Is there a link between children that are gifted and talented and Aspergers?

[Blossomhill]

I am just wondering if there is such a link.

The majority of children I know with AS (including my own dd) are extremely bright and share some of the characteristics.

I am actually looking into G & T for my nearly 9 yr old but he doesn't fit any of the catergories except he is very sensitive but has lots of friends etc and definitely is not on the autistic spectrum. My ds is a high acheiever but everything else is the same as his peers.

sphil, that you remembered us!

Awareness of listener - in ds's case I'd say it's "impaired" rather than not there. So I don't recall it actually developing - what I have been aware of is his gradually growing insight into how people see things differently - eg when he was 5 or 6 he told me about two other boys in his class "X thinks Y is his best friend, but Y doesn't think X is his best friend" sort of thing. I've noticed, I think, because I do think ds has had to consciously figure this stuff out, rather than going on instinct; but oddly enough his having to do it consciously has been helpful, because I can do little signals between us (like "You do remember that people don't already know about Dreamland, don't you?") and he knows exactly what I'm on about.

School - rather up and down. When he's switched on and inhabiting this planet he's lovely & they're happy with him; at other times it's not great at all. Separate thread though maybe ...

Oh yes - forgot to pick up on something you said: yes, I absolutely agree that these stories/creations are mechanisms for coping. It's very very clear with ds - he'll be learning about, let's say, money systems - and within a day he'll be telling us how currencies/banks/whatever work "in Dreamland". I think it's well known for this sort of child - if you find social norms all a bit confusing you can take the ideas away into a private "safe" place to explore them in your own way. The trick is to find a way of being able to make a connection, back from the "safe" place to the real world.

themoon66 - I so agree about this thread being reassuring. I worry a lot about DS1, mainly because his younger brother is autistic, and it's great to know that there are lots of quirky, disorganised, imaginative, dreamy boys out there. I wish they could meet too!

Bink - yes, I would say DS1's awareness of the listener is impaired rather than absent. For example he nearly always chooses adults to tell his stories to because he knows kids his age won't understand them. And he is beginning to be aware that people think differently. Your comment about having to consciously learn stuff rather than getting it instinctively is so true for DS - we've had to teach him how to climb, pedal, jump and balance as well as dress, organise himself, make friends, play with others...the list is endless. But the thing is, he does learn and he learns quickly. And once he learns something he's got it for ever (unlike my autistic son). It's almost as if he's not quite of this world. Maybe he was a robot in a past life .

Many G&T children have an overlap with Autistic Spectrum Disorders but this does not necessarily make them Autistic. There is a very good book called "Misdiagnosis and Dual Diagnosis of Gifted Children and Adults" by James T Webb et al and you can get this on Amazon.co.uk. You also may wish to look at the characteristics of G&T on our website www.nagcbritain.org.uk and you will see how many of them are extremely similar if not the same. We need to be very careful about diagnosing young children as ASD if we are not a professional specialising in that field. I am sur there are many children and adults out there wrongly diagnosed. Hans Asperger himself said "we all have to be a little Aspergers to survive in this world, but this doesnt make us Autistic." Very pertinent. High ability brings with it many characteristics that look like Autistic Spectrum Disorder - loner, worrier, no eye contact, communication issues, obsessive, pedantic, sensitive, handwriting problems, behaviour issues etc. Some of these could overlap with many other difficulties - ocd, bipolar, add, adhd, autism etc. Call me if you would like to chat further 0845 450 0221

Personally I've not yet heard of anyone being mis-diagnosed with AS/ASD but I agree that some of the signs of being G&T can overlap. On paper they look quite similar but any decent Dev Paed who sees a child with AS in person will see that in reality there is a big difference between a child who is on the spectrum and one who is 'just' G&T - IMO at least.