Introduction
Autism is primarily defined by its deficits in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) (). However, autism can be defined as a natural, valuable part of human experience in which the ability to thrive depends on the match between the individual and their social context (–). Autistic strengths have been noted since autism was first defined (). A growing body of literature has demonstrated how strengths in social communication, focused interests, stimming, sensory abilities, systems thinking, and cognition can be part of autism (–). Despite the neurodiversity movement, autism is still associated with stigma (–). Diagnostic evaluations often focus exclusively on problems without considering strengths (, ). Most questionnaires, observational tools, and interview questions tabulate problems to determine if someone is autistic, but they miss the comprehensive view of what it means to be autistic. The autism diagnostic evaluation is a critical time in a person's life, with some individuals referring to it as the most important experience of their life (, ). When an individual is first discovering they or their child is autistic, providing strengths-based information can provide an alternative to some of the stigmatizing messages they may have heard about autism. This can be shared in addition to a discussion about some of the anticipated challenges (, ). Autism-specific strengths-based measures that allow clinicians to assess for autistic strengths during diagnosis are needed. The Survey of Autistic Strengths, Skills, and Interests (SASSI, presented in the Supplementary Table 1) is a set of questions that can be integrated into the clinical interview with an adult or caregiver to explore and identify common autistic strengths. It is meant to be used along with a comprehensive battery that also includes challenges.
Social communication strengths
By definition, autistic people fail to conform to social norms, but a deficit-based diagnostic process can overshadow the value of nonconformity (). Studies have shown that non-autistic people are more likely to conform to the majority by choosing an incorrect response if they think it is popular whereas autistic people tend to choose the correct answer even if that answer is unpopular. This autistic willingness to go against the crowd when correct has been demonstrated in autistic children () and adults (). This research is based on small sample sizes, but many autistic activists cite their autism as giving them the strength to speak out (). Non-autistic people tend to change their prosocial behavior (e.g., giving to charity) depending on whether they are being watched, whereas autistic people behave more consistently across contexts (). In one study, autistic people were more likely to refuse to make an immoral choice (giving to a “bad charity”) even if it benefitted them (gaining money). Non-autistic people changed their behavior depending on whether they were being watched, but autistic people were consistent (). Many autistic people also identify honesty as an autistic strength (, ). Autistic people may be characterized as “lacking a filter,” but being honest and direct saves time and allows for clearer understanding. Learning to express oneself directly can be an important intervention for neurotypical people (). Autistic people point out that being guided by their own internal ethical compass and being less influenced by what other people think is a strength (). However, autism stigma has led even this moral consistency to be conceptualized as a deficit [for an example, see ()].
Need for solitude was one of the first characteristics identified as defining autism (). This has been framed as a deficit, but enjoyment of solitude is also a strength. It is associated with lower levels of depression and anxiety (). Experience sampling studies suggest that autistic people tend to enjoy solitude and may not feel lonely when alone (). However, autistic people often highly value friendships as well. Making friends is a major developmental achievement of middle childhood (). Friendship can protect against depression and anxiety (). Some autistic people are selective in their friendships. They may keep their circles small (, ) and value friendships in which they can be authentic (, ). Autistic people often connect well across age groups (–). Research on the double empathy problem (, ), has shown that autistic people can often connect with other autistic people more effectively than non-autistic people can (). Autistic pairs tend to have stronger rapport than mixed-neurotype pairs (). Autistic people report experiencing relationships with other autistic people as highly satisfying and less tiring (, ). Autistic people also have a strong ability to connect with other autistic people online (–). Assessing a client's autistic friendships and online social network could inform ways to reduce the isolation autistic people sometimes experience (), inform our understanding of social support networks, and identify support needed to further achieve satisfying relationships.
Focused interests and stimming
Focused interests can offer a sense of wellbeing (–), facilitate social connection (), guide employment opportunities (, ), and strengthen academic skills and executive functioning (, –). Although the DSM-5 views “restricted interests” as deficits (), clinicians can take a more wholistic view by identifying clients' interests and considering the potential opportunities they offer. Because autistic people tend to experience monotropism (), they may be able to devote long periods of time to studying or talking about one subject, which often leads to expertise and mastery (, ). Some autistic people have animals as a special interest and many describe themselves as connecting well with animals (). Interests can facilitate friendships, provide educational and vocational focus, as well as being pleasurable, so should be assessed directly.
Autistic people engage in repetitive movements primarily as a way to cope with intense thoughts or sensory experiences (), but these are framed as deficits in part because engaging in unusual behavior is stigmatized (, 67). Although some repetitive motor movements can indicate neurological problems (68, 69) or contribute to back pain or self-injury (70), they can also provide pleasure and serve a regulatory purpose. If clinicians can be mindful of our biases and ask about stimming from a positive perspective, we may help guide our clients to see the ways in which stimming helps them.
Sensory strengths
Autistic people often have sensory sensitivities, which may cause distress in certain environments. This, along with our profession's predisposition to view autism through a deficit-lens, has resulted in sensory sensitivities being framed as deficits on most questionnaires. This has limited research into whether sensory differences may also be strengths. Some previous studies have suggested that autistic people tend to perform more poorly on certain sensory tasks, such as identifying individual smells (71) and switching their attention between different sounds (72). Despite the challenges posed by sensory sensitivities, research has also reported autistic strengths, such as increased likelihood of perfect pitch (73), ability to identify smells that are mixed together (74), ability to recognize sounds that are mixed together (75), and performance on visual search tasks (76, 77). Attention to detail is one of the most prominent self-reported autistic strengths (). These findings have led some researchers to refer to autistic people as perceptual experts (76). Sensory sensitivity itself may be linked to increased capacity. For example, autistic people who are more sensitive to sounds may perform better on tests of auditory capacity [ability to detect specific sounds mixed with multiple distracting sounds; (78)]. Sensory differences may also inform creative pursuits and coping strategies.
Asking clients about their positive sensory experiences can offer guidance in empowering clients to select and modify environments to support autistic flourishing. Most existing questionnaires and interview questions assess whether autistic people are bothered by sensory input, but very few tools assess sensory strengths. The Monteiro Interview Guidelines for Diagnosing the Autism Spectrum, Second Edition [MIGDAS-2, (79)] does assess sensory experiences that the individual enjoys and attention to detail. The SASSI offers additional assessment questions.
Systems and routine
From a young age, many autistic children line-up toys, gaze at them from different angles, and arrange them by color or shape. Some are drawn to pre-existing systems like alphabetical and numerical order (80). This has been framed as nonfunctional () and as obstructing or distracting from more productive types of play. A frequently cited paper introduces restricted interests and repetitive behaviors as constituting “a major barrier to learning and social adaptation” (81). Recent research has shown, however, that engaging in this autistic way of playing at preschool age is linked to improved nonverbal reasoning skills at school-age (82). In addition to bringing joy to autistic children, which in and of itself is a worthy goal (83, 84), this interest in systems means that many autistic people are good at creating their own systems for making their environments work (). Many autistic people also thrive on routine (85), which can be an advantage in many environments.
Cognitive strengths
There is no one autistic profile when it comes to cognition, but there are certain strengths that seem to be associated with autism across the lifespan, and may appear even among autistic children classified as having intellectual disabilities or as being untestable (86, 87). Autistic people often outperform non-autistic people on tasks assessing visual-spatial reasoning [e.g., Block Design on the Wechsler tests, (88)], other nonverbal tasks that required identifying visual features embedded among other distracters [e.g., visual search tasks, (77, 89), and embedded figures tests, (86, 87)], and certain executive functioning tasks (90). Recent longitudinal research has shown that early performance on some of these specific types of tasks (e.g., embedded figures tasks) is linked to non-verbal intelligence as autistic children get older (82).
Discussion
Clearly autism is more than the set of deficits we have traditionally been taught to assess and evaluate. To move toward overcoming the stigma that permeates our diagnostic assessments we must expand and clean the lenses through which we view autism. Asking directly about autistic strengths can help us see our clients' experiences more clearly and make more effective recommendations to help them move forward while embracing who they already are. The SASSI is a newly developed tool meant to inspire future research on assessing autistic strengths. Future research could include focus groups or interviews with autistic adults to further refine the items, pilot studies with small groups of clinicians who can apply it to children and adults, and exploration of how it might be modified to include Likert scales. Our hope is that the SASSI can serve as a step toward inspiring future research and refining our diagnostic evaluations as we recognize together the value of expanding our conceptualization of autism.
Statements
Author contributions
SW: Conceptualization, Writing—original draft, Writing—review and editing. AE: Supervision, Writing—original draft, Writing—review and editing.
Funding
The author(s) declare that no financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Conflict of interest
SW has presented research on autistic strengths including the Survey of Autistic Strengths Skills and Interests at the University of Washington Autism Center and attendees paid UWAC to participate in the course and receive continuing education credits. The remaining authors declares that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
Publisher’s note
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
Supplementary material
The Supplementary Material for this article can be found online at: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1264516/full#supplementary-material
References
1.
AmericanPsychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 5th ed. Washington, DC: APA (2013). 10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596
2.
Anderson-ChavarriaM. The autism predicament: models of autism and their impact on autistic identity. Disabil Soc. (2022) 37:1321–41. 10.1080/09687599.2021.1877117
3.
ChapmanR. The reality of autism: On the metaphysics of disorder and diversity. Philos Psychol. (2020) 33:799–819. 10.1080/09515089.2020.1751103
4.
DreaverJThompsonCGirdlerSAdolfssonMBlackMHFalkmerM. Success factors enabling employment for adults on the autism spectrum from employers' perspective. J Autism Dev Disor. (2020) 50:1657–67. 10.1007/s10803-019-03923-3
5.
GernsbacherMA. Toward a behavior of reciprocity. J Dev Proc. (2006) 1:139.
6.
O'NeilS. The meaning of autism: Beyond disorder. Disabil Soc. (2008) 23:787–99. 10.1080/09687590802469289
7.
RosqvistHB. Doing things together: Exploring meanings of different forms of sociality among autistic people in an autistic work space. Alter. (2019) 13:168–78. 10.1016/j.alter.2019.03.003
8.
WalkerN. Neuroqueer Heresies: Notes on the Neurodiversity Paradigm, Autistic Empowerment, and Postnormal Possibilities. Fort Worth, TX: Autonomous Press. (2021).
9.
KannerL. Autistic disturbances of affective contact. Nervous child. (1943) 2:217–50.
10.
GrantAKaraH. Considering the Autistic advantage in qualitative research: the strengths of Autistic researchers. Contemp Soc Sci. (2021) 16:589–603. 10.1080/21582041.2021.1998589
11.
McCowanSShawSCDohertyMGrosjeanBBlankPKinnearM. Vive La difference! celebrating and supporting autistic psychiatrists with autistic doctors international. BJPsych Open. (2021) 7:S40. 10.1192/bjo.2021.157
12.
MooreSKinnearMFreemanL. Autistic doctors: overlooked assets to medicine. Lancet Psychiat. (2020) 7:306–7. 10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30087-0
13.
WarrenNEatchelBKirbyAVDienerMWrightCD'AstousV. Parent-identified strengths of autistic youth. Autism. (2021) 25:79–89. 10.1177/1362361320945556
14.
BothaMDibbBFrostDM. “Autism is me”: an investigation of how autistic individuals make sense of autism and stigma. Disabil Soc. (2022) 37:427–53. 10.1080/09687599.2020.1822782
15.
KinnearSHLinkBGBallanMSFischbachRL. Understanding the experience of stigma for parents of children with autism spectrum disorder and the role stigma plays in families' lives. J Autism Dev Disord. (2016) 46:942–53. 10.1007/s10803-015-2637-9
16.
TurnockALangleyKJonesCR. Understanding stigma in autism: A narrative review and theoretical model. Autism Adulthood. (2022) 4:76–91. 10.1089/aut.2021.0005
17.
PellicanoEden HoutingJ. Annual Research Review: Shifting from ‘normal science'to neurodiversity in autism science. J Child Psychol Psychiat. (2022) 63:381–96. 10.1111/jcpp.13534
18.
UrbanowiczANicolaidisCHoutingJDShoreSMGaudionKGirdlerSet al. An expert discussion on strengths-based approaches in autism. Autism Adulth. (2019) 1:82–9. 10.1089/aut.2019.29002.aju
19.
ArnoldSRHuangYHwangYIRichdaleALTrollorJNLawsonLP. “The single most important thing that has happened to me in my life”: development of the impact of diagnosis scale—preliminary revision. Autism Adulth. (2020) 2:34–41. 10.1089/aut.2019.0059
20.
JonesLGoddardLHillELHenryLACraneL. Experiences of receiving a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder: a survey of adults in the United Kingdom. J Autism Dev Disord. (2014) 44:3033–44. 10.1007/s10803-014-2161-3
21.
AbbottMBernardPForgeJ. Communicating a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder-a qualitative study of parents' experiences. Clin Child Psychol Psychiatry. (2013) 18:370–82. 10.1177/1359104512455813
22.
MakinoAHartmanLKingGWongPYPennerM. Parent experiences of autism spectrum disorder diagnosis: A scoping review. Rev. J Autism Dev Disord. (2021) 1:1–8. 10.1007/s40489-021-00237-y
23.
YafaiAFVerrierDReidyL. Social conformity and autism spectrum disorder: A child-friendly take on a classic study. Autism. (2014) 18:1007–13. 10.1177/1362361313508023
24.
BowlerDMWorleyK. Susceptibility to social influence in adults with Asperger's syndrome: A research note. J Child Psychol Psychiat. (1994) 35:689–97. 10.1111/j.1469-7610.1994.tb01214.x
25.
RourkeA. Greta Thunberg responds to Asperger's critics. Guardian. (2019). Available online at: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/sep/02/greta-thunberg-responds-to-aspergers-critics-its-a-superpower (accessed September 2, 2019).
26.
IzumaKMatsumotoKCamererCFAdolphsR. Insensitivity to social reputation in autism. Proc Nat Acad Sci. (2011) 108:17302–7. 10.1073/pnas.1107038108
27.
HuYPereiraAMGaoXCamposBMDerringtonECorgnetBet al. Right temporoparietal junction underlies avoidance of moral transgression in autism spectrum disorder. J Neuroscience. (2021) 41:1699–715. 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1237-20.2020
28.
CopeRRemingtonA. The strengths and abilities of autistic people in the workplace. Autism Adulth. (2022) 4:22–31. 10.1089/aut.2021.0037
29.
RussellGKappSKElliottDElphickCGwernan-JonesROwensC. Mapping the autistic advantage from the accounts of adults diagnosed with autism: A qualitative study. Autism Adulth. (2019) 1:124–33. 10.1089/aut.2018.0035
30.
OmuraMMaguireJLevett-JonesTStoneTE. Effectiveness of assertive communication training programs for health professionals and students: a systematic review protocol. JBI Evidence Synthesis. (2016) 14:64–71. 10.11124/JBISRIR-2016-003158
31.
Autistic Science Person. Autistic people care too much, Research says. Neuroclastic. (2020). Available online at: https://neuroclastic.com/autistic-people-care-too-much-research-says/ (accessed November 7, 2020).
32.
RowlandD. Autism as an intellectual lens. J Neurol Psychiat Brain Res. (2020). 202010.37722/JNPABR.20201
33.
LinPHWangPYLinYLYangSY. Is it weird to enjoy solitude? Relationship of solitude capacity with personality traits and physical and mental health in junior college students. Int J Environ Res Public Health. (2020) 17:5060. 10.3390/ijerph17145060
34.
ChenYWBundyACordierRChienYLEinfeldS. The experience of social participation in everyday contexts among individuals with autism spectrum disorders: An experience sampling study. J Autism Dev Disord. (2016) 46:1403–14. 10.1007/s10803-015-2682-4
35.
EstesAMunsonJJohnTSDagerSRRoddaABotteronKet al. Parent support of preschool peer relationships in younger siblings of children with autism spectrum disorder. J Autism Dev Disord. (2018) 48:1122–32. 10.1007/s10803-017-3202-5
36.
MazurekMO. Loneliness, friendship, and well-being in adults with autism spectrum disorders. Autism. (2014) 18:223–32. 10.1177/1362361312474121
37.
SedgewickFHillVPellicanoE. ‘It's different for girls': Gender differences in the friendships and conflict of autistic and neurotypical adolescents. Autism. (2019) 23:1119–32. 10.1177/1362361318794930
38.
SosnowyCSilvermanCShattuckPGarfieldT. Setbacks and successes: How young adults on the autism spectrum seek friendship. Autism Adulth. (2019) 1:44–51. 10.1089/aut.2018.0009
39.
BlackMHKuzminskiRWangJAngJLeeCHafidzuddinSet al. Experiences of friendships for individuals on the autism spectrum: A scoping review. Rev J Autism Dev Disord. (2022) 12:1–26. 10.1007/s40489-022-00332-8
40.
Pintsplease. Did you prefer the company of adults when you were a child? R/Autism. Reddit. (2022). Available online at: https://www.reddit.com/r/autism/comments/sj6uqt/did_you_prefer_the_company_of_adults_when_you/ (accessed March 7, 2023).
41.
BaumingerNSolomonMAviezerAHeungKGazitLBrownJet al. Children with autism and their friends: A multidimensional study of friendship in high-functioning autism spectrum disorder. J Abnorm Child Psychol. (2008) 36:135–50. 10.1007/s10802-007-9156-x
42.
DanielLSBillingsleyBS. What boys with an autism spectrum disorder say about establishing and maintaining friendships. Focus Autism Other Dev Disabl. (2010) 25:220–9. 10.1177/1088357610378290
43.
PetrinaNCarterMStephensonJ. The nature of friendship in children with autism spectrum disorders: A systematic review. Res Autism Spectr Disord. (2014) 8:111–26. 10.1016/j.rasd.2013.10.016
44.
MiltonDE. On the ontological status of autism: The ‘double empathy problem'. Disabil Soc. (2012) 27:883–7. 10.1080/09687599.2012.710008
45.
MiltonDEWaldockKEKeatesN. Autism and the ‘double empathy problem'. Convers Empathy. (2023) 16:78–97. 10.4324/9781003189978-6
46.
CromptonCJHallettSRoparDFlynnEFletcher-WatsonS. ‘I never realised everybody felt as happy as I do when I am around autistic people': A thematic analysis of autistic adults' relationships with autistic and neurotypical friends and family. Autism. (2020) 24:1438–48. 10.1177/1362361320908976
47.
CromptonCJRoparDEvans-WilliamsCVFlynnEGFletcher-WatsonS. Autistic peer-to-peer information transfer is highly effective. Autism. (2020) 24:1704–12. 10.1177/1362361320919286
48.
CromptonCJSharpMAxbeyHFletcher-WatsonSFlynnEGRoparD. Neurotype-matching, but not being autistic, influences self and observer ratings of interpersonal rapport. Front Psychol. (2020) 11:2961. 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.586171
49.
BothaMDibbBFrostDM. ‘It's being a part of a grand tradition, a grand counter-culture which involves communities': A qualitative investigation of autistic community connectedness. Autism. (2022) 26:2151–64. 10.1177/13623613221080248
50.
DavidsonJ. Autistic culture online: Virtual communication and cultural expression on the spectrum. Soc Cult Geogr. (2008) 9:791–806. 10.1080/14649360802382586
51.
KimSYBottema-BeutelK. Negotiation of individual and collective identities in the online discourse of autistic adults. Autism Adulth. (2019) 1:69–78. 10.1089/aut.2018.0029
52.
RinglandKE. A place to play: the (dis) abled embodied experience for autistic children in online spaces. In: Proceedings of the 2019 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. (2019). p. 1–14. 10.1145/3290605.3300518
53.
UmagamiKRemingtonALloyd-EvansBDaviesJCraneL. Loneliness in autistic adults: A systematic review. Autism. (2022) 26:2117–35. 10.1177/13623613221077721
54.
GroveRHoekstraRAWierdaMBegeerS. Special interests and subjective wellbeing in autistic adults. Autism Resh. (2018) 11:766–75. 10.1002/aur.1931
55.
Patten KoenigKHough WilliamsL. Characterization and utilization of preferred interests: A survey of adults on the autism spectrum. Occupat Ther Mental Health. (2017) 33:129–40. 10.1080/0164212X.2016.1248877
56.
PellicanoEFatimaUHallGHeyworthMLawsonWLilleyRet al. capabilities approach to understanding and supporting autistic adulthood. Nat Rev Psychol. (2022) 1:624–39. 10.1038/s44159-022-00099-z
57.
GunnKCDelafield-ButtJT. Teaching children with autism spectrum disorder with restricted interests: A review of evidence for best practice. Rev Educ Res. (2016) 86:408–30. 10.3102/0034654315604027
58.
JonesSC. Advice for autistic people considering a career in academia. Autism. (2023) 23:13623613231161882. 10.1177/13623613231161882
59.
KirchnerJCDziobekI. Toward the successful employment of adults with autism: a first analysis of special interests and factors deemed important for vocational performance. Scandin J Child Adolesc Psychiat Psychol. (2014) 2:77–85. 10.21307/sjcapp-2014-011
60.
TansleyRParsonsSKovshoffH. How are intense interests used within schools to support inclusion and learning for secondary-aged autistic pupils? A scoping review. Eur J Special Needs Educ. (2022) 37:477–93. 10.1080/08856257.2021.1911520
61.
Winter-MessiersMAHerrCMWoodCEBrooksAPGatesMAHoustonTLet al. How far can Brian ride the daylight 4449 express? A strength-based model of Asperger syndrome based on special interest areas. Focus Autism Other Dev Disabil. (2007) 22:67–79. 10.1177/10883576070220020701
62.
WoodR. Autism, intense interests and support in school: From wasted efforts to shared understandings. Educ Rev. (2021) 73:34–54. 10.1080/00131911.2019.1566213
63.
MurrayF. Me and monotropism. Psychologist. (2019) 32:44–8. Available online at: https://www.bps.org.uk/psychologist/me-and-monotropism-unified-theory-autism
64.
BrossLATraversJC. Special interest areas and employment skills programming for secondary students with autism. Teach Except Children. (2017) 50:74–83. 10.1177/0040059917730846
65.
Laber-WarrenE. The benefits of special interests in autism. Spectrum. (2021). 10.53053/UVVZ8029
66.
KappSKStewardRCraneLElliottDElphickCPellicanoEet al. ‘People should be allowed to do what they like': Autistic adults' views and experiences of stimming. Autism. (2019) 23:1782–92. 10.1177/1362361319829628
67.
CharltonRAEntecottTBelovaENwaorduG. “It feels like holding back something you need to say”: Autistic and Non-Autistic Adults accounts of sensory experiences and stimming. Res Autism Spectr Disord. (2021) 89:101864. 10.1016/j.rasd.2021.101864
68.
MartinoDHedderlyT. Tics and stereotypies: a comparative clinical review. Parkinsonism Relat Disord. (2019) 59:117–24. 10.1016/j.parkreldis.2019.02.005
69.
ShuklaTPandeyS. Stereotypies in adults: a systematic review. Neurol Neurochir Pol. (2020) 54:294–304. 10.5603/PJNNS.a2020.0058
70.
MinshawiNFHurwitzSFodstadJCBieblSMorrissDHMcDougleCJ. The association between self-injurious behaviors and autism spectrum disorders. Psychol Res Behav Manag. (2014) 12:125–36. 10.2147/PRBM.S44635
71.
SweigertJRJohnTBegayKKDavisGEMunsonJShanklandEet al. Characterizing olfactory function in children with autism spectrum disorder and children with sensory processing dysfunction. Brain Sci. (2020) 10:362. 10.3390/brainsci10060362
72.
EmmonsKAKc LeeAEstesADagerSLarsonEMcCloyDRet al. Auditory attention deployment in young adults with autism spectrum disorder. J Autism Dev Disord. (2022) 52:1752–61. 10.1007/s10803-021-05076-8
73.
BradshawJ. Music, language and autism. Tizard Learn Disab Rev. (2014) 19:154–5. 10.1108/TLDR-09-2013-0042
74.
WalkerSCWilliamsKMooreDJ. Superior identification of component odors in a mixture is linked to autistic traits in children and adults. Chem Senses. (2020) 45:391–9. 10.1093/chemse/bjaa026
75.
RemingtonAFairnieJA. sound advantage: Increased auditory capacity in autism. Cognition. (2017) 166:459–65. 10.1016/j.cognition.2017.04.002
76.
MottronLDawsonMSoulièresIHubertBBurackJ. Enhanced perceptual functioning in autism: An update, and eight principles of autistic perception. J Autism Dev Disord. (2006) 36:27–43. 10.1007/s10803-005-0040-7
77.
O'riordanMAPlaistedKCDriverJBaron-CohenS. Superior visual search in autism. J Exper Psychol. (2001) 27:719. 10.1037/0096-1523.27.3.719
78.
BrinkertJRemingtonA. Making sense of the perceptual capacities in autistic and non-autistic adults. Autism. (2020) 24:1795–804. 10.1177/1362361320922640
79.
MonteiroMJStegallS. MIGDAS-2: Monteiro Interview Guidelines for Diagnosing the Autism Spectrum. Torrance, CA: WPS Publishing. (2018).
80.
MottronL. Should we change targets and methods of early intervention in autism, in favor of a strengths-based education?Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry. (2017) 26:815–25. 10.1007/s00787-017-0955-5
81.
LeekamSRPriorMRUljarevicM. Restricted and repetitive behaviors in autism spectrum disorders: a review of research in the last decade. Psychol Bull. (2011) 137:562. 10.1037/a0023341
82.
GirardDCourchesneVCimon-PaquetCJacquesCSoulièresI. Visual abilities and exploration behaviors as predictors of intelligence in autistic children from preschool to school age. Autism. (2023) 27:13623613231166189. 10.1177/13623613231166189
83.
McGuinnessK. An evaluation of a tool, based on spoon theory, to promote self-regulation and avoidance of burnout in autistic children and young people. Good Autism Pract (GAP). (2021) 22:59–72.
84.
RattoABBascomJdaVanportSStrangJFAnthonyLGVerbalisAet al. Centering the inner experience of autism: development of the self-assessment of autistic traits. Autism Adulth. (2023) 5:93–105. 10.1089/aut.2021.0099
85.
WalshLLydonSHealyO. Employment and vocational skills among individuals with autism spectrum disorder: Predictors, impact, and interventions. Rev J Autism Dev Disord. (2014) 1:266–75. 10.1007/s40489-014-0024-7
86.
CourchesneVGirardDJacquesCSoulièresI. Assessing intelligence at autism diagnosis: Mission impossible? Testability and cognitive profile of autistic preschoolers. J Autism Dev Disord. (2019) 49:845–56. 10.1007/s10803-018-3786-4
87.
CourchesneVMeilleurAAPoulin-LordMPDawsonMSoulièresI. Autistic children at risk of being underestimated: school-based pilot study of a strength-informed assessment. Mol Autism. (2015) 6:1–10. 10.1186/s13229-015-0006-3
88.
MitchellPRoparD. Visuo-spatial abilities in autism: A review. Infant Child Dev. (2004) 13:185–98. 10.1002/icd.348
89.
JosephRMKeehnBConnollyCWolfeJMHorowitzTS. Why is visual search superior in autism spectrum disorder?Dev Sci. (2009) 12:1083–96. 10.1111/j.1467-7687.2009.00855.x
90.
St JohnTWoodsSBodeTRitterCEstesAA. review of executive functioning challenges and strengths in autistic adults. Clin Neuropsychol. (2022) 36:1116–47. 10.1080/13854046.2021.1971767
Summary
Keywords
autistic, strengths, autism diagnosis, stigma, neurodiversity, autism assessment, autism
Citation
Woods SEO and Estes A (2023) Toward a more comprehensive autism assessment: the survey of autistic strengths, skills, and interests. Front. Psychiatry 14:1264516. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1264516
Received
20 July 2023
Accepted
18 September 2023
Published
06 October 2023
Volume
14 - 2023
Edited by
April Hargreaves, National College of Ireland, Ireland
Reviewed by
Hidetsugu Komeda, Aoyama Gakuin University, Japan
Updates
Copyright
© 2023 Woods and Estes.
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: Sara Eileen O'Neil Woods sewoods@uw.edu
Disclaimer
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.