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=Cognitive Development in Autism=

Definition of autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
Autism spectrum disorder, normally abbreviated as ASD, depicts a name given in reference to a certain set of developmental and behavioural problems, and the challenges that accompany them. A positive diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder means that play, social, and communication skills of a child are affected in one way or the other. The term ‘spectrum’ in ASD means each and every child tends to be unique and has his/her own combination of behaviours. All these unique characteristics come together to give the child a distinct behaviour, communication, and social profile. As the child continues to develop and grow, the expression and nature of these challenges and problems are likely to change depending on his/her biology and the environmental experience. In most cases, people with ASD will exhibit some form of behavioural and/or social differences in their entire lifetime. The diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder depends on what the psychologist learns and observes about the behaviour and development of a child in his/her early years of growth. The psychologist, therefore, has to find out the history of the child, particularly during his/her early years, by asking either the parent or anybody else who might know the child. ASD is one of the most common developmental issues globally. It is estimated that nearly one person in every one-hundred people has autism. Even though there is no known cause for autism, some studies suggest that it is accused by the differences in the brain structures. There is no medical cure for autism, but since it is currently well-understood, it is possible to influence the way in which the brain works and develops.

Cognitive development
There are hotly contested debates in different quarters among psychologists on whether autism is a developmental disorder or a separate cognitive phenotype. Others argue that it is a developmental disorder, therefore, making it represent a set of abnormal characters, whereas another section claims that it occurs as a separate cognitive phenotype representing a distinct way of interacting and communicating with the world. However, the latter view has always taken the centre stage since it allows autism to be understood in a more positive manner. Below, there are some of the cognitive characteristics common in autism.

Theory of mind
People with autism are considered to have a poor theory of mind. In literal terms, this means that such individuals do not easily understand the perspectives brought forward by other people. In other words, this can also be described as the lack of social awareness by people living with the disorder. They do not have the capability to recognise social conditions and what takes place in such situations, the appropriate response likely to be taken by others, and the awareness as to why other people often respond to their behaviour in a particular manner. Consequently, those living with autism or its mild characteristics are not likely to respond to punishments or praises. Others with difficulties in learning always detest being requested to repeat things, especially, in the intervention-type of programmes. Instead of recognising that asking them to repeat the things is a way of assisting them to learn, they often consider the motive of the teacher to be sinister. Similarly, the teachers will get surprised that the children will not respond to praise even if they have worked hard to learn how to solve a problem. In some case, such children look as at the adults with disgust.

Cognitive inflexibility
Cognitive inflexibility refers to the inability to respond to similar stimulus in different ways. Autistic people have difficulties in being creative or flexible in the way they think. They fail to develop the awareness that each problem may have different possible solutions, and that each individual has a personal view that reflects on only a particular point about an issue. As a result, such people often develop a single procedure of doing things and stick by it even if it does not yield positive results. However, the existence of such non-conformity is often opposed by some psychologists.

Fact vs. fiction
A fact refers to a thing proved to be the truth while a fiction is a description of imaginary people or events. People living with autism often prefer to obtain factual information rather than fictions. They do not see the significance of discussing or reading about fictitious materials. This type of inclination may have specific positive and negative effects in the classrooms. For examples, an autistic child may not want to be taught about social sciences which often involve fictitious characters, whereas he/she will enjoy reading the physical sciences which deal with facts.

Generalist vs. specialist
Generalists refer to people who are acquainted with adequate knowledge in different fields. On the other hand, specialists only have a deep insight on a particular subject. People with autism are oriented as a specialist. They only take a keen interest in particular concepts and are not willing to learn about any other thing apart from what they have chosen. Usually, the classroom is meant for generalists since different concepts are taught. The autistic people are, therefore, disadvantaged and only prosper after they leave school, when they have the opportunity to focus their attention on the selected specialty.

Concept vs. detail
The understanding of concepts is vital in academic and social learning. Concepts assist us to avoid covering detailed information and to emphasize the larger picture. Concepts are used to subsume a bunch of details under one idea. This is hence critical in facilitating the development of problem-solving skills. On the contrary, details offer more information about a single idea. People with autism have difficulties in learning concepts. They often prefer to learn details of an idea at the expense of having a bigger picture. Such people only focus on the details without having the knowledge of how they are related or how they make parts of the concept. In some cases, they may dogmatically apply a concept or a rule incorrectly since they do not understand the meaning of the rule. The behaviour affects the reasoning of such individuals.

Literal vs. figurative
Being literal depicts the act of taking phrases in their usual or most basic sense without exaggeration or metaphor, whereas being figurative means that a person is capable of interpreting allegorical meanings of words. Those living with autism interpret statements literally. They find it hard to interpret figurative languages and draw inferences when listening or reading. Such people are, therefore, oriented only towards factual texts inevitably containing little metaphorical language or statements that require one to develop complex inferences.