One of the unusual abilities that aspies have is "Hyper-Focus. Like all aspie traits, hyperfocus is a double-edged sword.
On the one hand when combined with the special interest and aspie long-term memory, it is responsible for the genius label as it applies to apsies. On the other, it's responsible for many learning and obedience issues with Asperger's children.
Hyperfocus is commonly found in Asperger's children who also have the ADD/ADHD comorbid.
Hyperfocus and ADHD/ADD
In recent years, the definitions of ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder) and ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) have merged, in the medical sense under the banner of ADHD.
Personally, I'm not keen on this merging of diagnosis because while the two share similar definitions, there are some fundamental differences between them.
While both ADHD and ADD children have, by definition, attention issues, the hyperactive child is more likely to have attention problems due to hyperactivity itself while the ADD child is more likely to have a hyperfocus problem.
Consider the differences between between
Hyperfocus is possibly the cause of the problem only in the second case.
Hyperfocus and Discipline
One of the basic tenants of positive parenting and positive schooling is that the obedient child should be rewarded. In school for example, a child who is obviously paying attention will receive a reward while one who is not may be rebuked or simply ignored. This technique is generally quite effective with neurotypical children.
Unfortunately, this technique does not work with hyper-focussed children who go into daydream state (or "zone out") automatically. Zoning out is not disobedience. This child is not trying to be naughty - they just happen to go into that state automatically.
The best remedy for these children is for the teacher to work more closely with them and for more one-on-one time to be allocated. In schools, this isn't always practical and hyperfocused children can often miss out on necessary attention and can fall behind. Often, such children are labelled "slow" and are put into remedial classes simply because they lack the ability to remain "on-task".
Making use of Hyperfocus
Hyperfocus has a lot of advantages. It allows one to think more abstractly and with greater complexity. It is a particularly useful skill to have when you need to be able to model complex systems or think in an extremely logical manner (for computer programming). In the adult world, hyperfocus allows aspies to deal with excessive levels of detail while still retaining a top-down approach.
Aspies tend to hyperfocus mainly on their special interests and they are able to take in and process large amounts of related information as a result.
The best way to make use of hyperfocus in primary school children is to attempt to line their work up with their special interests whenever possible.
For example, if your child's special interest is trains, then giving them sentences to write about trains or mathematics problems regarding carriages, train sizes or weights or giving them scientific projects on the use of electricity or steam in trains will allow the child to use their special interest to further their normal learning.
Psychiatric Recognition of Hyperfocus
The DSM-IV manual used to diagnose autism, aspergers and other mental disorders does not recognise hyperfocus at all. Only the symptoms of hyperfocus are discussed.
On the one hand when combined with the special interest and aspie long-term memory, it is responsible for the genius label as it applies to apsies. On the other, it's responsible for many learning and obedience issues with Asperger's children.
Hyperfocus is commonly found in Asperger's children who also have the ADD/ADHD comorbid.
Hyperfocus and ADHD/ADD
In recent years, the definitions of ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder) and ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) have merged, in the medical sense under the banner of ADHD.
Personally, I'm not keen on this merging of diagnosis because while the two share similar definitions, there are some fundamental differences between them.
While both ADHD and ADD children have, by definition, attention issues, the hyperactive child is more likely to have attention problems due to hyperactivity itself while the ADD child is more likely to have a hyperfocus problem.
Consider the differences between between
- A child who does not respond when his name is called because he is distracted or is shouting and jumping from chair to chair.
- A child who is intently starring at a spinning wheel, or playing with some lego bricks and does not respond when his name is repeatedly called.
Hyperfocus is possibly the cause of the problem only in the second case.
Hyperfocus and Discipline
One of the basic tenants of positive parenting and positive schooling is that the obedient child should be rewarded. In school for example, a child who is obviously paying attention will receive a reward while one who is not may be rebuked or simply ignored. This technique is generally quite effective with neurotypical children.
Unfortunately, this technique does not work with hyper-focussed children who go into daydream state (or "zone out") automatically. Zoning out is not disobedience. This child is not trying to be naughty - they just happen to go into that state automatically.
The best remedy for these children is for the teacher to work more closely with them and for more one-on-one time to be allocated. In schools, this isn't always practical and hyperfocused children can often miss out on necessary attention and can fall behind. Often, such children are labelled "slow" and are put into remedial classes simply because they lack the ability to remain "on-task".
Making use of Hyperfocus
Hyperfocus has a lot of advantages. It allows one to think more abstractly and with greater complexity. It is a particularly useful skill to have when you need to be able to model complex systems or think in an extremely logical manner (for computer programming). In the adult world, hyperfocus allows aspies to deal with excessive levels of detail while still retaining a top-down approach.
Aspies tend to hyperfocus mainly on their special interests and they are able to take in and process large amounts of related information as a result.
The best way to make use of hyperfocus in primary school children is to attempt to line their work up with their special interests whenever possible.
For example, if your child's special interest is trains, then giving them sentences to write about trains or mathematics problems regarding carriages, train sizes or weights or giving them scientific projects on the use of electricity or steam in trains will allow the child to use their special interest to further their normal learning.
Psychiatric Recognition of Hyperfocus
The DSM-IV manual used to diagnose autism, aspergers and other mental disorders does not recognise hyperfocus at all. Only the symptoms of hyperfocus are discussed.
Comments
The figures for Aspie Introversion (probably in the late 80% range) are certainly higher than those for neurotypical introversion (about 25%) but I know several people with Aspergers who are quite extroverted.
I'll post a test that you can use to find out.
Help and thoughts please.
In addition, I lost most of my hearing as a baby due to a terrible ear infection and had the social stigma of hearing aids.
In those days, there was very little intervention at school and my parents weren't wealthy enough to afford a tutor.
My early years at school weren't good (although I did start reading in kindergarten). Ultimately, despite having my older sister waved in my face for my entire childhood, I ended up doing 10% better than her in my final exams. I've also done well in my chosen career - mostly because I followed my special interests.
The important thing is that with the right support (parents, friends and relatives) your son has the ability to transcend his condition.
It's rough in the early years but it sounds like you're doing all the right things.
My main point - put reading skills above all else on the agenda.
I'd also like to stress that despite my pronounced hyperactivity, I never "jumped from chair to chair" in a school environment - one of the reasons I wasn't properly diagnosed until the age of 27. I'm a tad disappointed to see such restrictive stereotypes proliferated here.
Your point about the sterotypes in the article is valid too. Not all ADHD people jump around on furniture. Many are hyperactive only in their inability to remain focussed on a single topic. The merging of ADD and ADHD into a single category (ADHD) has also compounded matters.
Hyperfocus: A double edged sword, certainly. Related specifically to Aspergers (as deduced by the DSM definition of Aspergers vs. ADHD), but frequently co-morbid with ADHD. An unconscious attention-span-defense-mechanism: while hyperfocused on a certain stimuli, the subject becomes able to reject other stimuli; albeit this is almost exclusively unconscious and uncontrollable, leaving the Aspergers subject with both advantages and disadvantages. Hyperfocus is usually directed at something specifically of interest; obviously, what is "interesting" can vary greatly between individuals.
ADD: Everyone knows the acronym, but in practice it's really a deficit of ability to control the direction of attention, not a deficit of attention overall. In practice, a certain stimuli attracts the subject's attention, away from the previous focus. Can occur many times per minute, depending on circumstances, especially while "zoning out": one thought distracts another repeatedly, and from an observer's point of view the subject is deep in thought; really, the subject is quite shallow in thought, but diving in repeatedly.
Hyperactivity: Related closely with hyperfocus, and certainly accurate to be grouped with ADD into ADHD. In adults, hyperactivity manifests itself in various forms, but particularly some sort of repetitive physical-mechanical motion; think of it as a controllable secondary stimuli (a mini-hyperfocus!) that the subject has developed through life experience, unconsciously, that blocks other stimuli (that would normally distract the ADD individual), allowing the subject to focus (not hyperfocus) on a non-interesting task; if an observer is keen, one will find the individual who is hyperfocused is physically still, compared to the same individual conducting a similar task, but without any personal interest in it; in this case the subject will unconsciously bring out the controlled mini-hyperfocus, as necessary, to aid in maintaining the focus required to conduct the task. Examples: Whistling or humming persistently but unconsciously while focused on a household task; rotating back and forth repeatedly in an office chair while working on a PC; etc.
For the parent of a child with ADHD I can only offer these pieces of advice: Controlling the attention span of the ADHD mind is like solving a difficult algebra equation: medication just adds another variable to the mix. I suggest that ADHD only be treated with medication in adulthood: naturally developed coping mechanisms (naturally-occuring, long-term cognitive behavioral self-therapy, and cheap to boot!) are a far superior solution, but they can't develop (accurately) in the medicated child. Success in life is mostly defined by one's actions during adulthood: let them succeed then, even if you sacrifice the now.
For the parent of an Asperger's child, I would suggest creating an environment allowing the child the freedom of mental action wherever possible. Allow the child to pursue his/her interests through and through, because the nervous sensitivity - from my experience and my observation of others - seems to derive from the stress of being unable to continue the pursuit of what is currently interesting (frequently resulting in an introverted personality).
It's impossible to completely remove mental barriers, because they are so incredibly subtle: does your Asperger child become irrationally irritable or annoyed when interrupted during a "zone out?" Their interesting thought process is their pursuit, and the forced redirection of their attention is percieved as an unavoidable obstacle that occurs all-to-frequently, much to their frustration; but, much like dealing with terrible traffic during the same routine daily commute, eventually the adult Aspergers subject moderates their temper, and enters the acceptance phase.
I am only just now seeking followup medical help through a series of neuro-psychologists and testing.
Although the conclusion has not yet been yet substantiated, there is a strong mention that I have likely developed "hyperfocus" following the head inury.
I have also developed symptoms / behaviors very similar to ADD however, despite what I have been told, or what I previously 'assumed' about ADD, I am back in college as a chemistry major and, I am exceedingly far above and beyond my peers (probably thanks to the hyperfocus aspect ha ha).
Of course, everyone with Asperger's is different, so it's also possible that someone who seems to not have Asperger's simply has a different set of symptoms.