Thinking and Learning in Autism

Thinking and Learning in Autism
Information Sheet
Common Learning Style Characteristics
Shifting attention:
♦ Good rote memory skills
People with autism take longer to
♦ Attention problems
shift attention i.e. to disengage attention from what they are
♦ Difficulty learning concepts, categories and

currently attending to, shift, then re-engage attention. They
classifications
have more difficulty shifting attention from an auditory to a
♦ Compartmentalised chunk learning
visual stimulus.
♦ Difficulty developing meaning and generalising

skills
Sustaining attention: People with autism have
♦ Concrete and literal thinking
trouble keeping their attention on something long enough to
♦ Visual thinking style
take in the necessary information, unless they are attending
to their “narrow interest area”.
Good Rote Memory Skills
Sharing a focus of attention with others
Children and adults with autism have excel ent rote memory
(Joint attention): People with autism have difficulty
skil s (the ability to remember things without giving any
sharing a focus of attention with other people.
thought to the meaning). Examples of behaviour which show
good rote memory skills include; recalling the dialogue of
videos, books and films; echoing complete conversations
Difficulty Learning Concepts, Categories
perfectly; playing a tape recorder backwards and learning
and Classifications
to sing all the songs both forward and backwards; reciting
the number plates of all visitors cars; reciting the definition
The “spotlight” style of attending makes it difficult
of every word beginning with ‘A’ from the Oxford Dictionary
for people with autism to learn categories and
even though the person was unable to use any these words
classifications. To learn how and why things are grouped in
in sentences when communicating with others.
categories, it is important to be able to work out how two or
more things are similar or dif erent. To do this a person must
attend to the critical features of objects, events, or whatever
Attention Problems
is being compared. If a person with autism is attending to
minute, insignificant details, it is difficult to notice overall
“Switching on” attention: People with autism have
similarities and differences.
difficulty “switching on” their attention. This is more obvious
when they are required to attend to things other than their
natural interests. They may require more time to focus their
Compartmentalised Chunk Learning
attention.
People with autism tend to learn information in chunks.
They take information that occurs close in time in one go
Orienting attention: When people with autism take in
(simultaneously, as a whole) without editing the information
information through one or more of their senses they may
for relevance and meaning.
have difficulty working out where the information originated
(e.g. where the sound they hear is coming from).
Often irrelevant information is ‘pul ed’ into the learned
chunk. This is because they are unable to sort out what
Selecting what to attend to: Children and adults
are important versus irrelevant details. People with autism
with autism have difficulty selectively attending to relevant
may expect the whole chunk that has occurred in the past
details in their environment. Instead of scanning the whole
to occur the same way again and again. This is related to
environment to identify and focus on important details,
the need for sameness that was first talked about by Kanner
the person with autism may focus on small details and be
in 1943. If things do not happen the way they are supposed
unaware of other things happening in the environment.
to (i.e. according to the chunked sequence), people with
Studies have shown that people with autism tend to be over-
autism may become confused and anxious.
selective and attend to small, minute details (referred to as
Many children with autism do not learn language
“spotlight attending”, OR take in all the information present
through the usual gradually expanding system of
in one chunk without editing for relevance, (referred to as
categories and rules. It appears that language may be learnt
“chunk” style learning) OR take in nothing at all.
using the chunk learning style (echolalia).
Echolalia, (the repetition or echoing of words said by others),
This information is an extract from the Information Kit
is common in autism. Research and practical experience
“Thinking and learning in autism”.
suggests that echolalia is used by children with autism to
For more information please contact Autism Spectrum
communicate, make sense of what others say, and learn
Australia (Aspect) on 02 8977 8300
functional language.
or visit www.aspect.org.au
© 2002 Autism Spectrum Australia (Aspect) PO Box 361 Forestville NSW 2087 Ph: 02 8977 8300 www.aspect.org.au

---

Thinking and Learning in Autism
Information Sheet (cont)
It is important to remember that people with autism may
Concrete and Literal Thinking
not necessarily understand the individual components of
learnt chunks.
Even the most capable children and adults with autism are
very literal in the way they use and understand language.
Sayings such as “Line up please”, “He’s over the hill” and
Rule-Governed Versus Flexible Abstract
“It’s raining cats and dogs” present difficulties for people
Thought
with autism. Confusion caused by literal interpretations is
one of the major causes of learning/behaviour problems
Generally, people with autism (those who have normal or
for people with autism. A child with autism may insist on
above average intel igence) are able to solve problems that
calling objects by particular names (like “graphite” pencil,
require rule-governed abstract thought with no difficulty
not “lead” pencil).
(rule-governed abstractions are the sorts of problems that
are found in maths, engineering and computer sciences). On
There are other problems associated with the literal and
the other hand, abstractions that require verbal reasoning,
concrete style such as difficulty understanding that things
cognitive flexibility and complex memory are difficult for
may have multiple labels (e.g. “swimmers/costumes/togs/
people with autism.
cossies”) or words have multiple meanings (e.g. bat can
have several meanings) and words change meaning
depending on who is speaking and who is listening (the
Developing Meaning and Generalising
words “you” and “me” refer to different people, depending
Most people have a natural drive to see “big picture”
on who is speaking).
meaning. They take input from various experiences and
integrate this information with stored bits of information from
Visual Thinking
past experiences. This allows them to develop a mental
frame work or “scheme of things”. The framework allows
One of the most important strengths in autism is the visual
people to interpret new experiences, anticipate and solve
learning style. The majority of people with autism are visual
problems.
learners. In the words of Linda Hogdgon, (1996), it is best to
think of people with autism “as being 90% visual and 10%
Happe (1999), suggests that autism is characterised by a
auditory learners”.
cognitive style that is biased towards local rather than global
information, thus people with autism tend to think in details
Visual teaching strategies are recommended for people
and are not good at working out the relative importance of
with autism for the following reasons:
the details or how to integrate the little bits of information
to form concepts and meanings.
1. Research indicates that the visual skills of people
with autism are superior to their skills in other areas.
Happe says people with autism are often concerned with
People with autism are better able to comprehend
isolated detail but do not grasp the whole picture (the overall
permanent (non-transient) visual information because
message or purpose of an activity, scene or event). They
the message is present long enough for them to take
see the whole picture as “lots of little parts”.
in and process the information.
2. People with autism claim to use visual information to

interpret their world.
3. Programs that use visual strategies are highly


effective with people who have autism.
Learning Strengths
Janzen (1996) summarises the learning strengths in autism
as the ability to:
♦ Take in chunks of information quickly
♦ Remember information for a long time
♦ Learn to use visual information meaningfully
♦ Learn and repeat long routines
♦ Understand and use concrete, context-free

information and rules
♦ Concentrate on narrow topics of interest
© 2002 Autism Spectrum Australia (Aspect) PO Box 361 Forestville NSW 2087 Ph: 02 8977 8300 www.aspect.org.au

---