Autism and Memory: Are They Connected?

According to the American Psychiatric Association, autism spectrum disorders or ASD are a group of developmental conditions that involve challenges related to communication, social interaction, and particular behaviors. It does not include cognitive functions, including memory.

However, there is still a lot of research being done to explore the connection between autism and memory. Why is that so?

This is what we seek to investigate today. Aside from that, we’ll feature Brain Retrain, a learning program that aims to improve behavior and literacy skills regardless of one’s memory retention.

Autism and Memory: The Connection

Numerous studies have already been dedicated to autism. However, it seems that we haven’t even explored the tip of the iceberg yet. For instance, one highly researched subject is memory and autism.

According to a paper published in the journal Neuropsychology, this connection has been studied for decades already. The inconsistency of findings, though, has proven the cause challenging and problematic. At the very least, the paper was able to conclude these points based on their review of related studies:

Children With Autism Have a Different Way of Processing Memory Compared To Other Typically Developed Kids

For instance, they do not use context to support their memory. Instead, they rely more on externally provided cues.

Children With ASD Tend To Face Difficulties Remembering Things Based on the Complexity of the Material To Be Remembered

Children with autism relatively perform poorly when remembering complex verbal information but can potentially perform better in remembering visual information.

Those With Autism Have Both Memory Strengths and Weaknesses That Are Remarkably Set Apart From the Average Person

For example, a paper published in the journal, World Psychiatry, featured the case of S. Wiltshire. He’s an artist diagnosed with ASD who was able to draw the cityscape of Tokyo in full detail from memory after only a brief 20-minute helicopter ride over the city.

A Closer Look Into the Brain of a Person With Autism 

An article published by Psychology Today presents one possible link between memory and autism. Apparently, it has a lot to do with the brain of a child with autism. A recent study unveiled that the brain region responsible for working memory is also the one most affected by autism.

This region is called the prefrontal cortex or PFC. Researchers have found that children with autism have up to 67% more neurons than the average kid. Further study is still needed to determine how overactive neuron development results in autistic behavior, though.

It is also important to note that working memory is just one type of memory. Knowing the different types of memory might help you understand the connection between autism and memory better.

Different Types of Memory

According to the journal, Progress in Brain Research, there are three main types of memory.

Long-Term Memory

This type of memory is in charge of storing our knowledge, previous experiences, and any information that our brain deemed important to store for the long term.

Short-Term Memory

Meanwhile, short-term memory is in charge of storing a limited amount of information that our brain deemed necessary to be easily accessible within a short period.

For instance, did you notice how your accent can slightly alter while you’re in a foreign country, yet it simply reverts to normal upon coming home? That’s because your brain has deemed it necessary to “remember” that accent and use it while you’re there to help you adjust to your short-term environment.

Working Memory

Finally, there’s the working memory that, as mentioned above, is the most affected by autism. Like short-term memory, our working memory is temporary storage as well.

It is in charge of processing and remembering immediate information needed as you’re doing a particular task. For instance, working memory is in charge of remembering that you have already added salt to your dish while cooking.

It is important to remember that autism is not a memory disorder. Even children with severe autism have long-term and short-term memories too. It’s when they try to access their working memory that it becomes an issue.

Autism-Related Memory Strengths

Psychology Today referred to it as “memory superpowers.” Below are just some of the autism-related memory strengths the scientific community has observed.

The Savant Syndrome

Although quite rare, there are people with autism who are also diagnosed with Savant syndrome. According to a paper published in the journal, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, it is an extraordinary condition where people with severe mental disabilities display remarkable abilities way beyond the average person.

Whatever the skill, though, it is curiously always linked to massive memory. S. Wiltshire, whom we mentioned earlier, is an autistic savant.

Visual Memory

Savant syndrome or not, another study stated that people with autism tend to have stronger visual memory compared to other people. That is why a lot of experts recommend visual learning aids when teaching children with ASD.

Declarative Memory

While people with autism are usually marked for their delayed communication development, a paper published by Spectrum points out that declarative memory is still a strong point. It is the memory function in charge of learning languages and related concepts.

Like visual memory, it seems that people with autism can memorize long conversational “scripts” without any issues. They can then use this when navigating through various social situations to make such interactions better and more efficient.

Autism-Related Memory Challenges

Unfortunately, there are cases where autism-related memory function is more of a weakness than a strength. Here are just some of the challenges that people with autism face in this regard:

Impaired Autobiographical Memory

One of the challenges faced by children with autism relates to their perception of things. Their point of view is significantly different than a typically developed child.

In relation to that, people with ASD tend to find it challenging to remember personally experienced events. For instance, a child with autism may remember an event they had observed being done by a peer but may completely forget participating in it.

Weak Recall

Researchers looked into why people with autism have a weak recall even if both of their long-term and short-term memories are not impaired. One probable cause might be due to their impaired processing of complex information.

It’s not that they don’t remember these events. They simply cannot connect the dots between these memories the way an average person can.

Poor Spatial Memory

Finally, an article published by the American Psychological Association stated that children with ASD have poor spatial memory. For example, they might find it challenging to remember where an object is located once it is out of sight.

Autism Memory Retention and How to Make the Most Out of It

Want to improve your child’s autism memory retention? Below are some tips

Get To Know the Person Better

There’s only one way to determine whether your special someone who is suffering from autism is a savant or not: get to know that person better.

Know their passions. Determine their skills and interests. Then play to that person’s strengths.

Did you find out that your child excels in recalling images? Turn that into an advantage by incorporating more pictures into your daily lessons.

Make Memory Fun

Create more connections between concepts through games and fun memory-training activities. Beyond just striking visual images, you can also use tactile toys, sing, dance, move around. Turn learning sessions into literally unforgettable experiences.

For instance, do you find your child having trouble with autobiographical memory? Documenting your activities with a lot of photos definitely helps in improving the recall process.

Consider Alternative Methods

Speaking of shaking things up, we also recommend exploring non-traditional activities. For instance, a study published in the journal, Frontiers in Psychology, explored the benefits of Nei Gong, a Chinese mind-body exercise, in improving memory in children with autism. We also recommend looking into Brain Retrain, a learning program that utilizes energy frequencies to enhance brain functioning.

Brain Retrain

The laws of quantum physics dictate that everything is made out of energy. Everything in the universe has its own energy signature, and thus, can be influenced by it. The same applies to our brain, which is the basic premise of Brain Retrain.

It is a program developed by DreamWeaver House and SFK Media Corp from their original product, Reading Movies. It is a series of movies with their patented Action Caption technology combined with brainwaves intended to stimulate the brain further and trigger its natural healing abilities.

This method is non-invasive and non-ingestible. It’s also noteworthy to mention that autism experts with medical credentials backed with years of practice and experience developed it.

Final Thoughts

Memory function is a cognitive ability that is not really in the direct line of fire of autism. However, people with ASD still tend to face memory-related issues. It’s not all bad.

There are people with autism who have Savant Syndrome, a condition allowing a person to tap into extraordinary levels of memory storage and skills. 

There are also many ways that one can improve their recollection skills, even with autism. Alternative methods like learning programs such as Brain Retrain can also help.