Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a brain-based developmental disability that affects how information is processed; it specifically impacts communication and social interactions.  Until recently, the autism spectrum included several distinct diagnoses, however since 2013 under the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, 5^th edition), all of these diagnoses are now included under Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Symptoms of ASD range in severity.  These symptoms can include difficulty with flexibility of thought and change in routine, obsessive interests, repetitive behaviors and routines, and sensory processing issues – both over-reactive and under-reactive.  Most students with ASD who attend college fall under the diagnosis formerly referred to as Asperger’s Syndrome.  You may still hear reference to Asperger’s since the DSM-5 specifically grandfathered this diagnosis for those who already had it.  I also use the term “Asperger’s” below to describe individuals with ASD.

Individuals with Asperger’s have average to above-average intelligence, even at the gifted level.  Asperger’s is technically not a learning or attention issue, however it can share a lot of similarities with both, and academic accommodations for all three are often similar.  One symptom those with Asperger’s can share with individuals with ADHD includes difficulty with executive functioning – including organization, problem solving, and control over emotions.   Also similar to those with ADHD, individuals with Asperger’s can be easily distracted by sensory input – sights, sounds, and smells.  As with peers with language-based learning disabilities, people with Asperger’s can struggle to express themselves clearly and to follow auditory information.  Similar to those with both ADHD and language-based learning disabilities, individuals with Asperger’s can also struggle with reading non-verbal cues, being overly literal, and not understanding jokes, puns, or idioms.

In the college setting, students with ASD can struggle both in and out of the classroom.  In the classroom, an ASD student might have sensory difficulties with sounds that others can tune out and fluorescent lighting.  They may also struggle with interacting with professors and classmates.  When it comes to academic work, he or she can struggle with setting goals, planning, prioritizing, pacing readings and long-term assignments, comprehension of abstract ideas and analysis, and seeing the big picture not just details.  Having a schedule that varies from day to day can also be difficult.  Dorm life can be very difficult for ASD students for a variety of reasons – needing assistance with some daily living skills, needing a quiet space to get away from sensory overload, and difficulty in getting along with a roommate as they may struggle with understanding the thoughts and intentions of others or realizing how they come across to others.

ASD often co-exists with other conditions.  An individual can have both ASD and ADHD.  Some studies have shown that as many as half of individuals with ASD also have ADHD.   Anxiety is also very common in individuals with ASD, perhaps occurring in as many as 85% of those with ASD.  Depression is also more common among those with ASD than in the general population.

Neurodiversity, a concept that began within the autism field, provides a paradigm shift in how we think about mental functioning.  Instead of looking at neurological differences as a deficit or dysfunction in mental processing, neurodiversity suggests we speak about differences in cognitive functioning (the same way we look at differences in biological or cultural diversity).  The belief is that atypical neurological development is a normal human difference that is to be respected as any other human variation.  Hardships are to be acknowledged, however we should also recognize an individual’s strengths.

Some of the strengths of those with Asperger’s include attention to detail, tendency to be logical, independent thinking, conscientiousness, and coming up with creative solutions.  Their strengths often align well with careers in computer programming, engineering, video game design, accounting, statistics, physics, and math.  Some famous people who have stated that they have Asperger’s include singer Susan Boyle, actress Daryl Hannah, actor Dan Aykroyd, and animal science professor Temple Grandin.  Historians believe that Albert Einstein, Mozart, Michelangelo, Thomas Jefferson, Emily Dickinson, Lewis Carroll, and Nikola Tesla are some of the many famous individuals throughout history who met the criteria for Asperger’s.

Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a range of difficulties in the self-management system of the brain.  This system is often referred to as the executive function system and includes sustained attention, task initiation, impulse inhibition, working memory, time management, prioritizing, planning, goal setting, organization, flexibility, regulation of emotions, and metacognition.  The primary location in the brain that controls these functions is the pre-frontal cortex, which is not fully developed until one’s mid-20s to around 30.  As slow as this area is to develop, it may develop even more slowly in an individual with ADHD.

As with learning disabilities, ADHD is a lifelong condition, though some difficulties – such as hyperactivity – may lessen between adolescence and adulthood.  There are strategies and treatments to reduce symptoms in individuals with ADHD.

There are three classifications of ADHD – Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive, Predominantly Inattentive (sometimes referred at as ADD), and a Combined presentation.  As many as 11% of individuals by the time they are 18 have been diagnosed with ADHD, and diagnosis is more common in boys than girls.

Symptoms of ADHD

Inattention

• forgets things, seems confused, appears to be not listening
• difficulty concentrating, jumps from one activity to another
• gets bored easily with an activity unless it’s very enjoyable
• struggles to get organized and to complete tasks
• difficulty following directions and learning new things
• doesn’t understand things that peers typically grasp

Impulsivity

• impatient
• blurts out and interrupts
• overreacts in emotional situations
• doesn’t understand the consequences of his/her actions

Hyperactivity

• talks almost constantly
• has trouble sitting still and moves a lot
• can’t stay in one place for long
• fidgets, picks up things and plays with them

Impact of ADHD

ADHD affects one’s self-control over his or her body and impulsive behaviors.  It also affects organization, planning and learning.  Due to this, students in school and adults in jobs can struggle with the following:  keeping track of things, breaking down assignments/tasks into steps, completing assignments/tasks, keeping track of their thoughts, understanding and following directions, applying knowledge from one area to another, staying focused without getting bored, and using metacognition.  Social skills can also be impacted.  Individuals with ADHD can often have a difficult time making and keeping friends due to difficulty following social cues, difficulty controlling emotions, saying inappropriate things, and constantly interrupting.

Benefits of ADHD

There are some benefits associated with ADHD.  One is the ability to hyper-focus on a particular area of strong interest.  Another advantage is that being easily distracted can have the benefit of noticing things that others do not.  Struggling to follow directions can result in those with ADHD being creative since they need to become good at problem solving.  Research has shown that those with ADHD are better at coming up with creative designs and new uses for objects.

Celebrities with ADHD

Musicians Justin Timberlake and Adam Levine; comedians Howie Mandel and Jim Carrey;  actors Michelle Rodriguez, Ryan Gosling, Emma Watson, Will Smith and Liv Tyler; athletes Michael Phelps, Terry Bradshaw, and Simone Biles;  political Consultant James Carville; chef Jamie Oliver; dancer Karina Smirnoff; reporter Lisa Ling; and businessman Bill Gates.

 

 

For the next five weeks, I will give an overview of the basics regarding some of the more common disabilities related to learning and attention.

Learning disabilities are caused by the way the brain functions, and in the case of dyslexia, it is specifically the way the brain processes written and spoken language.  It is most commonly known as a disability that affects reading, but it can also affect writing and speaking.  It is estimated that approximately 15% of the U.S. population has dyslexia.  The symptoms can range from mild to severe; since not everyone with the condition has been diagnosed, pinpointing the percentage is difficult.

Dyslexia is a lifelong condition.  It can affect one’s self-esteem and make schoolwork stressful, resulting in a decrease in motivation toward academics.  Developing the right strategies can help those with dyslexia; it can even help the brain re-wire itself to make lasting improvements.

In order to understand the struggle of the dyslexic person better, let’s look at the skills necessary for reading and comprehending what you read:

• Connecting letters to sounds (phonics)
• Decoding words (sounding them out)
• Recognizing “sight words” (reading familiar words at a glance without sounding them out)
• Fluency (recognizing sight words and quickly decoding other words)

Without these things, there are two challenges – so much of one’s mental energy is going into decoding, that does not leave much left for comprehension, and this is compounded by the lack of fluency which greatly inhibits comprehension.

The symptoms of dyslexia vary from person to person.  Even at the college level, students might still struggle with:

• Spelling and grammar
• Reading comprehension
• Reading out loud
• In-depth writing
• Summarizing
• Telling left from right
• Structuring thoughts in conversation or writing
• Finding the right word
• Understanding what they’re hearing
• Struggling with non-literal language such as sarcasm, idioms, and jokes
• Organizing and managing time

For college students with dyslexia, one way to compensate for these struggles includes the accommodation of extra time on tests to allow more time to process what they are reading as well as to construct written responses.  Another common accommodation allows for students to process written information in a different way by using an audiobook.

There can be an upside to being dyslexic.  Research has shown dyslexics have a sensitivity for visual anomalies (think M.C. Escher drawings), which can result in a talent for certain scientific fields.  One theory of why this is the case is that the brain’s wiring necessary for visual processing skills needed to be a strong reader, result in the weakening of the brain’s wiring for other types of visual processing skills unrelated to reading.  Dyslexics are also known for “out of the box” thinking, which could be why a significant number of business entrepreneurs are dyslexic.  See “The Advantages of Dyslexia” and “The Upside of Dyslexia” for a couple of brief, interesting reads.  People with dyslexia are often very creative, which in addition to scientific fields, can be an advantage in artistic fields as well – a relatively high number of those in art and design are dyslexic.   If you are curious to learn more, visit Yale University’s The Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity.