Effect of intelligence on autism...

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From the perspective that autism is affected by a problem with information processing (issue with the thalamus & the pathways that compete with each other to get thru to the higher brain areas) & finding some research that says that people with autism/adhd might use different brain areas to perform tasks (areas that arent "made" for these tasks but get used regardless as an alternate strategy), I wondered if having a higher IQ/intelligence helped a person with autism to b higher functioning? I.e. The more efficient one's "other" brain areas are, the higher the chance they can still find coping strategies (just in an unnatural way). This might explain the low-high spectrum effect. It also lines up with hpw exhausted those on the spectrum get (having to use an alternate, unnatural brain area takes more effort).

What do u think?

Yes yes yes. I would think you are able to function much better if you are smart, and you would also get exhausted by it. And, another effect, it would kind of screw you up. Many highly intelligent people with autism seem to be miserable, their mind can be overused in different areas and it may hurt more than it helps.

My kid's neurologist thinks so (that high intelligence helps to mediate the effects of autism).

I do not think it is as straightforward as that, because I have met some brilliant people on the spectrum who are more impaired than they "should" be if intelligence level was the "key."

I think there is a multi-factor interaction that produces the final level of functioning. I think that each person is born with a natural "range" of possibilities in functioning. Even under optimal conditions, they will never surpass the upper limit of their range. It's simply a constraint. (Now that I think about it, intelligence may work like this too). So, then you overlay someone's raw intelligence. If it is high, it pushes overall functioning toward the upper limit in the range. If it is average, it narrows the range a bit (toward the center) and if it is low, it pushes it toward the lower limit of the range. Then you overlay other things such as the support they received, if they had "education" that helped them mediate their symptoms, etc. And that, to me, explains why some people with a more innately "severe" autism could function better than someone who's autism is innately less "severe" and why some people, although highly intelligent, may not be able to function at the level of someone else.

I doubt I explained that in a way that is meaningful to others. Sorry. I haven't had my coffee yet.

If I look at myself, I am fairly high achieving for someone with ADHD (I think my intelligence helped mediate it), but I am not as high achieving as I believe most people with my intelligence level are (my wiring constrained my intelligence). However, I do believe that some of the things I am really good at, I wouldn't be as good at if I had typical wiring.

Well what good is intelligence if I can't handle anything....I mean even before I had PTSD I always struggled with being able to deal with stress and such, as far as I know that is an autism issue somewhat. So yeah a lot of times I get so overwhelmed and unable to cope with it which my thinking abilities really do not help with......then I just start obsessing over what's upsetting me or whatever thoughts I'm having which only builds on more stress and anxiety.

And then with sensory issues, can't think my way out of those either......its like in some situations I can come off as just a little abnormal, then in others it seems apparent to other people that there is something 'wrong' with me from a mile away. And of course I have always been fully aware of that I wasn't oblivious to any bullying or ostracism I was miserable about it. So yeah I am not entirely sure intelligence makes things easier. If anything from my perspective it just makes it less likely that people will actually believe you're struggling in your day to day life.......a lot of people think 'but you're intelligent.' even my moms used that like I forget what it was but I made some simple mistake the other day or was confused by something simple cant quite remember what and she's all like 'its not like you're stupid' or something like that.

Yes I agree also. My point wasnt so much that those with a higher intlligence struggle less. More so that perhaps they have a greater ability to "hide" their AS than others if they need to. There is definitely still all the struggles in there also, in fact different struggles. The cost of having a greater ability to "hide" symptoms could b greater mental exhaustion & anxiety.
Plus the very fact that because u have a greater ability to "hide" ur issues, it comes with the negative aspect that people dont even believe you when you tell them that you do actually struggle.
So yes, perhaps more specifically, my point is that those with a higher intelligence can potentially do the "hiding" aspect more efficiently, which can be a handy skill to have at times.

I feel the same way, Sweetleaf. People point to my IQ and say "you should be able to handle anything". Well, I can't. I'm trying, and I'm failing again and again, but no one believes it.

Yes, being very intelligent helps one be higher functioning. But sometimes I wish I weren't as intelligent. People recognize intelligence quickly. Then, when you have those aspie moments, people don't want to believe you when you say it's because you're autistic. I've heard "You can't be autistic, you're so smart" quite a few times. People don't understand you can be intelligent and have a mental disability at the same time.

And while being intelligent helps you process more, helps you pass for normal, you can't keep it up forever. Instead of making little slips all along, the intelligent aspie keeps it together and keeps their differences hidden until suddenly, because of exhaustion or getting flustered, it all comes out at once. Or worse, you manage to keep everything hidden right up until meltdown. I suspect society handles someone who is constantly a bit socially inept better than they handle people who appear normal until they suddenly explode, Jekyl and Hyde style.

Being intelligent makes it harder to get help when you need it as well. Honestly, very intelligent people are just as much a special needs group as the very unintelligent and otherwise impaired. All that excess mental capacity can be damaging if undirected. Alright. Stopping now before I really start ranting.

IQ of 150 for reference.

But Sweetleaf, what you are saying is also what I was trying to explain. Please don't take this as a negative statement about you, because I don't mean it that way at all. You could actually be significantly smarter than--say, my daughter, but if the upper limit of your "range" of functioning as dictated by your autism is lower than the upper limit of my daughter's range, you are more constrained to begin with. Does that make sense? IOW, there is a barrier through which sheer brain power cannot penetrate. I can see how this could be exceptionally frustrating to someone. And I do believe there are certain deficits that you cannot mentally learn to compensate for. For example, she can learn rote rules to get her through many social interactions, but a person with hyperacusis who finds particular sound frequencies painful cannot "learn" rote rules to make this not happen.

I think one of the effect of a high intelligence in autism is more diverse and less restricted interests, particulary for intellectual interests.

Yes. In retrospect I realize now how much my dealings with people were based on a systematic comprehension of culture, psychology, and sociology, deduced from my own experiences. As is mentioned in this thread, I can testify my higher-functioning allowed me to hide my differences in order to integrate into society more, this would be a form of psychological adaptation. I could emulate them successfully enough to "fly under the radar" and enjoy a measure of success in their society.

Now that I have discovered my true nature I wouldn't consider lowering myself to their standards just to be accepted by their pitiful excuse of a civilization. Of course being a combat infantry vet living on VA disability it's easy to forsake society, I will never have to subject myself to their approval unless I choose to.

It's not simply chance that we are inherently different than NT's, we are not the lesser of "beings" by any standard but by their self-righteous judgment. They will however break the "measuring stick" to avoid that conclusion. That is, they will deny evolution as it happens before their eyes, to protect their precious, fragile ego's at our expense.

The empathy thing is more advantageous at this point in civilization. It's not that NT's empathy toward each other is the problem, it's their empathy toward themselves. This is how they justify multi-billion dollar gambling industries and fast food induced obesity epidemics while millions starve each day, they're overly empathetic toward the self and thus the ego construct. Modern society allows this indulgence because it has been designed by neurotypites who are in love with their ego, they value not equality nor compassion, only greed and power to persist in convincing themselves of their supposed greatness, when in fact it is little more than godhood idolatry. If their nature promotes extinction, then surely, metaphorically speaking, they deserve to be succeeded.

I hope we can prove evolution in our generation. If spectrumites exist because of neanderthal genes proliferating among the gene pool, and research has proven that neanderthal was more advanced than sapien, individually if not sociologically, it would explain why we're inherently more intelligent yet socially disinclined. The neanderthal genome is being decoded as we speak, about halfway done, I'll keep my fingers crossed in the mean time.