Autism is a highly variable form of neurodivergence that gives rise to a lot of natural differences in the way the brain develops and functions. Among other things, autism is associated with significant variance in intelligence, and it has been suggested that intelligence may be distributed differently in Autistic children as compared to the general population. While some Autistic children also have a diagnosis of an intellectual disability, for example, there is evidence that Autistic children may also be more likely to have an IQ in the superior or gifted range.
Researcher Sara Meyer shares some information about getting an Autism diagnosis for your gifted child.
Autistic individuals who demonstrate advanced cognitive abilities and academic gifts. have been referred to as Twice Exceptional or 2e. This is an umbrella term for individuals who have been identified as being both gifted and as having one or more disabilities (Reis et al., 2014). Students in this category require specific supports and accommodations to achieve their full potential in the school environment, but are often overlooked because their academic achievement exceeds or falls within the normal range (Gelbar et al., 2022).
It can be challenging to access an autism diagnosis, and many parents in New Zealand describe the process as complex and drawn out, with long wait times (van der Meer & Evans, 2021). The average age of autism diagnosis is 6.4 years, but according to American research, this can be much later for individuals with average or above-average cognitive ability, better language skills, and fewer or less obvious autism characteristics. Interestingly, the most common diagnosis given to children who were initially diagnosed as not Autistic and later re-diagnosed as Autistic was ADHD (Avlund et al., 2021). This suggests that the presence of ADHD alongside autism, which is common, may delay the diagnosis of autism.
Despite these challenges, getting an autism diagnosis is usually a positive and liberating experience for both the child and the adults around them. Having a diagnosis provides an opportunity to better understand who your child is and how to recognise and manage their needs. With accurate information about your child’s diagnosis and how it may contribute to their support needs, you and others in your child’s life can better advocate for those needs to be met. This includes people like teachers, special education advisors or resources, doctors and clinicians.
While a gifted child may be harder to diagnose because they have usually achieved their academic and developmental milestones “on time” (or ahead of schedule), clinicians are becoming increasingly aware that some gifted children are likely to also be Autistic. This is because while intellectual disabilities are commonly diagnosed alongside autism, there is also research that suggests Autistic children may be more likely to have high IQs than the general population. In one study, Autistic children were 1.5 times more likely to have an IQ in the “Superior” (>120) range than non-Autistic children (Billeiter & Froiland, 2023). Many clinicians are now well aware of these findings and are experienced in diagnosing autism in children with high IQ.
Parents often wonder whether a diagnosis will benefit their child, but research suggests that your child is likely to realise they are different from their peers even before anyone mentions autism. Many children spend a lot of time and energy trying to understand why they are different. In the absence of an explanation, some children may misinterpret these differences as a character flaw or as a sign that something is “wrong” with them.
Research suggests that finding out you are Autistic at a younger age is associated with better outcomes and wellbeing as an adult. Autistic adults who were not diagnosed as children and only received their diagnoses later in life, in contrast, noted that not having a diagnosis negatively impacted their psychological wellbeing, lead to increased social isolation, bullying, and psychological distress, and meant that they spent many years without appropriate support or understanding (Lupindo et al., 2023). You can read more about some of these findings in this article by Reframing Autism.
Our Autistic and professional advisors at Altogether Autism largely reiterate this. One advisor, who was identified as an academic high achiever and was diagnosed Autistic during intermediate school, says that “the autism diagnosis was so helpful” and primarily felt relief when they received it. They had previously spent a lot of time wondering about why they were different from their peers, and having a diagnosis meant that they had some way of explaining those differences to others. This advisor also felt that getting the diagnosis helped them get support and understanding at school. They ended up doing very well at school and getting scholarship offers from two universities but notes that “there’s a reasonable chance that without the diagnosis I wouldn’t have finished high school at all.”
Another advisor shared that getting a report from an assessor that identified her gifted 11-year-old son as “highly likely Autistic” was enough to get him support and accommodations at intermediate school. The report documented his strengths as well as his challenges and seemed to empower him. This advisor notes, however, that her son chose not to pursue a formal diagnosis beyond this initial report as he had enough other diagnoses and did not want more. She respected this decision, but thinks that a formal diagnosis is a good thing for Autistic children as it helps protect them against misunderstandings, blame and discrimination from others. She also feels that getting a formal diagnosis is helpful to the child’s parent, as their concerns are more likely to be taken seriously.
One other advisor, who is a Resource Teacher of Learning and Behaviour (RTLB), shared that getting a diagnosis has been helpful for many of her gifted students. She refers to an example of a nine-year-old student whose autism diagnosis prompted the school to do a cognitive assessment and create a learning programme that meets her needs as a student. As a result, the student is able to do work that is advanced enough to challenge and stretch her. The RTLB feels that a diagnosis is important to helping teachers, SENCOs and other school personnel work out how to support a student.
While there are clear benefits to diagnosis in terms of self-acceptance, understanding, and accommodations at school, however, post-diagnostic supports outside of school settings are often described as inadequate and disappointing. In New Zealand, only a quarter of parents whose children received an autism diagnosis were satisfied with the post-diagnostic supports available. Many of these parents reported feeling that they had been left to deal with things themselves (van der Meer & Evans, 2021).
Disability supports are distributed on the basis of need, not diagnosis, so children who have relatively low support needs may not meet criteria to access these supports. Once you have a diagnosis, you can meet with your local NASC to work out what your child’s needs are and how to accommodate them.
For more information about how to prepare for your child’s diagnostic appointment, read our article: How to prepare for your child’s diagnostic appointment – Altogether Autism
References
Avlund, S., Thomsen, P., & Schendel, D. (2021). Factors associated with a delayed autism spectrum disorder diagnosis in children previously assessed on suspicion of autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders 51, 3843–3856. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-020-04849-x
Billeiter, K. B., & Froiland, J. M. (2023). Diversity of intelligence is the norm within the autism spectrum: full scale intelligence scores among children with ASD. Child Psychiatry & Human Development, 54(4), 1094-1101.
Gelbar, N. W., Cascio, A. A., Madaus, J. W., & Reis, S. M. (2022). A systematic review of the research on gifted individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Gifted Child Quarterly, 66(4), 266-276.
Lupindo, B. M., Maw, A., & Shabalala, N. (2023). Late diagnosis of autism: Exploring experiences of males diagnosed with autism in adulthood. Current Psychology, 42(28), 24181-24197.
Reis, S. M., Baum, S. M., & Burke, E. (2014). An operational definition of twice-exceptional learners: Implications and applications. Gifted Child Quarterly, 58(3), 217–230. https://doi.org/10.1177/0016986214534976
van der Meer, L. & Evans, K. (2021). The autism diagnostic process in New Zealand: Final report. Brisbane: Autism CR. Retrieved from: https://www.autismcrc.com.au/sites/default/files/reports/1-058_NZ-Diagnostic-Practices_Final-Report_2021.pdf