norah.aljunaidi 
Autism Spectrum Disorder or ASD is a condition that has likely existed since the dawn of humanity, but has gained recognition in just recent times, or precisely from the early 20th century. Even after a century, there is much more to be discovered and understood about Autism, however, with people accepting Autism, things are escalating.
As an SLP myself, I seek to find out more about Autism, and what can make my client’s journey better. This is how I came across the book, Neurotribes by Steve Silberman. The book wonderfully explains about autism, and Silberman takes it to the Rookie Level, and starts at the very beginning, telling the readers about what autism might actually look like.
Specifically, his viewpoint about the relationship between autism and their ability for pattern recognition drew my interest. According to the book, pattern thinkers—those who rely more on patterns than on visual images—are more common among autistic people. It is essential to note that pattern thinking is an abstraction of visual thinking, and that both are hence connected. However, this kind of study makes life easier for autistic people. By teaching the individual to recognize various sound patterns in a stream of music, for example, this knowledge may be utilized to help someone learn a language.
This perspective, according to which autistic individuals think more in patterns, also makes things clearer. People who use patterns to guide their judgments frequently do not want to break from the accepted standard. This would account for why pattern thinkers frequently struggle in composition writing, which calls for more original thought. Obviously, we must remember that we are talking about a condition that is defined by the word “Spectrum,” and hence, not everyone who has autism will struggle with composition writing, nor will everyone be pattern thinkers. But, yes, knowing that such a distinguishable area does exist, can make things much easier for the person and their development.
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Consider reading Neurotribes with me!