Skills Here. Skills There. Skills Spiraling Everywhere.

by Elesia Ashkenazy

Published March 25, 2009 @ 10:00AM PT

A common autism myth is that all autistic people have savant skills. While I would love nothing more than to be a savant at something--especially ballet, painting, or piano--I'm not.

Only a small percentage of autistic people possess savant skills. A similar myth is that all autistic people have genius I.Q. scores. Honestly, I would love nothing more than to be addressing an awestruck audience, at the Nobel Prize Award Ceremony, in regards to my unbelievable wondrous work in quantum physics. But it isn't going to happen--not in this lifetime, anyway.

Autism cannot always be seen. Matter of fact, I could be talking to another autistic person and neither of us would know we were both on the autistic spectrum unless it were to be revealed. Autistics are everywhere. We hold all types of jobs and positions.

Most importantly, it is vital to remember that most, if not all, autistic people have uneven skills. Here are some examples:

• Struggling with basic math concepts, yet excelling at advanced math
• Successful at a job of high status, yet lacking self care skills
• Highly organized with tangible objects, yet disastrously unorganized with non-tangibles
• Amazing at working with computers, yet unable to make a sandwich without visual step-by-step photos or instructions
• Brilliantly fluent when communicating via writing, yet nonverbal
• Smooth at conversing on specific topics, yet at a loss when the subject changes

An example from my own life experience, is that I am fairly proficient at carrying out complicated tasks that have been broken down to me via step-by-step instruction. On the other hand, I often need to be explicitly told to do simple things, even if I have already given my consent in the past.

Recently, my mother had a knee replacement surgery. Before her surgery, she had asked if I would stay with her, as my father would be out of town the following week. I agreed. The day my father left, my mother asked me what I would like to order for dinner. Confused, I replied by asking her why we were having dinner together. Returning a confused look, my mother slowly pushed her eyeglasses back into place while reminding me of my consent to stay with her. I panicked. Suddenly, I felt as if the rug had been pulled from under me.

If my mother had said this, the day before my father left--or even earlier--it would have made the situation, or transition, effortless:

"Elesia, your father is leaving on Sunday. Remember when you agreed to stay with me for one week? You need to prepare your things because it is almost time for you to come. Also, let me know what you would like for dinner on our first night together."

I don't think that I'll ever cease to amaze my mother. I mean, how can I be composing blogs for Change.org, managing my own blog site, taking care of two children, going to ballet class, and then not be able to process a previously agreed upon week-long stay? Go figure.

If you haven't already done so, take a look at this Change.org action:
Support Awareness & Understanding of Uneven Skills In Autistics

p.s.--I ended up staying with my mother and she is doing fine.