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Understanding Autism: Pattern Recognition
Patterns are all around us, but some of us seem to spot them more than others.
Ever heard a new piece of music and thought it reminded you of another tune? Or played a new game on your phone and realised that it is exactly the same as another game, but in a different setting? You are spotting patterns, and it is something that we all do multiple times a day without even realising it.
Pattern recognition is a key human skill that helps us make advances. It provides instant shortcuts, as when something new becomes (in our heads) a different application of something we already know, it instantly becomes much easier. For example, every car is different to drive, but once you have gone through the tricky process of learning to drive in the first place, and have some experience doing so, you can drive other cars almost immediately. You may turn on the windscreen wipers when you mean to indicate occasionally, but you will get to where you are going. Pattern recognition saves you time constantly, even if you don’t realise it.
But many autistic brains seem to take pattern recognition to a new level. They are not any more or less intelligent than neurotypical brains; they just work differently, and pattern recognition is one area where many autistic people excel. Like everybody…
