Gifted vs Autism

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some of the traits described in autism sound very similar to traits found in "gifted" students. How do you know if it's giftedness vs autism?

You can have both. You can also be an average person with Autism

A simpler of way of asking my question would be - can someone who is gifted and excels in school, ALSO be autistic? If yes, where exactly is that line?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s never ‘giftedness’. That’s just denial

When looking at the traits side by side, it is honestly hard to distinguish. If anything, I'd say she is more aligned with the gifted side. She's a straight A student, and tests as gifted and/or advanced in all areas.

None of those things mean she isn't autistic. And the difficulties you mention above with daily interactions with people aren't explained by giftedness. It could also be anxiety.

[Anonymous]

Labels are useful insofar as they offer you access to things that will improve your/her life, either because of bureaucracy (IEPs, getting insurance coverage, medication) or because they tell you tools that might help. Does it matter if EF difficulties are due to ADHD, autism, or giftedness? Maybe, especially if you’re looking at medication. Maybe not, because EF support can be useful for people without diagnoses too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some of the traits described in autism sound very similar to traits found in "gifted" students. How do you know if it's giftedness vs autism?

You can have both. You can also be an average person with Autism

A simpler of way of asking my question would be - can someone who is gifted and excels in school, ALSO be autistic? If yes, where exactly is that line?

Yes, of course. I don't understand what you mean by line. Both things can exist side by side. There's no line separating giftedness from autism, just like there's no line separating having blue eyes from brown hair.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some of the traits described in autism sound very similar to traits found in "gifted" students. How do you know if it's giftedness vs autism?

You can have both. You can also be an average person with Autism

Op, your child might be twice exceptional (2e).

Twice exceptional kids may display strengths in certain areas and weaknesses in others. Common characteristics of twice exceptional students include:

Outstanding critical thinking and problem-solving skills
Above average sensitivity, causing them to react more intensely to sounds, tastes, smells, etc.
Strong sense of curiosity
Low self-esteem due to perfectionism
Poor social skills
Strong ability to concentrate deeply in areas of interest
Difficulties with reading and writing due to cognitive processing deficits
Behavioral problems due to underlying stress, boredom and lack of motivation

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s all labels. What problem or symptom do you see?

Social struggles, becoming more apparent as time goes on (now 8th grade). I've always had to support a lot with nurturing those friendships, but at this age, it falls on the kids more, and she struggles with those skills, or claims that she would rather spend time to herself or doesn't need friends. Maybe it's also that she is about 2 years behind physically/emotionally in maturity.

Lack of flexibility or wanting to try things. And this is not a problem, but it's just a trait- she still engages in many of the things she engaged in as a small child. Playing in sand, collecting found nature and mixing them together, observing a worm for a good 20 minutes, for example.

Lack of time awareness. 1 hour often feels like 5 minutes to her.

General slowness and lack of ability to focus on schoolwork. Homework that should take 50 minutes, quite often takes her 5 hours. But she always gets it all done, and pretty much receives perfect marks in all subjects. The only time she does not is when she forgets to turn something in.

I don't know why you are jumping to autism, that sounds like ADHD as well.
But in any case, the time for labels is when it is severely impacting her life. Two people could have identical symptoms, one has severe life impacts and one for whatever reason does not, so it's only worth pursuing labels and treatments for the one with life impacts.

Yes there seems to be a lot of overlap with ADHD as well. I guess I feel like we may be approaching that point, even though she is managing now. High school is right around the corner. If she's spending 5hrs on homework now, she can't sustain that in high school. And there is a lot more social bonding and activity in high school. And then in 4 years, it's college. And she doesn't even have the basic life skills down yet, like eating and hygiene, and keeping her room from looking like a war zone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some of the traits described in autism sound very similar to traits found in "gifted" students. How do you know if it's giftedness vs autism?

You can have both. You can also be an average person with Autism

A simpler of way of asking my question would be - can someone who is gifted and excels in school, ALSO be autistic? If yes, where exactly is that line?

There isn't a line! It's whether the person meets the DSM criteria for ASD. Basically poor social skills and repetitive behaviors. That's it. There's nothing about being gifted or academics or school at all. Sometimes gifted people also have ASD, sometimes they don't.

Talking about really profoundly gifted people, like calculus in 4th grade, music prodigies, speak six languages, real off the charts outliers does I think tend to overlap with ASD but also with having a really atypical childhood experience and maybe some social things just got missed. But most kids aren't that. If you're talking about a kid who is 2-3 years ahead in reading and math, that's just moderately gifted and on this board it isn't unusual.

You sound like you are trying to persuade yourself that your child is merely gifted but on some level you know there is more going on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some of the traits described in autism sound very similar to traits found in "gifted" students. How do you know if it's giftedness vs autism?

You can have both. You can also be an average person with Autism

A simpler of way of asking my question would be - can someone who is gifted and excels in school, ALSO be autistic? If yes, where exactly is that line?

There isn't a line! It's whether the person meets the DSM criteria for ASD. Basically poor social skills and repetitive behaviors. That's it. There's nothing about being gifted or academics or school at all. Sometimes gifted people also have ASD, sometimes they don't.

Talking about really profoundly gifted people, like calculus in 4th grade, music prodigies, speak six languages, real off the charts outliers does I think tend to overlap with ASD but also with having a really atypical childhood experience and maybe some social things just got missed. But most kids aren't that. If you're talking about a kid who is 2-3 years ahead in reading and math, that's just moderately gifted and on this board it isn't unusual.

You sound like you are trying to persuade yourself that your child is merely gifted but on some level you know there is more going on.

I'm just trying to figure out if we should intervene at this point, BEFORE things start getting harder for her at school.

I DO think she is profoundly gifted in some areas. She can sit and read a medical textbook and pretty much remember about 95% of what she's read. Her reading level is about 4-5years ahead. Her ELA teachers have struggled with providing her age-appropriate reading that matches her abilities.

[Anonymous]

You need to get a neuropsych evaluation now before high school. My DD was diagnosed Autistic after 8th grade because of all the challenges coming from social interactions and anxiety. She was in a mental health crisis.

She had already been diagnosed as 2E (ADHD and gifted) in elementary, but was not medicated. She has been doing great. But there is no way she could handle the demands of high school without medication.

[Anonymous]

The things you describe point heavily to autism. And you are right, neurodivergent kids are a couple of years delayed.

However, the interests and hygiene issues stand out beyond just being delayed. You described sensory seeking behaviors and also an interest in things (or a way of approaching the world) that are red flags.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A neuropsych.

Also, I disagree with the stereotype that gifted kids lack empathy as a result of the brilliance. My smartest kid is also my most empathetic/intuitive when it comes to emotions and that’s not uncommon.

+1
I have 2 gifted kids and there is zero possibility of mistaking them for autistic. Nothing is similar. I do think autistic kids can also be gifted and they will have both sets of traits.

My gifted kids are very social and empathetic - you can't really tell them apart from the other kids except their jokes a re a bit sharper and they have large vocabularies - although they don't use that with their friends - they are also gifted with social awareness.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some of the traits described in autism sound very similar to traits found in "gifted" students. How do you know if it's giftedness vs autism?

You can have both. You can also be an average person with Autism

A simpler of way of asking my question would be - can someone who is gifted and excels in school, ALSO be autistic? If yes, where exactly is that line?

Yes, of course. Plenty of kids are like that - watch the big bang theory. Sheldon (character) might be mildly autistic and certainly is gifted. Jim Parsons plays this role fantastically.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s never ‘giftedness’. That’s just denial

When looking at the traits side by side, it is honestly hard to distinguish. If anything, I'd say she is more aligned with the gifted side. She's a straight A student, and tests as gifted and/or advanced in all areas.

None of those things mean she isn't autistic. And the difficulties you mention above with daily interactions with people aren't explained by giftedness. It could also be anxiety.

+1
Many gifted people have anxiety! I'm one of them!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some of the traits described in autism sound very similar to traits found in "gifted" students. How do you know if it's giftedness vs autism?

You can have both. You can also be an average person with Autism

A simpler of way of asking my question would be - can someone who is gifted and excels in school, ALSO be autistic? If yes, where exactly is that line?

There isn't a line! It's whether the person meets the DSM criteria for ASD. Basically poor social skills and repetitive behaviors. That's it. There's nothing about being gifted or academics or school at all. Sometimes gifted people also have ASD, sometimes they don't.

Talking about really profoundly gifted people, like calculus in 4th grade, music prodigies, speak six languages, real off the charts outliers does I think tend to overlap with ASD but also with having a really atypical childhood experience and maybe some social things just got missed. But most kids aren't that. If you're talking about a kid who is 2-3 years ahead in reading and math, that's just moderately gifted and on this board it isn't unusual.

You sound like you are trying to persuade yourself that your child is merely gifted but on some level you know there is more going on.

I'm just trying to figure out if we should intervene at this point, BEFORE things start getting harder for her at school.

I DO think she is profoundly gifted in some areas. She can sit and read a medical textbook and pretty much remember about 95% of what she's read. Her reading level is about 4-5years ahead. Her ELA teachers have struggled with providing her age-appropriate reading that matches her abilities.

Early intervention is always best - whether it's LDs or giftedness.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some of the traits described in autism sound very similar to traits found in "gifted" students. How do you know if it's giftedness vs autism?

You can have both. You can also be an average person with Autism

A simpler of way of asking my question would be - can someone who is gifted and excels in school, ALSO be autistic? If yes, where exactly is that line?

There isn't a line! It's whether the person meets the DSM criteria for ASD. Basically poor social skills and repetitive behaviors. That's it. There's nothing about being gifted or academics or school at all. Sometimes gifted people also have ASD, sometimes they don't.

Talking about really profoundly gifted people, like calculus in 4th grade, music prodigies, speak six languages, real off the charts outliers does I think tend to overlap with ASD but also with having a really atypical childhood experience and maybe some social things just got missed. But most kids aren't that. If you're talking about a kid who is 2-3 years ahead in reading and math, that's just moderately gifted and on this board it isn't unusual.

You sound like you are trying to persuade yourself that your child is merely gifted but on some level you know there is more going on.

I'm just trying to figure out if we should intervene at this point, BEFORE things start getting harder for her at school.

I DO think she is profoundly gifted in some areas. She can sit and read a medical textbook and pretty much remember about 95% of what she's read. Her reading level is about 4-5years ahead. Her ELA teachers have struggled with providing her age-appropriate reading that matches her abilities.

It sounds like things are hard for her already. Intervene now so that she can start developing needed skills sooner, and so that you can get any kind of supports you need in place before you're in a real crisis situation. What you describe is definitely intervention-worthy and not just giftedness.