What makes creativity & intelligence in an ASD

Post Reply New Topic

Why creativity

Creativity is a phenomenon whereby something new and valuable is created (such as an idea, a joke, an artistic or literary work, a painting or musical composition, a solution, an invention etc.). ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creativity )

1. Given that it appears that all I know of the world is what I memorize.
2. Given that I possibly only learn through rote memorization with ever increasing relational understanding of information.
3. Given that NT "creativity" seems to mean "originality" in thought.
4. Given that originality is an antonym of rote recitation of memory because it is not "new" information being recited.
5. Given that I don't seem to have creativity.

What is the basis for saying an AS person has creativity? Specifically, how can such a brain ever be original ? Is creativity identified because we memorize so many pieces of information, and combine together in an NT-perceived unusual way? Thus, lack of understanding the of the NT world actually results in "NT creativity" or at least "NT perceived creativity"?

What is the basis to say AS/ASD people are creative?

Why intelligence

Intelligence has been defined in many different ways including logic, abstract thought, understanding, self-awareness, communication, learning, having emotional knowledge, retaining, planning, and problem solving. ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intelligence )

1. Given that it appears that all I know of the world is what I memorize.
2. Given that I possibly only learn through rote memorization, and have a preoccupation with order and structure.
3. Given that my autism doctor asked me, "Do you feel intelligent, since your brain is like a computer, and we don't think
computers are smart, do we?" [Implying that rote memorization is not intelligence, and further implying that even the capability to combine the rote memorized information does not qualify as intelligence].
4. Given that NT people said I was dumb most all my life, and given that NT people said I lack common sense because of the way information is learned.

Is AS "intelligence" the massive database of information I have ? Is it that I am able to formulate an order to the memorized information? Apply reasoning skills to the memorized information? Are the reasoning skills the basis for "intelligence"? Is "making order "of information the basis of intelligence?

What is the basis to say AS/ASD people are intelligent?

Thank you.

Well, your five premises are about you specifically; not everyone with AS has the same cognitive profile, and thus the premises do not necessarily support or lead to the question.


All creativity is about combining old things in new ways. No one ever created something completely from scratch.

I stated what I believe, and asked a question.

It follows logically, because I said I don't seem to have creativity, and I want to know why someone would say any AS person has creativity.



Let me further clarify .. let's suppose IDEA 1 + IDEA 2 + RELATIONSHIP = Creativity

I would need to learn IDEA 1, IDEA 2, and the relationship. However, I believe NT people think "creativity" is coming up with the relationship itself, and consequently the product of IDEA 1 + IDEA 2 + RELATIONSHIP

Thus, if "creativity" is "combining old ideas in new ways", then it is the "new ways" relationships that are important to the determination of creativity.

However, if an ASD person only learns through rote memorization, then how it possible to be creative (unless the relationship is first understood) ?

Last edited by LoveNotHate on 13 Jan 2014, 8:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I don't understand what you are trying to say. My point was that you stated something about yourself as a basis for a question about people with AS in general, and, you being only one person and therefore not representative of any group of people in general, your cognitive profile has nothing to do with creativity of the general AS population, and the apparent connection that you are drawing between the two is therefore illegitimate. But all of that is somewhat besides the point of your post.



Coming up with the relationship is itself the creative act.

I asked, "What is the basis for saying an AS person has creativity?"

Are you familiar that some or all AS people learn/recite through rote memorization ?




Right. Which is not possible if you learn though rote memorization.

Thus, for those AS/ASD people that learn that way then what is the basis for saying an AS person has creativity? Because the person would have to learn the relationship first it seems.

Yes, but the "not all" is the key. Anyways, this is just a misunderstanding. You posed something in terms of yourself, but clearly meant people with AS in general.


Why not? I don't see the relationship between needing to learn via memorization and being capable of coming up with a relationship between two or more things. One is an act of cognitive input; the other is an act of cognitive output.


But the relationship is the creative product; before it is created, it does not exist, and therefore cannot be learned. If it were learned, it would come from someone else, and therefore the person learning it could not create it.

The basis for saying that people with AS can possess creativity is that not all of us learn exclusively through rote memory.