Pattern Recognition Autism: Strengths and Challenges

In the 1980s, a contestant on a US game show called Press Your Luck surprised audiences with an amazing winning streak. The show challenged players to follow a light-up square and press a button to win money while avoiding “whammies.”

Using pattern recognition, the contestant broke the record for the most money won.

Interestingly, autism pattern recognition has been identified as a common trait among individuals on the spectrum, shaping how they perceive and interact with their environment.

What is pattern recognition in autism?

In its simplest definition, pattern recognition is a cognitive process built around finding and confirming patterns in the surrounding environment. Many individuals with autism spectrum disorder have been shown to have enhanced pattern-recognition abilities.

These enhanced abilities may prove useful in areas including visual and auditory processing, logical thinking skills, and test performance.

Visual and auditory processing

Individuals with autism who also have enhanced pattern recognition abilities may have visual hypersensitivity that allows them to see details others might miss.

Research has found some people on the autism spectrum have such improved visual-spatial abilities that they can see three times further than some non-autistic individuals.

When it comes to auditory processing, they may have improved abilities that allow them to better detect sounds they are seeking in noisy environments.

My older son uses this when working on his music. His ability to differentiate slight changes in pitch that most neurotypical people can’t allows him to pick out individual notes that may be hidden in a song when multiple instruments are playing at the same time.

Logical thinking skills

Many individuals with autism tend to have enhanced logical thinking skills that allow them to identify patterns others might miss.

They tend to have a keen attention to detail and can apply systematic and analytical thinking to a situation and provide sound and logical reasoning for their decisions.

Test performance

In school, individuals with autism may perform better on tests if they have pattern recognition abilities. They also tend to have strengths in specific areas, including art, design, mathematics, and computer engineering.

Why is pattern recognition common in autism?

Autism research has shown individuals on the spectrum tend to have increased brain activity compared to those not on the spectrum.

This brain activity tends to be responsible for the increased ability to recognize patterns. This often manifests in areas like noticing small details and recognizing sequences.

Pattern recognition has been shown to have a profound effect on cognitive abilities for individuals with autism. Some benefits include:

• improved information processing,
• enhanced decision-making,
• facilitated learning,
• predictive ability,
• memory enhancement,
• and social perception.

Of course, it can have negative cognitive effects as well, including:

• cognitive biases,
• perceptual errors,
• and confirmation bias.

Benefits of pattern recognition in employment

It’s been shown that pattern recognition abilities bring many advantages when seeking employment opportunities in adult life. Many people with autism spectrum disorder will excel in roles that require meticulous attention to detail.

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Some autistic traits associated with pattern recognition that can be beneficial include:

• Enhanced attention to detail – This heightened ability to notice subtle details can come in handy for quality control and data analysis.
• Strong analytical skill – Pattern recognition can allow people with autism spectrum disorder to be better at interpreting data and identifying patterns and trends.
• Increased problem-solving capabilities – Many people with autism spectrum disorder are able to present unique perspectives and innovative solutions when problems arise at work.
• Heightened accuracy in repetitive tasks – Repetitive thought patterns tend to be common among people on the autism spectrum, allowing them to be more accurate than neurotypical peers when tasks need to be repeated.

Some key jobs where autistic individuals who can adeptly identify patterns could thrive include data analysis, computer programming, and engineering.

Benefits of pattern recognition in hobbies

In my personal experience of parenting a child with autism spectrum disorder, I’ve seen pattern recognition firsthand. My older son has a fascination with chess that often crosses into hyperfixation.

However, the main reason he’s so interested in chess is his ability to recognize patterns on the board – his own and his opponents. His unique cognitive abilities often help him see what his opponents are going to do before they actually make the move.

This pattern perception presented itself when we visited the World Chess Hall of Fame in 2023. There’s a space at the Hall of Fame that allows people to play. I’m no chess expert, but I’ve played enough to handle myself well in a friendly competition.

However, he was able to recognize patterns in my play and beat me in just two moves in one of the games we played.

He applies those same pattern recognition abilities when he plays in chess tournaments. His opponents are more skilled at the game than I am, so he hasn’t managed to defeat any of them as quickly as he defeated me.

However, he is able to recognize patterns in a way that allows him to beat less experienced players quickly and even compete with more experienced players. Even when they beat him, they are impressed with how he’s able to keep up with them.

Pattern recognition in children with higher support needs

While my older son thrives with pattern recognition in chess, my younger son has also demonstrated pattern recognition abilities.

As he has higher support needs than his brother, his pattern recognition is normally demonstrated through his playing with toys. He will often find the patterns in toys and line them up so the patterns match.

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His strongest moment of pattern recognition came when putting together a jigsaw puzzle. The cookie monster puzzle had several pieces that multiple members of the family tried to put together. They even worked together and couldn’t figure out how to get it to align.

After the others walked away from the puzzle, my son walked over and put it together in under a minute. He had never seen the puzzle before but quickly recognized where it aligned where others, most of whom don’t have a neurodivergence diagnosis, couldn’t.

Challenges and misunderstandings of pattern recognition

While pattern recognition has shown to be a benefit to many people with autism spectrum disorder, like many other autistic traits, it can present challenges as well. They often struggle with:

• Social cues – They may not recognize subtle facial expressions or changes in body language, as these cues are often not as concrete as other visual patterns.
• Hyperfocus on details – While pattern recognition can be beneficial in its attention to detail, many people with autism spectrum disorder may struggle to see the bigger picture because of it.
• Pattern rigidity – Many autistic individuals may become so fixated on specific patterns and routines that they can’t adapt well to a change in that pattern.
• Sensory overload – Many on the spectrum have high sensory sensitivities that can make it difficult to process information when it interferes with pattern recognition.

While pattern recognition has shown itself to be beneficial to my son while he’s playing chess, he has been known to go into sensory overload when his environment becomes too much.

He gets frustrated and lashes out when something interferes with his pattern recognition and can sometimes take a long time to calm down. He’s also easy to set off again.

Once he’s calm, he recognizes his behavior wasn’t appropriate and what may have caused it. However, at that moment, the only thing that matters to him is the interference with his pattern recognition.

Supporting pattern recognition autism

While pattern recognition in autism spectrum disorder has its benefits and challenges, there are many ways parents and caregivers can help support autistic individuals with pattern recognition abilities.

Parents can create opportunities for their loved ones to engage in activities that foster the use of their pattern recognition and problem-solving skills.

Some activities that can be incorporated involve visual aids and hands-on experience. Parents and caregivers can create environments that cater to the needs of individuals with autism and help them foster their talents.

Embracing the strength of pattern recognition

Many individuals with autism can easily recognize patterns allowing them to apply this talent to their everyday lives. Pattern recognition can serve as a strength that guides many on the autism spectrum to find hobbies and employment that can help them adjust to the world around them.

Help your loved one with autism spectrum disorder to foster these pattern recognition skills so they can use them to grow and become successful.

FAQs

Q: Are people with autism good at pattern recognition?

A: Autism research has found many people on the spectrum tend to have strong pattern recognition abilities. These can include frequently noticing details others don’t due to their heightened focus on sensory information.

Q: Is pattern-seeking an autistic trait?

A: Pattern recognition is one of many autistic traits. It has been shown to come with an enhanced ability to recognize patterns in their environments. It can be beneficial for special talents, logical thinking, and visual learning.

Q: What strengths do autistic people have?

A: Individuals with autism can have many strengths that include attention to detail, creativity, logical thinking skills, stronger memories, a strong sense of justice, hyperfocus, visual perception, and dependability.