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At Hidden Talents, we believe that ABA therapy is the key to helping children on the autism spectrum, succeed. Learn more about our program at hiddentalentsaba.com

At Hidden Talents ABA, we believe that children with autism can lead happy, healthy, and productive lives. Learn more about ABA therapy and our individualized approach at hiddentalentsaba.com

Children with autism helping each other showing grow and thrive

As we move towards the recovery of the COVID-19 pandemic, we highlight Community Health Improvement Week. We honor the health professionals who were at the forefront of the pandemic and those who work closely with our community.

This year’s theme is Reflect, Renew, and Rise Together. Reflect on the need to improve healthcare for the access of all people, renew the commitment to community health to serve our community, and rise together to strengthen our neighborhoods through collaboration.

Community Health Improvement Week, June 7-12

When you think about autism, you likely consider the challenges that people face. You might not realize that many people with autism are also geniuses. They excel in certain areas, from mathematics and technology to music.

Find out what an autistic savant is. Then, get the details on 15 geniuses with autism. Finally, find out how ABA therapy can help autistic geniuses reach their full potential.

What Is an Autistic Savant?

People with autism have some challenges that others don’t face. These challenges might include:

  •   Social phobias
  •   Excessive worrying
  •   Avoidance behaviors
  •   Obsessive-compulsive disorder

It’s also not unusual for people with autism to be rigid in their routines.

Even with these challenges, numerous autistic children and adults demonstrate nearly super-human abilities in specific areas. These people are identified as autistic savants.

If you’ve ever watched the movie “Rain Man” with Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise, you’ve seen an autistic savant in action. Dustin Hoffman’s character, Raymond, is autistic. He portrays characteristics such as strict adherence to routines and isn’t emotionally expressive.

However, he has a photographic memory. He can quickly rattle off phone book listings or baseball statistics as if he’s reading from a book.

His character was based on a real person named Kim Peek. Just like the character in the movie, Peek has an unbelievable memory.

15 Famous Geniuses With Autism

Now, let’s look at 15 geniuses with autism. These geniuses have either been diagnosed with or are thought to have autism.

1.     Elon Musk

If you watch Saturday Night Live, you might have seen Elon Musk announce he has Asperger’s during his monologue on May 8, 2021. As the co-founder of The Boring Company, Neuralink, SpaceX, and Tesla, Musk is a tech genius, with many more exciting things to come.

2.     Albert Einstein

While not formally diagnosed, many believe that Albert Einstein had Asperger’s. He showed many signs, including some difficulties with small talk.

Those challenges didn’t prevent him from winning the Nobel Prize for Physics. The world as a whole is still benefiting from his many discoveries.

3.     Isaac Newton

Experts also believe that Isaac Newton had autism. He immersed himself in his work, rarely speaking. He was so passionate about his work that he’d even forget to eat.

His passion paid off, as he is credited for leading the Scientific Revolution of the 17th century and is responsible for discovering the laws of gravity.

4.     Charles Darwin

“On the Origin of Species” is one of the most important works ever published and cemented Charles Darwin’s place as a groundbreaking biologist. He was passionate about his work but withdrawn socially. Many believe that’s because Charles Darwin had autism.

5.     Nikola Tesla

Many experts also believe that Nikola Tesla had autism. He had the ability to hyper-focus on projects and ideas, and that led to the development of the groundbreaking alternating-current electrical system.

His true power came from his ability to visualize concepts. This allowed him to turn concepts into reality.

While he was a successful inventor, he struggled with sensitivity to sounds and lights and had various phobias.

6.     Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson will always be remembered as the author of the Declaration of Independence. A prolific writer and gifted inventor, his legacy lives on today.

Many people believe that Jefferson likely had autism. This is largely because of his adherence to routines. He couldn’t stand it if his established routines were interrupted for any reason.

He was also known as being emotionally distant, with poor communication skills. That didn’t hold him back from achieving success.  

7.     Michelangelo

Michelangelo was an artistic genius with numerous world-renowned works of art, including the sculpture of David and the Sistine Chapel’s ceiling.  Experts state that he exhibited many traits of autism, including adherence to a routine and emotional distance.

These traits might have helped him with his work. He was able to lock into a project and see it through to completion with little interruption.

8.     Steve Jobs

As the co-founder of Apple, Steve Jobs transformed personal computing and mobile devices. If you use an iPhone or a Mac, you can thank Jobs.

There’s also speculation that he had autism. He was known for perfectionism and managed to think outside of the box. Being on the spectrum might have helped him turn Apple into the tech giant it is today.

9.     Alfred Kinsey

A famous biologist and sexologist, Alfred Kinsey, redefined the way people think of sex and sexuality. Like many others on this list, he threw himself into his work with little time for social interaction. He didn’t have many relationships, leading many to believe that he was autistic.

10.  Bobby Fischer

A chess prodigy from a young age, Bobby Fischer went on to become an American grandmaster. His genius-level IQ helped him defeat opponents and turned him into a household name.

He was obsessed with chess and had issues with personal relationships. Experts have attempted to diagnose him, with many believing he was autistic. It’s possible that he had autism and another disorder, such as schizophrenia.

11.  Tim Burton

Tim Burton is a creative genius. He manages to manifest ideas that others couldn’t even begin to think of, which is why he’s had so much success.

He hasn’t been formally diagnosed with autism but identifies with the condition. After watching a documentary on the subject, he mentioned that he felt the same way as a child.

12.  Andy Warhol

Andy Warhol changed the art world for the better. He was a creative force during the Pop Art movements in the 1960s. He also likely had autism.

People point to the repetitive nature of his work as a sign of autism. He was also known for providing monosyllabic responses to interview questions, which might have been due to autism.

13.  Stephen Wiltshire

Stephen Wiltshire is a British architectural artist who became a household name due to his photographic memory. He can tap into his memory to draw complete city skylines. He now has a gallery and has contributed numerous pieces to the art world.

He received his autism diagnosis when he was only three years old. Language was difficult for him early on, but that didn’t slow him down. He created his first commissioned piece when he was eight and had been going strong ever since.

14.  Ludwig Wittgenstein

Ludwig Wittgenstein is often considered the greatest philosopher of the 1900s. His genius was clear in the early days, when he made a sewing machine at the age of 10, using his own design for the project. While his mind was agile, he had trouble making friends and was often teased.

His contributions to ethics, logic, and metaphysics are still important to this day. Along with his work, experts have been discussing the possibility that he was autistic.

15.  Amadeus Mozart

A child prodigy, Mozart started composing music at the age of 5. His musical memory was like nothing people had seen before. It was clear early on that he was a musical genius.

While autism wasn’t even a concept during his lifetime, experts now believe that he was on the spectrum.

Mozart was bothered by loud sounds and had trouble controlling his impulses. You can also find lots of repetition in his musical pieces. Instead of hindering him, the characteristics of autism likely helped him achieve greatness.

How ABA Therapy Can Help Autistic Geniuses

Autistic geniuses can feel like they are trapped in their own worlds. While this can help some achieve greatness, the characteristics of autism can hold others back. In other words, for every Mozart, there’s a musical genius who cannot move beyond the rigidity of routines to compose something great.

Many autistic geniuses find that applied behavior analysis (ABA) can help. Autistic geniuses can use this therapy to improve their communication and language skills. The therapy also boosts focus and memory while decreasing problematic behaviors. It can even help autistic geniuses become more social.

The therapist begins by determining the cause of behaviors. This includes the circumstances under which a patient engages in a behavior. Then, the therapist helps the patient replace problem behaviors with new, healthier options.

After successful treatment, people with autism will have new skills to use in various situations. They will also have finetuned existing skills and should notice a decrease in problem behaviors.

As an autistic genius, this can be quite valuable. It helps people maximize their potential by reducing roadblocks that get in the way of achievements.

Unlock Your Potential

If you’re an autistic genius, consider ABA therapy. It could be the key to unlocking your full potential. 

If you are ready to work with the best Applied Behavior Analysis therapy provider in Texas or Georgia, give us a call at (404) 487-6005. Our dedicated team is ready to help and we will treat you like family.

Engaging autistic teenagers in various activities is essential for helping them learn and nurture necessary skills that may otherwise be hard for them to master. Activities ranging from arts and crafts to music, animal care, and even playing video games can increase your teen’s confidence, sense of self-worth, and general well-being. 

Below, we discuss the best activities for teens with autism spectrum disorder that are both educational and fun. 

15 Activities for Autistic Teenagers

  • Board games

Board games are highly beneficial for children with special needs, including autism. Playing board games can help your autistic teen develop skills that are often hard to master, such as concentrating, following the rules, and taking turns.

When choosing a board game to play with your teen, make sure that the game difficulty level suits your child’s ability. 

You may want to start with a simple game that requires only throwing the dice and moving the pawn, such as Ludo, Snakes and Ladders, or dominoes. If your teen has a good visual-spatial memory, they may enjoy playing chess and other more advanced strategy games. Some board games, such as Social Skills Bingo for Teens, focus specifically on teaching social skills, asking questions, and understanding body language. 

  • Painting 

For teenagers with autism spectrum disorder, painting can be a great means of expression. Studies show that engaging in artistic activities encourages children with autism to communicate their feelings and emotions. Activities such as painting and drawing can enhance your autistic teen’s fine and gross motor skill development, in addition to building and strengthening their visual-spatial skills. They can also positively impact communication, social interaction, and self-esteem.

Some autistic teenagers avoid painting due to tactile defensiveness. If your child likes technology, you can suggest using the Draw Something app. This social drawing tool will allow your teen to interact with friends and send them pictures they draw. The Scribblify painting app with its extensive selection of brushes, drawing modes, color effects, and backgrounds can be another fun way for your teen with tactile sensitivity to create artwork.

  • Exercising

Teens with autism often have limited motor function, strength, and coordination, all of which can affect their daily life skills and self-esteem. Exercising on a regular basis will allow your teenager not only to improve their physical health, but also to enjoy a variety of activities with friends and family.

Physical activity can also enhance a general feeling of well-being and counterbalance depression and anxiety, in addition to improving your child’s learning and social behavior. Regular physical activity has even been shown to decrease repetitive behaviors like body rocking, spinning, and head-nodding in children and teens with autism. 

The Autism Fitness website offers exercise suggestions suitable for autistic teens and provides many other fitness-related resources for teenagers with autism. 

  • Cooking

Cooking is a soothing and predictable activity ideal for autistic teenagers. Meal preparation is an essential daily living skill that will help your teen become more independent as an adult. What’s more, cooking and sharing meals is also an excellent way to develop social skills. 

Before starting to teach your teen with autism how to cook, make sure to take into consideration any sensory issues, fine and gross motor limitations, and food aversions. The eduAUTISM website offers plenty of recipes for autistic children and teenagers that accommodate different food-related challenges. Here you’ll also find gluten-free, dairy-free, casein-free, and sugar-free recipes for children who are on a restriction diet.

  • Reading

Reading should be a part of every autistic teen’s daily routine as it helps develop language and improves learning and comprehension skills. Encourage your child to read a variety of fiction, educational, and scientific books that are easy to understand, but also books that are specifically targeted towards autistic teens. 

AAPC Publishing offers a range of inspirational and informative books for autistic tweens and teens with communication and social skills challenges, such as The Secret Rules of Social Networking by B. Klipper and R. Shapiro-Rieser and Diary of a Social Detective by J. Jessum. 

Brightly has excellent book suggestions for teens with autism, for example The Reason I Jump: The Inner Voice of a 13-Year-Old Boy with Autism by N. Higashida or Anything But Typical by Raleigh Baskin that deals with the topic of fitting in for autistic teens. 

  • Watching TV

Carefully curated TV watching can help your teenager with autism build knowledge and skills that can be useful both in a school setting and everyday life. Through game shows and documentaries, for example, your child will be able to acquire the necessary language skills to discuss a variety of topics with their peers. In addition, selected TV programs can show them how to behave in various situations and help them develop social skills.

  • Video games

Children and teens with autism are often attracted to video games because of their visual nature, structure, and immediate feedback. The good news is, playing video games can be beneficial for your teenager as it encourages the development of problem-solving skills, use of logic, as well as imagination and creativity. Multiplayer and MMO games are excellent tools for improving your teen’s social skills. Video games your teen may enjoy playing include Minecraft, Portal 2, and New Super Mario Bros.

  • Puzzles

Puzzles are an ideal activity for autistic teens as they provide a tactile sensation, while at the same time helping your child improve focus and fine motor skills. Puzzles can also enhance creative and cognitive abilities and can have a calming effect when your teen is feeling restless. Furthermore, completing puzzles together with others can help enhance your teen’s language and communication. Always make sure to choose a puzzle with a suitable difficulty level for your teen and encourage them to talk about what they’re doing while working on the puzzle. 

  • LEGO 

Building with LEGO blocks is a popular pastime among autistic teens. The activity is perceived as structured and predictable because the blocks come in limited shapes and sizes and the building process requires repetitive movements. 

Building with LEGOs can also be beneficial for teens who experience anxiety in social situations, for example, if they are interacting with someone they don’t know well. Studies have shown that autistic children often become more interested in interacting with each other if they are playing with LEGOs. This mode of playing encourages children to use verbal and nonverbal communication skills, share with others, take turns, and use their problem-solving skills.

  • Household chores

One of the best ways for autistic teens to develop a practical understanding of concepts such as responsibility and sharing is by doing household chores. They can start with simple tasks like putting things in their place, watering plants, or collecting letters from the mailbox. As they get comfortable with chores, you can teach them more advanced tasks, for example, how to make the bed, set the table, clean the house, or cook a simple meal.

  • Listening to music

Many teenagers with autism are emotionally responsive to music, and melodic sounds often capture their attention much better than spoken language. Listening to music is also a powerful multi-sensory experience that can help your autistic teenager reduce anxiety levels, develop their verbal and social skills, and improve memory. In addition, music offers security, comfort and increases self-confidence. 

  • Learning an instrument

Playing musical instruments stimulates the brain to make new connections and strengthens existing ones, resulting in improved mental health and cognitive ability. Besides, it may help your teenager improve fine and gross motor skills as well as posture, concentration, coordination, and creativity. Playing in a musical ensemble can further build social and communication skills. Some of the musical instruments your teen with autism may enjoy learning and playing are the ukulele, guitar, violin, keyboard, recorder, trumpet, and bongos. 

  • Dancing 

Dancing is a fun activity that can have a great impact on your autistic teen’s development. Joining a dance class can be hugely beneficial in improving your child’s concentration and memory, enhancing communication skills, increasing empathy, and developing the ability to adapt to different situations. Dancing and also boost your teen’s body image and body awareness.

  • Meditation

For many teenagers on the autism spectrum, having control over the relationship between their minds and body is a major challenge. Meditation is an activity that can address some critical areas teens with autism struggle with, such as motor skills, sensory issues, and socializing with others. It can show your adolescent how to tune into the present moment instead of getting overwhelmed by emotions. Guided meditation apps like Headspace, Calm, or My.Life—that is created specifically for teens—are excellent options for learning how to meditate. 

  • Animal care

Research shows that interacting with animals significantly improves social behavior in children with autism. Animals can provide companionship to your autistic teen and help alleviate their stress and anxiety. Owning a pet will also foster a sense of responsibility in your child. The most suitable pets for autistic children and teens are older puppies or young dogs, guinea pigs, rabbits, pet rats, and fish that your child may find relaxing to look at.

Of course, you don’t need to own a pet for your child to engage in animal care. Your teen can participate in a range of activities involving animals from horseback riding to volunteering at nature centers, fostering kittens or puppies, or working with animals at a local farm. 

How ABA Therapy Can Help Autistic Teens with Their Activities 

ABA is a form of behavioral therapy that focuses on changing unwanted behaviors and reinforcing desirable ones. It is the most widely researched and successful therapy for autism. 

Although ABA is for the most part used for younger children with autism spectrum disorder, adolescents across the spectrum can also benefit from ABA-based interventions

ABA therapy is used to build and improve social and communication skills, as well as daily living skills in children and teens with autism. These skills include everything from understanding social cues such as facial expressions and body language to initiating conversations, responding to questions, following directions, and acquiring basic academic skills. The therapy provides targeted treatment based on your child’s individual strengths and weaknesses.

ABA therapy typically uses positive reinforcement in the form of rewards and other incentives. When a desirable behavior is followed by a motivator, like a special treat or activity, children are more likely to repeat the action. Over time, this method leads to positive behavioral changes.

ABA therapy can help your child experience multiple sensory stimuli in a safe, welcoming environment and ultimately become more focused and better in their activities. ABA therapy has been shown to lead to improvements in skills such as eye contact, language, socialization, on-task behaviors, and concentration, all of which are required for successful participation in various activities your teen with autism engages in.

ABA utilizes the understanding of how behavior develops and is influenced. At Hidden Talents ABA, we believe that ABA is the key to helping children on the autism spectrum succeed, including Enhancing Communication Skills for People with Autism. Learn more about our program at hiddentalentsaba.com.

Children understanding behavior through communication

“Everyone has a mountain to climb, and autism has not been my mountain, it has been my opportunity for victory.”

~ Rachel Barcellona

image of a girl and a mountain | Possessing Unique Challenges

The sooner someone with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) starts to work on their social skills, the better. It’s important that ASD gets diagnosed as early as possible so ABA therapists can help build strong, practical social skills with their autistic patients.

Read on to learn more about:

  • What social skills are and why autistic children struggle with them 
  • Important social skills for autistic children 
  • How ABA therapy helps autistic children develop social skills
  • Other common strategies used for teaching and developing social skills

What are social skills?

Social skills are essential tools. Everyone needs to have them and use them in their everyday lives. They are what make it possible to have successful communication. Without them, there would be misinterpretations during each social interaction with another person.

Social skills can be characterized one of the following:

Verbal social skills: Let the other person know about certain information through talking and voice how you’re feeling to the people around you. 

Written social skills: Exchanging information, feelings, thoughts, and opinions through writing. Newsletters, lists, emails, and notes are all used for written social skills.

Non-verbal social skills: Using appropriate gestures to communicate during social interactions and knowing how to use facial expressions and body language in practical ways.

Empathetic social skills: Empathy as a social skill consists of three key components. how to recognize the emotions of others. Understanding what they are feeling and thinking—knowing and feeling the same way that they do to give a sincere response. 

Some of the common characteristics of social skills include:

  • They are often goal-oriented.
  • The social skills used depend on the situation, who it involves, and where it occurs. For example, a scenario taking place at home may produce a very different reaction than the same scenario taking place at work. Personal and professional social skills tend to be quite different from person to person. 
  • Social skills are certain types of behavior that get judged by other people. These behaviors get evaluated to determine our level of social skill. 
  • They can be taught, practiced, and learned by almost anyone.
  • However, suppose they only get taught what the definition of those social skills is. In that case, they still get considered underdeveloped. 
  • To learn and develop social skills of their own, they need to have a complete understanding of what they are. They also need to know how to recognize them in day-to-day life. They need to have complete cognitive control over them without being told when and how to do so. 

Why do autistic children struggle with social skills?

Autistic individuals who are older or have a late diagnosis may struggle to relearn healthy social skills. It could also take them longer to develop those skills as well. Learning a new skill set can take quite a bit of time. 

More time is often needed because they also have to forget their old habits. Letting go of negative behaviors that hold them back is one step closer to having good social skills. 

Having good social skills can help autistic children:

  • Determine how to act appropriately in any social situation. 
  • Make new friends, and be able to keep them as well.
  • Discover personal interests and develop new hobbies.
  • Learn from their peers. 

Another reason why children with autism struggle with social skills because it is much harder for them to pick up on social cues. They may not recognize how another person feels right away, which can sometimes lead to them seeming like they don’t care.

A robust set of social skills is essential for autistic children. It will have a significant positive impact on their mental health. Communicating their needs and expressing emotions to others will give a massive boost to their self-esteem. 

Building solid social skills is good for the mental and emotional wellbeing of people with ASD. It can increase their overall quality of life.

The most important social skills to teach an autistic child?

The most essential and needed social skills that can be taught to children with autism belong to these four groups:

Play skills: Sharing toys and taking turns to be fair with one another.

Conversation skills: Choosing appropriate conversation topics or what body language to use.

Emotional skills: Recognizing, understanding, expressing, and managing their emotions, also doing the same for the feelings of other people.

Problem-solving skills: Making proper decisions in social situations, dealing with and resolving conflict. 

Here are seven social skills that every child should have and why they’re so necessary to have:

Sharing

  • It helps make and keep friendships.
  • Feeling good makes you share, and in return, sharing makes you feel good.
  • It raises self-esteem.

Cooperating

  • It Teaches teamwork.
  • It Helps set goals.
  • It Shows respectfulness.
  • Positive contribution to society.
  • Can teach leadership roles.

Listening

  • Teaches good communication.
  • Improves ability to learn and absorb information.
  • Shows respect to the other person speaking.
  • It teaches patience.

Following directions

  • It helps avoid having to correct mistakes.
  • It shows independence.
  • Following directions shows that they understand when they get asked to do something.
  • Good work skill to have.

Respecting personal space

  • It teaches respect.
  • It helps set boundaries for themselves and other people.
  • Allows privacy.
  • Shows ability to follow the rules and directions.

Making eye contact

  • Needed for proper communication.
  • Good eye contact shows that they are listening. 
  • Engagement. 
  • It shows respectfulness. 
  • It shows politeness.

Using manners

  • Shows respect.
  • Good communication.
  • It teaches politeness.
  • It can help keep some behaviors more under control.
  • It makes them more approachable.

ABA therapy for autistic children to improve their social skills?

Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA) is an effective type of therapy. It is a common form of therapy for children with developmental conditions such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

ABA therapy involves reinforcing new and healthy behaviors. It pinpoints what specific strengths and weaknesses need attention.

It is also one of the most popular therapies. It’s primarily known for helping autistic children build positive skills such as:

  • Interactive play
  • How to follow directions
  • Social communication
  • How to initiate conversations 
  • How to take turns with others
  • How to follow set rules
  • Coping skills
  • Appropriate eye contact
  • Identifying and understanding social cues
  • Reducing problem behaviors

ABA therapy’s effective design was created for meeting the needs of everyone in a different way. Each treatment plan is unique. 

The main goal of ABA therapy is first to understand how certain behaviors develop. Once the behaviors that have adverse effects get identified, intervention and a treatment plan get put into place. 

ABA therapy can help your autistic child build healthy social skills. It can also improve learning abilities and modify behaviors into more positive ones. Check out Hidden Talents ABA to learn more about how you can easily access quality and effective treatments. 

Additional Strategies for teaching and developing social skills

Role-playing

To role-play as a social skill-building strategy, set the role-play:

  1.  Make its theme in context for a specific social skill you want the autistic child to learn. 
  2. Let the child choose their role and act out the scenario. 
  3. When role-playing, you want to show the best possible behaviors for specific situations. When they do happen in real life, they will have prepared to deal with it accordingly. 

Video-Modelling

One of the most effective intervention strategies for teaching social skills to autistic children is video modeling.

 It is a visual teaching technique and involves watching a video of the desired behavior. After the video is over you, then work with the child to try to mimic the same behaviors as seen in the video. 

Play games 

Use games as your tools when teaching autistic children new social skills. Games are hands-on and fun. They are good at making it easy for any child to take part in skill-building activities

Playing different types of games is a great interactive way to develop meaningful social skills. Behaviors that get learned through playing games also often will stick. 

Visual supports 

Visual supports enhance the communication process by adding another interpretable level to it. 

Photographs, artwork and various objects can all get used as visual supports. Using written words as visual supports, such as checklists and schedules, can also be used.

 An excellent example of a visual support is a stop sign.

Giving proper praise

Giving out proper praise when deserved is essential. It’s a necessary part of effectively teaching autistic children social skills. 

Children are more likely to remember how to use good social skills when rewarded. You can give them praise for displaying certain positive, ideal behaviors. 

Giving credit when needed also shows them that they are on the right track. It reassures them that they are offering the appropriate social behaviors. 

Social skills training 

Social skills training (SST) is a type of behavioral therapy. It helps people with developmental disorders, like ASD, to quickly learn and build a solid set of social skills. 

It shows how to use positive behaviors in complex social situations. SST also teaches valuable social problem-solving skills needed in everyday life. 

Read social stories 

Social stories are personalized short stories. They are a way for autistic children to easily exchange information.

Doing so can make it easier to develop positive social skills. They typically get written in an active first-person point-of-view. They can answer questions based on: Who, what, when, where, why, and how. 

You can find several examples of social stories for different specific issues here

May is Mental Health Month, a whole month dedicated to making mental health is something everyone should care about. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on the mental health of people of all ages. Now, more than ever, it is critical to reduce the stigma around mental health struggles, because that stigma often prevents individuals from seeking help.

Similarly, April is Autism Awareness Month, dedicated to increasing understanding and acceptance of autism spectrum disorders. By recognizing both Mental Health Month and Autism Awareness Month, we emphasize the importance of prioritizing mental health and supporting individuals with autism in our communities.

Mental Health Awareness Month in May

Many believe that Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) makes those on the spectrum lack empathy. The reality is that many people with ASD have trouble identifying what they are feeling. When unable to express their emotions, it seems like they don’t have any.

The purpose of this article is to inform people about the effects that autism has on empathy. By the end, you will have learned:

  • The elements needed to show empathy to others
  • If autism causes a lack of empathy or not
  • How you can explain autism to other children
  • How ABA therapy may help teach empathy to autistic children
Three children of different genders with autism is smiling , Their expressions conveying empathy.

Understanding Empathy and Sympathy 

Empathy means being able to feel the emotions of another person. You experience certain feelings together. 

Sympathy means understanding why that person feels those emotions. Yet, they remain distanced enough not to inherit their feelings. 

Psychologists Daniel Goleman and Paul Ekman discovered three forms of empathy. Cognitive, emotional, and compassionate. 

Cognitive Empathy 

Cognitive empathy is awareness of how and why a person might feel a certain way. It is the ability to look at things from all perspectives. Doing so helps you understand their emotions and thought processes. 

Emotional Empathy 

Emotional empathy is when you feel the same emotions as another person. You can achieve it by putting yourself in the same emotional place as someone. You then can feel and understand what they are going through. 

Compassionate Empathy 

Compassionate empathy is a balance between cognitive and emotional empathy. You are aware of the other persons thinking and emotions and can feel them as well. Those two elements put together motivates you to take action to help them.

Does autism cause a lack of empathy?

Someone with autism spectrum disorder may have trouble expressing sympathy and empathy. Or they may fail to express them at all. Being unable to express those emotions makes it appear as if they lack those emotions. 

It’s common for someone with autism to fail to express those emotions. It doesn’t mean that they don’t have them, though. Most of the time, they have underdeveloped skills. Those skills can be in one or more of the many elements needed to show empathy to other people. 

Here are the empathetic elements that you need to connect with someone:

  • Be able to recognize the other person’s thoughts and feelings
  • Understand what the other person is hoping for and what their expectations could be
  • The personal relation to the other person’s emotions through shared emotional experiences
  • Know how to express feelings of empathy both verbally and physically 
  • Culturally understand that displaying empathy is an expectation or a desire

Empathy is an emotion with two dimensions. It has a cognitive level and an affective/emotional level. 

The cognitive level is where you recognize and understand someone’s emotional state. 

The emotional/affective level is where you feel someone’s emotions.

Emotions are displayed on the face using the mouth and the eyes. People with ASD tend not to pay attention to those places and look at the sides of a face instead. As a result, they cannot use cognitive empathy. They are unable to recognize emotions by looking at the expressions on people’s faces. 

Affective empathy gets felt more powerfully. It even can be overwhelming for some people with ASD. The emotions of other people may even be more intense for some autistic people.

Another factor that makes it seem like autism causes a lack of empathy is the missed social cues. Children with autism tend to have different responses to things than typical children. They end up having different reactions because of those missing cues.  

Here are some reasons why someone with ASD may miss these cues:

  • It’s complicated for those with autism to interpret non-verbal forms of communication. They can’t pick up visual cues like facial expressions and body language. 
  • Children use repetition and mimicry to learn and develop social skills. Children with autism tend not to imitate others instinctively. Expressing empathy as others do may be more challenging to them because of this. 
Empathetic hand hold

Can empathy be taught to autistic children?

The Journal of Applied Behavioural Analysis published research involving autistic children learning empathy. The study indicated that autistic children could indeed get taught cognitive empathy. 

Many techniques for teaching empathy include reinforcing responses to other people’s emotions. Modeling and prompting are two popular ones. They teach how to use the correct facial expressions, body language, tone of voice, and phrases. 

However, those techniques only teach behavioral empathy, not empathy at an emotional level. 

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and other therapies have proved to improve emotional empathy. 

Explaining to children that autistic children may lack empathy

Reports show that 1 in every 54 children in the U.S. gets diagnosed with some form of ASD. Over half of autistic students ages, 6 to 21 are in a regular classroom for 80 percent or more of their day at school. 

Proper and clear explanations of autism to other children are essential. Doing so helps make classrooms more comfortable for autistic students. It creates a safer environment for them when the people around them are aware of their needs.

When explaining autism to another child, keep these tips and ideas in mind:

There are no wrong questions

Honesty should never be considered rude, especially when it comes to the curiosity of a child. You can take it as an opportunity to explain to them that everyone’s different and that that’s okay. 

Different ways to communicate

Show them the different ways that they can communicate with non-verbal autistic children. Let them know that even though they can’t talk, it doesn’t mean they don’t understand anything. 

Be open and honest

If you hold back on not talking about certain things, it shows them that it’s too bad to talk about it. A negative mindset can develop if a child feels like they shouldn’t discuss a specific topic. 

Use storybooks

Books and stories can have a powerful impact on the way a child views things. Try reading them books about autism spectrum disorder with autistic characters in them. Those types of books can put certain things into an easier-to-understand perspective. 

Remind them to be polite

You may hear them say, “that kid is weird” or that they “act crazy.” Please take this opportunity to correct them. Explain that some people have more significant reactions to things than others do. Also, let them know that it’s never okay to call someone weird or crazy because they’re different. It can be hurtful to the other person’s feelings. 

ABA therapy and teaching empathy

Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) therapy helps children with autism spectrum disorder build social skills. It also teaches them appropriate behaviors. Each therapy plan is different and gets catered to the autistic child’s unique needs. 

Here’s what a trained therapist may do to teach a child with ASD empathy:

  1. First, they will begin to teach the child what emotions need an empathetic response. They then get taught how to recognize them. The therapist may do this with pictures or silent videos of facial expressions.
  2. Next, they teach the child how to identify those emotions during everyday interactions. 
  3. Learning how to understand what the other person is feeling is the lesson that follows. The therapist, by then, will have shown them when a particular situation needs empathy. 
  4. Finally, the autistic child will get taught appropriate responses. They will learn what response they need for different emotions. Teaching proper responses usually gets done through role-playing. 

The main goal of ABA therapy is to teach a child with ASD how to understand their emotions. They also will develop an emotional understanding of the feelings of others. The therapist will work with the child to improve the child’s behaviors and responses.