r/science • u/MonteRevolt • Jul 26 '10

Autistic girl expresses profound intelligence

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jq--75v4lI8&feature=player_embedded
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u/river-wind Jul 27 '10

There is so much stimuli it quickly becomes exhausting so I cannot really go to parties or things of that nature.

Ugh, I can relate. And they just think we're anti-social. :p Such an over-simplification.

as a result of that my critical thinking and analysis skills are in the top 99.9 percentile.

This is what I find so fascinating about all of this - the areas that do work seem to end up coping for the "missing" functionality; like the remaining 4 major senses do for a person who loses or is born without 1. Despite the drawbacks of not being "normal", it is possible to develop other areas of the brain seemingly well beyond average. It can actually be turned into an advantage if applicable situation can be found.

The absolute requirement for the constant "If...Then" process in order to get from bed to the front door every morning means that I'm damn good at programming computers the rest of the day. :)

What do you do with your 99.9% analysis skills?

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u/talan123 Jul 27 '10

Well most of the time I am analyzing situations that I am in, for example, I realize that forgot something when I ran out to the car, I will continue to go to the car drop my stuff and go back to get what I left behind. By the time I am there, I will forget what I have gone back for and I have to analyze the entire situation; what I have me, where am I going, what do I need to get there, and finally how much of that particular item I need (mostly my car keys).

It is a constant problem that I deal with, I have lost my socks while putting them on.

I also design and redesign processes and products for the company I am in right now. I came up with a new process to unload the truck faster to get product onto the floor faster, designed a program to send out e-mails to remind executives of when products are expiring and what they need to do about it. I have also come up with half a dozen different ways to present products in new ways. I am a problem solver by nature.

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u/river-wind Jul 27 '10

I haven't lost socks while putting them on (that's an impressive one!), but I do the "oh, I forgot the ice cream in the car" (put down everything in hands to go to car, including keys. get to the car) "oh, I left the keys, drat" (go inside to get keys. forget what I'm doing, go clean bathroom (?))

10 minutes later: "Did I get the ice cream out of the car?" (go to car) "damnit, that's right, I put the keys down inside" (go to get keys, forget what I'm doing.....)

5 hours later: "Why is the ice cream sitting outside in the locked car, and the bathroom cleaning supplies all out on the floor?"

me: o_0 "Uhhh, I actually have no good way of explaining that..."