Children's memory with autism /PDD

[Poohgirl]

The thread about the non-disney magical memory and the autistic child got me thinking. Those of you that have (or work with) autistic children, do they seem to have any sort of increase ability to memorize or remember things? My DS7 (high-functioning autistic), was watching TV with me when I put on Fear Factor. DS LOVES this show! We were watching it for maybe a minute when he says, "We have already seen this one", he continues " he gets 19. seconds and the next girl beats him with 17.6" Ok, I think. I continue to watch as the contestents get 19 then 17.6 seconds...He looks at me and casually says "see, I told you." Now I knew that he had a good memory, as that is what his therapies use to try and "train" him. But he blew me away! Has anyone else with these special children noticed this?

 

[MomOf2DisneyKids]

oh yes! my DS has an amazing memory.....it just blows us away!

that's a riot about your DS memorizing the FF times!!

 

[MommytoMJM]

YUP, MJ has an AMAZING memory.......can be awesome, can be awful.....

 

[DisneyDreams4P&B]

Our HFA DS5 also has the ability to remember things from movies and videos with amazing accuracy, however now that he is getting older and starting to understand letters and numbers we have been using the Leap Pad videos about letters and words and he is spelling!!! It is amazing, just the other day he said "Mommy, it's hot...H-O-T" well after I got up from passing out (lol) he bagan telling me what sounds each of the letters make. I always try and incorporate his "special gift" for remembering things into helping him learn. He also remebers things from our Disney trip last year with pin point accuracy. I was going over pictures from the trip that I just had developed and came across one that I couldn't figure out where we were. My son said 'boat Mommy" and he was right it was on the boat we had taken at POR to get back to PO. He knew and I didn't!! He amazes me every day

 

[wide awake]

My autistic DS has always had an amazing memory...one odd thing is that he is excellent at recognizing facial features, something he shouldn't, given the ASD diagnosis, be that good at. He has to prompt me w/ correct lyrics when I'm singing a song...somewhat humiliating !! He gets stuff I don't all the time...before he was two he pointed out to me that the alphabet song and Baa, Baa, Black Sheep were the same tune. It would be nice if he would use that memory in learning situations, but no such luck...w/ DS's visual discrimination skills and memory you'd think sight reading would be a snap...no can do !

 

[have2getaway]

We first realized our son had an exceptional memory when he learned all the planets in order at age 1 1/2. Then, it was little things. Like when we would play a baby einstein cd and he would say "water drops" because that was exactly the moment in the music when he say water drops on the baby neptune cd. It definitely blows us away. That is neat about FF.

 

[darlingfamily]

My serverely auitistic son can remember every.single hiding place I have EVER hidden something he wanted in. He goes to them EVERY time he it looking for something.

My dd who has asperger's can remember details of her first trip to disneyworld when she was 5 years old. *every* detail. It freaks me out.

 

[Poohgirl]

before he was two he pointed out to me that the alphabet song and Baa, Baa, Black Sheep were the same tune.

Wow! I don't think I have ever realized that. Pretty perceptive child!

 

[JenJen]

Yes, my son used to memorize his spellling words in about 3-5 minutes. He is also very good at Video games and when he was younger he used to act out the vedio games with his hands and jumping around like a wildman. I never knew what he was doing until he started adding the sound effects with his voice then I understood. He had entire games memorized in his head and was actting them out. It is amazing what kids with autism and aspergers memories. He also recalls things from when he was under 3 that we did like camping trips.
JenJen

 

[Jotash]

My son can remember where things are located in stores when he hasn't been there in a year or more. When we went to MK in 2003, he saw a popcorn vender as we walked through Adventure Land and that's his favorite thing in the world. His daddy had gone to the restroom, so I told him he'd have to wait since daddy had the money. We continued walking to our designated meet-up place near POTC and nowhere near the vender. When DH returned, DS took him by the hand before I had a chance to explain and took him to the vender. It took me a few seconds to stop laughing to tell my DH what happened. He was confused as to how DS knew there was popcorn there. When we go back this Oct, we're expecting DS to remember exactly where that popcorn vender was and whether or not it's the same man working the cart!!

 

[mbb]

My son can remember where things are located in stores when he hasn't been there in a year or more. When we went to MK in 2003, he saw a popcorn vender as we walked through Adventure Land and that's his favorite thing in the world. His daddy had gone to the restroom, so I told him he'd have to wait since daddy had the money. We continued walking to our designated meet-up place near POTC and nowhere near the vender. When DH returned, DS took him by the hand before I had a chance to explain and took him to the vender. It took me a few seconds to stop laughing to tell my DH what happened. He was confused as to how DS knew there was popcorn there. When we go back this Oct, we're expecting DS to remember exactly where that popcorn vender was and whether or not it's the same man working the cart!!

We were checking in at the airport, for our last trip.

One of our sons is peering intently at the ResAgent...and says:
"You took our tickets last year."
She:"Oh dear, I don't think soooo...(looking a little more closely at their passport, our boys have very unique first names)you know, sweetheart, I think I did. You have a twin brother, don't you?"
Son:"Yes, and you have two granddaughters Kelly, and Cassie...their favourite ride at WDW is Dumbo and Cinderella's Horses"

I expected it from our son, I was really impressed that *she* remembered him!! LOL!!

 

[Amii]

YUP, MJ has an AMAZING memory.......can be awesome, can be awful.....

That is so true.

 

[triplefigs]

Yes, my DS doesn't fall on the ASD but has some of the traits... (another LONG story). He has an amazing photographic memory, especially with letters, movies, music, and books. He can "read" the entire Little Mermaid (long version) book to me word for word, skip 10 pages and pick it up in the middle. He will be FANTASTIC in school in the physical sciences, match, spelling, history. Anything with "concrete" facts, figures, etc. He'll be horrible in Language Arts or anything spacial. It's pretty neat watching him grow!

 

[have2getaway]

triplefigs--Have you considered that your son may have hyperlexia? Our son has high functioning autism and he has some borderline hyperlexia characteristics. He has an extreme fascination with numbers and letters. He also has a strong photographic memory and has memorized whole books, movies, as well. We have been told that he should be reading by 4. It is kind of freaky, because he will run through whole sections of Toy Story, complete with the accents and everything.

 

[MomOf2DisneyKids]

triplefigs--Have you considered that your son may have hyperlexia? Our son has high functioning autism and he has some borderline hyperlexia characteristics. He has an extreme fascination with numbers and letters. He also has a strong photographic memory and has memorized whole books, movies, as well. We have been told that he should be reading by 4. It is kind of freaky, because he will run through whole sections of Toy Story, complete with the accents and everything.

hey, sounds like our sons are really similar!! My ds memorizes books, videos, etc, has the awesome memory, and did start reading at 4. (and not JUST things from memory...) My son does accents, pauses, etc too. It's amazing!

 

[triplefigs]

triplefigs--Have you considered that your son may have hyperlexia? Our son has high functioning autism and he has some borderline hyperlexia characteristics. He has an extreme fascination with numbers and letters. He also has a strong photographic memory and has memorized whole books, movies, as well. We have been told that he should be reading by 4. It is kind of freaky, because he will run through whole sections of Toy Story, complete with the accents and everything.

Not to hijack this thread, but...
Thanks for the suggestion, but I do not think he does. It never hurts to mention it at our next appt,though!

DS has been thoroughly tested by several different specialists (Neuro, Dev Ped, Dev Psych, School System, therapists) and they ALL are in agreement he doesn't have PDD, Asperger's, or Autism. He is extremely social, has good conversation skills, good and appropriate interaction with peers, language skills are almost normal, never 'regressed', etc. As far as the book, he isn't really reading the words, he's just memorized it because I've read it to him so much! He is in Speech Therapy and sees an Audiologist (normal hearing). They all are EXCELLENT and have never even mentioned this, but have diagnosed him with all the other above-mentioned things. I think they would have, but, like I said, it never hurts to ask them!

My triplets were preemies, and DS has PVL (actual brain tissue demise) and CP. He has auditory processing errors, receptive language trouble (although on his most recent testing he was almost at age level- WTG, DS! ), mild ADD, and SID. His expressive language skills are completely normal. His brain just really does well with concrete info.

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm ALWAYS open to new info and research where my children are concerned!

 

[BethanyF]

Sam has an incredible memory as well. He still tells me, in great detail, about our 2002 trip to WDW when he was barely 4.

He is great for shopping though, 'Mommy, you bought that book at Barnes and Noble the night we went after we had dinner at California Pizza Kitchen when I ate pasta........' 99.9% of the time he is right.

Bummed me out when he was wrong last week and told me i had already bought those Tink pj pants. I assumed he was right and passed on the deal (3.74) got home to find I do not own them, oh well. LOL

 

[minkydog]

My serverely auitistic son can remember every.single hiding place I have EVER hidden something he wanted in. He goes to them EVERY time he it looking for something.

This cracked me up. My ds10 is severely autistic, non-verbal, but he knows all our hiding places.He once turned over a 5ft tall book shelf because he remembered that's where his keyboard was stashed(once). He knows where his favorite foods are too, and he will clear out a cabinet or a fridge shelf looking for "his" yogurt or peanut butter. Woe be unto the person who offers him the "wrong" thing,too.

 

[Figment1964]

Count me in as having an ASD child with a fantastic memory!

I heard an adult with Asperger's one time saying that for her things that happened years ago are in her memory bank as if they just happened. She said that a death years before can be as sad today for her as it was when it happened. Made sense to me when I realized how my son remembers things.

 

[mlwear]

My son doesn't learn things quickly that would be considered memorization. Example we have been trying to teach him to recognize Quarter, dime, nickel and penny for 3 years. He's almost there, now Probably 75% accuracy.
However, memory for very small details is AMAZING, esp. things that happened years ago. Ex. we had a dog that we had to give to a rescue organization (long story). The lady mentioned the name of the other dog ours would be with. Two years later he mentioned our old dog's friends name. I had to contact her to be sure he was accurate. He was. LOTS of little things like that.
If only we could figure out why certain things stick and others don't.