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hsmum

which subjects do people with ASD prefer?

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Hello,

 

I wonder if anyone could help me. I am preparing a presentation for college. Part of the presentation have involved looking at the subjects students with ASD seem to prefer. Quite predictably, quite a large proportion of students choose IT and science. However, I have been surpised by the large number of people who choose and thrive in the performing arts. To help me get a bigger picture, I would be really grateful if you could tell me which subjects you or someone you know well really enjoyed at school or college.

 

Thanks,

 

janet

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I had strengths in maths and the sciences and enjoyed these subjects. Lots of AS kids are good with computers although many find the ICT curriculum rather tedious and not suited to them.

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I suspect your answer would be as diverse if you were to ask NTs what subjects they preferred. People with ASD are individuals and have individual likes and dislikes in the same way as for everyone else.

 

There is a reported link with maths (for example) but I think that this is much more complex than just the subject and brings in many social (and possibly unknown) factors including the teachers who teach/are passionate about maths, the structure of maths lessons, people's stereotypes. In fact, the linkage is made not with school maths but with university and post university maths - school maths is very different and has quite a focus on discussion and group work.

 

For me, my favourite was maths, but the intensity of this changed during school and dependent on the teachers thoughts on me - I was bottom streamed for French and so had to go in the bottom group for maths which ruined my enjoyment of the subject. I still love maths now, I have several shelves of maths books (probably more than I have novels), but what I enjoy is not what generally constitutes the 'subject' of maths.

 

The other subject I enjoyed/enjoy was art, but again not as a school subject. I was actually excluded from lessons for not following instructions, being 'dangerous' (I call it inventive... ;) ) etc. - now I do art myself to relax and have work published, but again, very different from the constraints put on you in the lessons.

 

I do think there is a big problem with the assumption that people with ASD do not have imagination (a misunderstanding of the dx criteria) as this influences how teachers might treat an ASD individual and that individual may then pick up on that (self-fulfilling) and say, oh I've got no imagination and be pushed down a route that is not necessarily where they would have gone.

 

I would love to have the hindsight I have now to retake my education from GCSE level and go down the route I want rather than being swayed by other's opinions. :tearful:

 

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I'm arts and humanities...

 

My degrees were in Classical Archaeology and then Museum Studies.

 

Got my 'O' level Maths ('cos way back then you couldn't get into uni without it!) but have always hated sums ;)

 

I love textiles, colour, sparklies...but interestingly (which is probably the autism) I see and love symmetry, patterns and order within all these elements. Something else which I think is my autism...I don't have to 'think' consciously about putting colour/pattern/textures together, it just sort of appears in my head and I 'know'. It's small wotnots compared to those autistic people with exceptional skills, but I think it's the same principle at work.

 

Bid :)

Edited by bid

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Ben age 10 [AS] says ''My favourite subjects are history,science and art''.

Ben also enjoys music at home.His interests include Canadian Indie Music.He hopes to get an electric guitar for his birthday.However the current KS2 curriculum does not really fit his interests. :D

Ben is also very good at ICT but I think he is probably way ahead of the school curriculum.He also enjoys creative writing and is very good indeed.He has written things on request from members of the CBBC message boards.However Ben's creative writing style does not fit well with the current rigid curriculum which can be frustrating. :) Karen.

Edited by Karen A

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My degrees were in Classical Archaeology and then Museum Studies.

 

I believe there are quite a lot of people with AS who are interested in history but hated history lessons at school. I know a teenager with AS who is an expert on ancient Egypt but came dangerously close to killing his history teacher in Y8 because she was an arrogant bag who wouldn't accept she was wrong and didn't know much history outside of the KS3 curriculum.

 

Got my 'O' level Maths ('cos way back then you couldn't get into uni without it!) but have always hated sums ;)

 

I love textiles, colour, sparklies...but interestingly (which is probably the autism) I see and love symmetry, patterns and order within all these elements. Something else which I think is my autism...I don't have to 'think' consciously about putting colour/pattern/textures together, it just sort of appears in my head and I 'know'. It's small wotnots compared to those autistic people with exceptional skills, but I think it's the same principle at work.

 

A lot of people enjoy certain mathematical topics like geometry and mathematical art but are not very good at number crunching. IMO the school maths curriculum is too heavily biased towards number crunching and algebra and doesn't cover aesthetic maths.

 

However the current KS2 curriculum does not really fit his interests. :D

 

And it didn't fit my interests either.

 

The National Curriculum only covers a small fraction of subjects that can be studied.

 

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In school I was a fairly good all-rounder, though I excelled at German and was very poor at French.

 

In school I found expressive writing difficult and never really had any interest in it, or in analysing literature. As an adult though, my writing style has improved a lot, and I can use a more interesting writing style now. When I get really interested in a particular character or storyline in a TV series, I sometimes write short stories based on characters and storylines where someone else has already done the groundwork in developing the characters. It only really happens when I get a burst of inspiration, and without that I tend to describe events very blandly and fail to include the emotions which add interest to the story. I don't mind admitting that some of them have been very highly praised and readers have comented on my ability to keep people in character and my expressive writing style.

 

In school my best subject was German, and by the time I started my A-Level, my teachers said my writing was at the level of a 1st year degree student. I think this is due to having an inspiring teacher when I first started learning, and because I worked hard at it due to finding it enjoyable, and also because I have a natural flair for the subject - though not any kind of remarkable ability.

 

I also enjoyed Ethics, which is a branch of Philosophy, though I have not had the opportunity to study this as much as I would have liked to.

 

I've always had trouble with essay-related subjects, because I tend not to include a single superfluous word and struggle to reach the minimum word target. I tend to drop marks simply on the number of words, and not because there is any content or argument missing.

Edited by Tally

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my GCSE options were History, Georgraphy, Drama, French. i HATED maths, loved science (did the triple GCSE)

 

A levels were Geography, History, Psychology and philosphy (baad choice). i excelled at psychology, and would love to work in that area, but apparently i see things too black and white to work with adults (and of course, they come attached to children so thats out too).

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My aspie son is fab at art but has had HUUUUUGE meltdowns at school during art lessons because he can't just let loose and be creative but must follow the lesson.

Obviously, I get where he's coming from but we're STILL working on the whole 'you've got to take the rough with the smooth' idea....

Some of his stuff's amazing, though.....he came second in a national art comp a couple of years back and was thrilled because he won a video game!

He also loves ICT type stuff, and english, where he writes some great creative stories.........

 

I'd like to think that the 'Curriculum for Learning' approach might change things for the better, there's supposed to be much less emphasis on grading/results-based achieving but there's still lots of kinks to be worked out, IMO.......

I also think a lot of teachers struggle a bit with the concept....one of the biggest questions I've heard posited regarding CfL is 'But how will we know they're progressing without testing them?' kinda thing........

Still, in theory, and often in practice, it's going in the right direction.

Soz, wandered off topic again!! :wub:

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Computing, maths (specifically Boolean logic, trig and algebra)...and art. Hated French, Chemistry, RE and geography thoguh.

 

In short I can add up, but don't ask me to find a church in France :lol:

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Hello,

 

I wonder if anyone could help me. I am preparing a presentation for college. Part of the presentation have involved looking at the subjects students with ASD seem to prefer. Quite predictably, quite a large proportion of students choose IT and science. However, I have been surpised by the large number of people who choose and thrive in the performing arts. To help me get a bigger picture, I would be really grateful if you could tell me which subjects you or someone you know well really enjoyed at school or college.

 

Thanks,

 

janet

 

I loved IT, Doing Singing and Dancing and Care.

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I just wanted to say I think this thread is great. :groupwave::clap:

It is fantastic to find about all of the interests and talents people have.

I have thought for a while that Ben does not fit the standard AS box for areas of interests and abilities.

It is fairly obvious just from these posts that there is no box. :D Karen.

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My aspie son is fab at art but has had HUUUUUGE meltdowns at school during art lessons because he can't just let loose and be creative but must follow the lesson.

:whistle: :whistle: I wouldn't know anything about that... :devil:

 

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My strong areas used to be Geography, English and History.

 

I am still very much Geography and English focussed but History withered late on. Sociology and ICT have become more recent subjects.

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I was rubbish at History. I think the examiner was on drugs the day they marked my GCSE paper because I came out with a C!

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To help me get a bigger picture, I would be really grateful if you could tell me which subjects you or someone you know well really enjoyed at school or college.

 

I enjoyed Art, Music and Biology. However outside of school I have always been obsessed with film. I currently have a DVD film collection of over 1,300 films and I work on people's micro-budget films, usually as a musical composer providing score. :D

 

There was no IT when I was at school... but I have become very fond of computers since the early 1990s... and I have developed a love of history since leaving school (why did my teachers make history so boring?)

Edited by Aaryk Noctivagus

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...film making, set design, acting...

 

Ooooo. May I ask at what level? Is this hobby or Professional?

 

If it is hobby or amature wishing to progress a bit, and you live near or around London... I may be able to point you in a useful direction - The OTT film cooperative :thumbs:

 

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my 9 year old has ASD and is very good with numbers,computers and drawing in the untitled paint in very fine and amazing detail.but he won't scribe for himself,although his had writing is beautiful,thats because he spends ages rubbing out and re-doing until it looks right,which takes up time the teachers don't want to take and so he is reluctant to do home work which involves his own scribing.

Edited by sesley

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I have thought for a while that Ben does not fit the standard AS box for areas of interests and abilities.

 

There was no IT when I was at school... but I have become very fond of computers since the early 1990s...

 

There is a bit of a danger than anybody who asks this question will only look at NC school subjects and exclude other subjects outside of the NC - such as film making.

 

I have a primary school report from 1985. The subject by subject part does not include a section for ICT and neither does it include a section for RE because my school did not teach those subjects at the time - although other primary schools did. Science is headed Nature Study (because 'hard' science wasn't taught in Y3 and I presume that Technology is included under Arts and Crafts.

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For my DS it is music, music, music. Mainly guitar and drums. Also fish.

 

He loves art and loves to hate Hitler and the Queen can that come under history. Most people are not interested in finding out about what they dislike but not my son. Strange child!!

 

I think we can count science as well because when ever there is news about flu or cancer etc etc what he does not know can be written on the back of a postage stamp.

 

I do not think Ima being wildly helpful with my answers. I just wanted to join in. :lol:

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There is a bit of a danger than anybody who asks this question will only look at NC school subjects and exclude other subjects outside of the NC - such as film making.

 

I have a primary school report from 1985. The subject by subject part does not include a section for ICT and neither does it include a section for RE because my school did not teach those subjects at the time - although other primary schools did. Science is headed Nature Study (because 'hard' science wasn't taught in Y3 and I presume that Technology is included under Arts and Crafts.

 

IT was taught at my school seperately about computer skills and safety on computers and all that, but computer skills in general teachers would ask u to type something up for english u had to use the computer skills that you were taught at school

 

with technology our school didnt include it in arts and crafts. arts are from painting, drawing to performing arts. but at the school it was called it design and technology which meant the woodwork, metal work and all those.

 

so we had seperate classes- art as in painting, drawing

expressive arts- drama, dancing, singing etc

design and technology- designing things in wood, metal etc.

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There are two in my family with Autism, my older brother and my mum. My brother is into I.T. Forensics & History Swimming and cross training some days four hour drills. Wants to be in the army lost 30 kilos in the hope of getting in.

 

Mum, is very creative, Creative & Fine arts Mathematical can work out formulas and calculations within a second while I am still trying to work it out on paper she can answer it just looking at it in seconds. She struggles with anxiety a lot and has used CBT to control it but has to take medication full time for it, but swimming, piano, gardening, Fine Arts painting sculpture, we freak when there is a council collection because she brings home loads of wood pieces to make sculptures, this is something she does with college, my brother also likes to have a go too, they both are into music big time, so am I.

 

So Music, Arts, Maths, IT, physical stuff.

 

Mia :robbie:

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Modesty aside, I was good at history and english literature and the school put massive pressure on me to read history at university. I stuck to my guns and did psychology. I don't regret it as the bits of history I found interesting would have required a good knowledge of foreign languages if I'd wanted a career in that area and my foreign language skills are practically non-existent.

 

For the record, I'm okay at maths and can teach stats to postgraduate level for psychology students, but no way would I say I'm more than mildly competent at statistics. I was pretty good at biology but mediocre at best in physics and chemistry (though oddly, I found neurophysiology straightforward at degree level). I'm hopeless at art, and whilst I can play the piano pretty well, I find musical theory utterly baffling. And as for woodwork, the woodwork master pleaded with me to drop the subject at the end of Year 1. The summit of my acting experience was third shepherd in the school nativity play and even that stretched my talents too far.

 

My dad has mildish ASD symptoms and is brilliant at engineering and my son is outstandingly good at maths (e.g. he's just finished sitting for his Maths A/S level and he's only 15). Further back in my dad's family are engineers and when you get back to the 19th century a couple of (in their day) famous economists and historians.

Edited by ian stuart-hamilton

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I can play the piano pretty well ... the woodwork master pleaded with me to drop the subject at the end of Year 1.

Perhaps it's because you dropped woodwork, and hence retained all ten digits, that you can play the piano well... :unsure::lol:

 

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Hi hsmum,

 

The year 10 girl I support likes German and Music. A lot of secondary girls on the spectrum enjoy languages. The other year 10 girl I used to support prefared Sciences and Maths. My son 19 prefares computers, Maths and Science.

 

Julieann

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My dad has mildish ASD symptoms and is brilliant at engineering and my son is outstandingly good at maths (e.g. he's just finished sitting for his Maths A/S level and he's only 15). Further back in my dad's family are engineers and when you get back to the 19th century a couple of (in their day) famous economists and historians.

Hi Ian stuart-hamilton,

Thats interesting about the engineering as my son 19 A/S is interested in it. My husband is an engineer and his father was and they both have many characteristics of A/S. I have been doing a little geneology on my husbands side and engineering goes way back in his family to around GR GR GR Grandfather.

 

Julieann

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My son loves science, geography, maths. He likes English when he can be creative but is rubbish at spelling. He loves drawing machines, tools...

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Daughter loves' English language and Engish literature and also Art and Japanese language. Also Psychology and Sociology she likes these subject's but not as much as the others'.

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A lot of secondary girls on the spectrum enjoy languages.

I hated languages. :wacko::lol: Got excluded from French lessons for the rest of secondary school two weeks into the first term. Apparently I wasn't trying. I think I was probably very trying. :rolleyes:

 

I guess this thread shows really well that we are all individuals. :)

 

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Hi,

 

My DS is only 5 but he has a strong leaning towards Maths, ICT and P.E.

 

The P.E is perhaps more unusual as a lot of autistic people have difficultly with motor skills but he is very athletic and fast (maybe thats his ADHD :lol: ) he is also very good at football with excellent ball control.

 

The maths and ICT is probably about logic and strategy skills, not sure what they teach in ICT at reception age but I think his ICT skills are probably as good as a child twice his age- he spends hours at home playing Sid Meirs Civilisation (very proficiently too so i bet the age appropriate school software really doesn't do it for him!)

 

Facinating thread, it's really interesting to hear what floats everyones boat.

 

ETA: Just read your post Julieann, the geneolgy thing is really interesting. Hubby is a keen geneologist and has traced our tree back a long way.Through his fathers line (where much of the ASD comes from IMO) he also has a very famous economist, Thomas Gresham but most interesting of all is that his fathers line also goes back at some point to Sir Issac Newton's line (who is well renowned for appearing on famous autistic lists). It's actually really great to do this kind of stuff if you have the time because despite worrying about DS's future sometimes I remind myself that maybe his talents will someday change the world for the better like some of his ancestors :)

 

S x

Edited by hamish

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