Intelligence and Maturity/Emotional age

[ScienceGeek]

I guess I just wanted to see if anyone else experienced this. Growing up I used language above and beyond that expected of my age, this meant that adults tended to treat me like someone a lot older than I was. Though really I was very naive, easily led and manipulated. What I wondered about have any of you experienced a discrepancy in intelligence level, real age and emotional age/maturity?

[Mumble]

What I wondered about have any of you experienced a discrepancy in intelligence level, real age and emotional age/maturity?

Not at all - I always act my age.

[warrenpenalver]

Mumble!!!

 

J from the books ive read this is common in ASD's especially AS/HFA. The vocabulary can be much more advanced than compared to other kids. It also says how language can be overly formal for the age group.

 

I know my vocabulary was advanced for my age and my reading skills were several years above my age.

[chris54]

This is a quote from a report about my son:-

 

"has a very engaging way of relating to adults, which may suggest that he has a better understanding of social interaction than is probably the case"

 

Chris.

[pepper]

yes J, my lad is 16, an articulate and academic student, Luckily he is small for his age as looks about 14 as his emotion and social ability is probably more akin to a 12 - 13 year old. He gets on well with his peers at 6th form, but that could be more because they are used to him and his quirkiness. He prefers adult company and conversation though, if given the choice

[aspiesrule]

Hi,

 

Yes, I've definitely seen that in my son, A, 10. He had a very grown-up vocabulary even at the age of 4, could read before he started school (Was assessed by Ed Psych as reading age of 9 at 4 1/2) and has always related well to adults. He is, however, emotionally immature and still gets upset easily and finds things funny that would affect a child of say 7. I think this difference between intellectual maturity and emotional maturity is one of the things that people find difficult to understand.

 

Cheryl

[pepper]

oh yes, Cheryl, VERY MUCH

I think this difference between intellectual maturity and emotional maturity is one of the things that people find difficult to understand.

 

I know we find it more than frustrating At school, after 5 years, some teachers still dont seem to understand son at all, if i had a penny for the comments, akin to > 'BUT he's a bright boy and acts so immature' blah blah etc - i could be rich its always a slap in the face reminder than so many of the teaching staff havnt grasped the nuances of AS/HFA

 

Thankfully my son is logical, and mature in many ways and accepts this is how it will be, hes surprisingly well rounded LOL and shrugs off the snitty underhand comments from certain members of staff

[Tally]

Yes, I definitely felt that I was not as grown-up or experienced as other children my age when I was growing up. I didn't go to university at 18 because I felt so much younger than other people my age and didn't think I would cope. Now though, I do feel that I am as mature as other people my age. I started to feel like an adult when I was 21.

 

I don't think it is all to do with AS though, I think it is partly to do with having ridiculously over-protective parents who were still choosing my clothes until I was 19 and I left home at 20 because they were still telling me when and with whom I was allowed to go out, and rummaging through my bedroom. They still try to tell me when I should sleep even now, but I have learned to trust my own judgement and politely tell them that I am going to do it anyway.

[bikemad]

Definatly my lad is 9 but it is like talking to a grown adult yet he is so naive it is scarey.

[Diane]

Yes my son is 14 but his emotional understanding is about 5years but you would never guess that were you to have a conversation with him.

[Sooze2]

Same here too, everyone exept very close family can't see that there is a problem with DS. His reading is amazing and I know that he would be able read books well above his age but won't because he deems anything that is not about lovely fluffy things or Horrid Henry type things scarey! Put it this way, he had a great week until I gave him a kinder egg on Friday and he tried to smash my glass display cabinate and once in his room his window all because the toy in the egg wasn't what he wanted!

 

 

[harmony]

Absoloutly yes DD now 13 her very first word aged 12 months was cardigan! followed by babygrow, then trousers!! strange but 100% true.

Her vocab is unreal, she ran out of English words (her words not mine) and now her French and Spanish vocab are better than some A'level students. She talks fluently and confidently with adults, but can't cope with her peers. DD is so immature in so many ways, still soft toys, bath toys and little girl dresses (hates jeans) while her class mates are in to make up and boys! Perhaps I should count my lucky stars she doesn't want to hang out at the shopping center or go to Mcdonalds, or heaven forbid talk to boys!

harmony x

[warrenpenalver]

Absoloutly yes DD now 13 her very first word aged 12 months was cardigan! followed by babygrow, then trousers!!

I think mine was Crackerjack!! I dont remember it myself but thats what my mummy said anyway.

 

Looking on the bright side of her not socialising with peers, at least shes a bit shielded from the mischief teens get up to in many areas today. I imagine many with ASD's would be quite easily tricked by false "friends" into doing silly things and end up taking the blame!!

[Babylicious]

Paris is very intelligent for 8 she can hold some seriously grown up conversations, however maturity wise she's around 4/5 years and that shows when she gets hyper

[hazma]

Its exactly the same for us.Our 12 year old is extremely intellectual and has outstanding language abilities.But he is emotionally and socially at least 4/5 years behind his peers.I think his abilities in those areas is one of the reasons it took so long to get dx,just got it in june.Its also a reason hes had such a hard time in school,teachers cant believe a child thats intelligent cant control their behaviour and he understands exactly whats being asked of him,so why dosent he just do it.This attitude is still ongoing,its so hard to explain!!!and Im getting so frustrated with it.