students who are gifted or have ASD may struggle with social interactions. Highly gifted children are often described as intense or over-excitable and can present with sensory issues and executive functioning issues, much like those described in students who are identified with ASD. It should be noted that highly gifted children are not always well-adjusted, high-achievers. Gifted behavior checklists are also frequently included in gifted identification. Diagnosing giftedness often involves above-level testing, IQ tests, or standardized achievement tests. It is commonly characterized by high intelligence, creativity, and/or achievement. Giftedness is also considered a brain-based difference that is broadly defined. Professionals consider the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria, which includes behavioral checklists and severity levels, to help identify individuals. It is broadly defined but mainly focuses on issues of social and communication skills, as well as some observable behavioral differences, often referred to as “restricted and repetitive behaviors,” such as rocking. How Do Autism Spectrum Disorder and Giftedness Overlap?Īutism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is considered a developmental condition that results from a brain-based difference. Parents of children who are both gifted and autistic often feel that they can’t get the benefits of either label, such as access to advanced learning opportunities or scaffolding in school when their child needs extra support. Parents of children who are identified as ASD may resent how this label has been used to pathologize, rather than embrace neurodiversity. Parents of gifted children may worry that their child will be mislabeled as ASD, perhaps because of a teacher’s misunderstanding of gifted characteristics (and/or ASD characteristics). It is understandable given the history, stigma, and ongoing debates that circle around both the gifted and ASD communities.

Many readers may already be having strong reactions. To add to the label confusion, a parent, an educator, and a clinician may all place different emphasis on different aspects of this child’s profile.

They may excel in academics but perhaps the sensory overload of recess and group projects causes them to seemingly withdraw. The child may also be both gifted and autistic, often referred to as twice-exception (or 2e for short), where their asynchronous profile allows them to succeed in some tasks while being challenged by others. The child may be autistic and able to excel in their subject of interest but not as equipped for social interactions that require reciprocity. This child may be gifted and finding it difficult to meet like-minded peers who share their interest or work in groups where they have to wait for a long time for others to arrive at the same answer this child learned so quicky. However, they don’t socialize with others at recess and seems to struggle to communicate when forced to do group work in class. The scope of this article isn’t meant to be a scholarly review of the literature concerning autism, giftedness, and their intersections but will instead focus on summarizing how the two overlap and what parents and educators can do to help these children thrive.Ĭonsider the following brief description for illustration:Ī ten-year-old child in their local public school excels at computer programming and has a keen interest in learning advanced coding languages like Python. The DMS-5 continues to adjust its diagnostic criteria for ASD, and there is also no universal definition for giftedness. When it comes to the connection between giftedness and autism spectrum disorder (ASD), it is important to understand that the latter column far exceeds the former. A popular young adult novel character named Penelope Bunce often pulls out a chalk board when solving tough problems and starts by creating two lists: What We Know.

Is my child gifted checklist