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Autism, 3.03 (V) What are the Strengths and Weaknesses in Processing?

In this lesson, we examine patterns of strength and weakness related to processing, including attention, memory, and other executive functions. I will share some tips that will help to make managing homework assignments easier. Another area where the patterns of strength and weakness show up is in their ability to attend. Often there's a strength in the ability to focus and sustain attention particularly on a preferred task. Where they show deficits is in their ability to divide or shift their attention between different activities. This may be a result of some of the sensory differences or challenges that an individual on the autism spectrum may be experiencing. For example, they may have a sound sensitivity to something like the heater, which occupies their attention and takes their attention away from the ability to focus on the voice of the teacher. The pattern of weakness and attention may also be demonstrated with an inability to shift from one problem solving set to another. For example, when working on a math worksheet that has mixed problems, some addition some subtraction, you may see that the child selects and solves for only one of those operations and has difficulty shifting from one operation to the other as the problem indicates. The patterns of strength and weakness as they apply to memory include strengths in their ability to rotely memorize different pieces of information. The pattern of weakness is often in working memory. Working memory is the ability to hold on to one thought or concept while continuing to process or think about something else. It's required in the manipulation and organization of ideas. Working memory is essential in many problem solving situations. For example, when we're prioritizing, we have to be able to think about and hold on to not only what we have to do but also the timeline, and the potential outcomes of doing versus not doing the items on our to-do list. Working memory is a component of executive functioning where we also see patterns of strength and weakness in individuals with autism. One of relative patterns of strength in the area of executive functioning for individuals on the autism spectrum is their ability to inhibit certain responses. But they show weaknesses in organization, planning, prioritizing and with flexibility. Here's a quick tip to help you and your child get through homework. Sometimes homework can be overwhelming because there's so many different things to keep track of. A simple strategy like a homework folder can be really helpful in organizing work. On the inside of this folder, you'll see on the left side is labeled To Do. And on the right side is labeled Finished. Also, on the right side is a reward that your child can earn after homework is completed. The simple strategy is to place all of the work that needs to be done on the left side, the To Do side. Your child learns to do the work, and when it's finished, they place it in fished side, on the right hand side. When all of the work on the To Do side is completed and put on the right hand side, they can earn their reward. Sometimes an entire worksheet with multiple problems may be overwhelming for a child. Another simple strategy is to take that sheet and cut it into two or more pieces. Place those on the To Do side so when your child opens the folder and pulls out the first sheet, there might only be two or three problems to do. Chunking the worksheet into sections can make it a lot easier for the child to complete the work without getting overwhelmed. For older children, it can also be helpful to color code, with different colors representing different subject areas. The homework folder can match the color of the book cover, and that way, it helps with material organization.


In this lesson, we examine patterns of strength and weakness related to processing, including attention, memory, and other executive functions. I will share some tips that will help to make managing homework assignments easier. Another area where the patterns of strength and weakness show up is in their ability to attend. Often there's a strength in the ability to focus and sustain attention particularly on a preferred task. Where they show deficits is in their ability to divide or shift their attention between different activities. This may be a result of some of the sensory differences or challenges that an individual on the autism spectrum may be experiencing. For example, they may have a sound sensitivity to something like the heater, which occupies their attention and takes their attention away from the ability to focus on the voice of the teacher. The pattern of weakness and attention may also be demonstrated with an inability to shift from one problem solving set to another. For example, when working on a math worksheet that has mixed problems, some addition some subtraction, you may see that the child selects and solves for only one of those operations and has difficulty shifting from one operation to the other as the problem indicates. The patterns of strength and weakness as they apply to memory include strengths in their ability to rotely memorize different pieces of information. The pattern of weakness is often in working memory. Working memory is the ability to hold on to one thought or concept while continuing to process or think about something else. It's required in the manipulation and organization of ideas. Working memory is essential in many problem solving situations. For example, when we're prioritizing, we have to be able to think about and hold on to not only what we have to do but also the timeline, and the potential outcomes of doing versus not doing the items on our to-do list. Working memory is a component of executive functioning where we also see patterns of strength and weakness in individuals with autism. One of relative patterns of strength in the area of executive functioning for individuals on the autism spectrum is their ability to inhibit certain responses. But they show weaknesses in organization, planning, prioritizing and with flexibility. Here's a quick tip to help you and your child get through homework. Sometimes homework can be overwhelming because there's so many different things to keep track of. A simple strategy like a homework folder can be really helpful in organizing work. On the inside of this folder, you'll see on the left side is labeled To Do. And on the right side is labeled Finished. Also, on the right side is a reward that your child can earn after homework is completed. The simple strategy is to place all of the work that needs to be done on the left side, the To Do side. Your child learns to do the work, and when it's finished, they place it in fished side, on the right hand side. When all of the work on the To Do side is completed and put on the right hand side, they can earn their reward. Sometimes an entire worksheet with multiple problems may be overwhelming for a child. Another simple strategy is to take that sheet and cut it into two or more pieces. Place those on the To Do side so when your child opens the folder and pulls out the first sheet, there might only be two or three problems to do. Chunking the worksheet into sections can make it a lot easier for the child to complete the work without getting overwhelmed. For older children, it can also be helpful to color code, with different colors representing different subject areas. The homework folder can match the color of the book cover, and that way, it helps with material organization.