Aspergers/HFA Children and Literal Thinking

“My son with high functioning autism takes everything literally. I have to be careful to say exactly what I mean. For example, recently I was in a hurry and told him to ‘Step on it!’ – which utterly confused him. If I don’t keep conversations focused and simple, he’s lost. Plus, he only wants to talk about the 1 thing he is really interested in at the time.”

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Comments

Anonymous said…
My son's teacher expressed that when he did < > she felt like it was a "slap in the face" because she had worked so hard.... Well, my son was almost in tears and looked at me and said, I DID NOT SLAP HER IN THE FACE!!! ( my son is 14, btw....)
June 10, 2011 at 11:10 AM
Anonymous said…
My Son is very literal also. It's hard at times, but can also be a blessing because most of them don't lie. My Son faces the challenge of perfectionism, especially in written expression. He can't just "beat around the bush" on an essay, it has to be just the facts mam, just the facts.
about an hour ago · Like

My son, my husband, my FIL--all very literal. Used to drive me crazy but now I understand it's a brain difference.
June 10, 2011 at 12:43 PM
Anonymous said…
DS is 3.5. He pointed to a truck parked on our street. I told him it was a moving truck and explained that the neighbors were moving and needed to pack up their stuff and drive it to their new house. He disagreed. He pointed to another truck that drove past the house and said 'see that's a moving truck'.
June 11, 2011 at 10:23 AM
Joanna said…
Literal interpretation + misunderstanding conversations =
NT son to me "mom, can I have as snack?"
Me to NT son "have an orange, they're delicious, fresh from Araceli's yard..."
AS son, interrupting, to NT son "did you know they have a chihuahua?"
Me to NT son "I just had one."
...you can see what's coming next....
AS son to me "YOU ATE A CHIHUAHUA?!!!"
God, I love that kid.
June 14, 2011 at 6:16 PM
gina rex said…
As an adult with Aspergers, I have one thing to say: NTs assume they know what's going on with Aspergers children, but they are almost totally wrong. NTs see the world through their social (self-centered) brains and do not understand that we live in a LITERAL universe described by the literal language of mathematics. Literal thinking is a rare talent which ought to be cultivated in Aspergers, not discouraged! NTs have very little understanding of how the world works.
December 1, 2013 at 5:15 PM
Unknown said…
My asperger's daughter lies all the time and thinks nothing of it. If it gets her what she wants or keeps her out of trouble she'll do it. But she will be brutally honest that she is lying and why if asked.
June 30, 2018 at 11:04 PM
Human being said…
Being social is the opposite of being self centered
Its the ability to understand how other people work. It’s a very important skill - some people are taught this skill and some are born with a natural understanding of social situations. Each type of brain has its own specialty and strengths. But
communication is important. It’s important that people are taught to understand idioms and non literal language. They don’t have to change the way they think, but it’s important to expand their knowledge of how other people function as well.
October 22, 2019 at 7:12 PM
Cindy said…
I agree as a parent of a very literal Asperger daughter I’m trying to find adult like you to help mentor me on how to best raise her and address issues I have. This is a very hard thing to find.
April 11, 2021 at 7:54 PM
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