Persistent Deficits of Autism

Dynamic Appraisal

The ability to understand constantly changing environments presents many potential opportunities to organize, relate and prioritize information in different ways. Dynamic Appraisal is the ability to distinguish minor changes from major changes in the environment, and to determine which information is most important at any point in time.

Episodic Memory

Allows us to anticipate future possibilities, and learn from past mistakes. Memories of success are stored and used to develop perseverance and resilience. Builds motivation to endure challenges. Allows us to prepare for potential future scenarios and expect future uncertainty.

Innovation

Ability to formulate new strategies when prior strategies do not work. Ability to improvise when exact resources are not available. Ability to engage in hypothetical and speculative thinking.

Inter-subjectivity

Ability to understand that people perceive the world through a unique subjective point of view. Allows the ability to grasp other people’s intentions and the diverse and sometimes conflicting motives that define our actions. Required to integrate ideas with others. Necessary to carry on productive collaborations.

Relative Thinking

Ability to formulate "good enough" and "best fit" solutions that are based on highly specific needs and competing demands of real-life problems. Ability to shift, when external factors require that a project be modified, delayed or given lower priority.

Self-Awareness

Involves a coherent sense of personal identity. Ability to engage in effective self-evaluation and analysis. Ability to examine personal impact of potential actions. Understand the need to constantly monitor ones own subjective state. Uses productive self-regulation strategies to achieve greater emotional awareness and control. Uses productive self-regulation strategies to achieve greater emotional awareness and control.