Understanding strengths and challenges of people with autism: insights from parents and practitioners

Abstract

This study is an attempt to bridge the gap between the understanding of strengths and challenges of people with autism to operationalize a strength-based approach to serve people with autism effectively. By virtue of being based on firsthand accounts by parents and practitioners the people who spend prolonged periods with people with autism in natural settings, and are privy to direct observation of abilities and challenges, the study yields in-depth information that addresses a continued gap in the existing literature on the subject. Twenty participants (13 parents and seven practitioners) took part in the study through a semi-structured questionnaire and face-to-face interviews. Data were analyzed following qualitative thematic analysis methodology. Strengths and related challenges experienced were extracted as the broad themes, based on which support needs were derived and future directions recommended. The paper recommends strategic home–school collaborations with crucial, concurrent roles played by parents and practitioners.

Background

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by atypical abilities or differences in social interaction and verbal or nonverbal communication and repetitive, restrictive patterns and interests (APA 2014) is increasing globally at an unprecedented rate from 1 in 150 in 2000 to 1 in 44 in 2021. (Baio et al. 2014, CDC 2021, Davidovitch et al. 2013, Kim 2011). Despite this rise (CDC 2021), employment outcomes avenues for people with autism have remained limited and their participation in the labor force is even lower than that of people with other disabilities (Bhuiyan et al. 2022, Eaves and Ho 2008, Hedley 2016, Mpofu et al. 2019). Despite the willingness of companies (such as SAP, Microsoft, Freddie Mac, Ernst and Young, Walgreens, Home Depot, CVS Caremark, AMC, etc.) across the world to hire people on the spectrum, nearly 66% to 86% of autistic adults remain unemployed or seriously underemployed (Bhuiyan et al. 2022, Hedley et al. 2016). To bridge this gap, it is imperative to sensitize the ‘future’ employers and also the ‘present’ parents and practitioners who provide support in early childhood years to nurture the abilities of the people with autism they care for.

The voluminous research on autism revealed in literature predominantly focuses on deficits as defining features of people with autism (Frye 2018, Griswold et al. 2002, Kates-McElrath and Axelrod 2008, Lindor 2019). The trend has been mostly to prioritize behavioral challenges of people with autism when a diametrically opposed approach is needed (Crespi 2016, Mottron 2017, O’Callaghan 2017). However, there are also studies acknowledging the different abilities and strengths (exceptional and non-exceptional) of people with autism, and their unique potentialities (Baron-Cohen 2009, Diener et al. 2014; Dubischar-Krivec et al. 2014, Fung 2009, Howlin 2009, Hughes 2018, Mottron 2017, Smith and Iadarola 2015, Stevenson et al. 2011). Advocates from the autism community or those working in close proximity have begun to stress the importance of a strength-focused approach to facilitate recognition of the inherent potentialities of this population (Hagner et al. 2014, King et al. 2005, Meilleur et al. 2015, Mottron 2017) but such documentation is sporadic.

Deficits and strengths are considered separate and incompatible while the fact is the two are inseparable, indeed contingent upon each other, and this clarity is the pathway to enhance recognition, participation, and inclusion of people with autism. The idea is not to disregard deficits but, to begin with, strengths, gain an understanding of the underlying functions, and then effectively address the underlying needs. In some countries such as Australia, the USA, this identification of an individual’s strengths is a crucial element of the assessment process but such an approach and its benefits have not yet transcended into common practice and protocol across the world.

Neurocognitive bases of autistic brain: differences or disability

Findings from neurocognitive research underscore the need to explore autistic uniqueness, claiming that differences discovered in the autistic brain may endorse atypicality but not disability or deficit . Neuroimaging studies provide biological confirmation of the psychological differences (Frith and Frith 2003). Mottron et al. (2014) overhauled the perception of autism when they reported that the autistic brain processes and responds to stimuli differently compared to a neurotypical brain, and these differences should not be considered deficits for they may, in fact, represent strengths or even superiorities. The wide variability in the diversities of people with autism has caused much misunderstanding about autism (Panzano 2018).

Rationale for strength-focused underpinning

While the existence of the ‘isle of abilities’ has not been established via large-scale empirical research findings, the presence of strengths is irrefutable. Moreover, there is sufficient documentation to demonstrate evidence of potentialities in people with autism, which may not be exceptional but still can be properly nurtured through appropriate environments (O’Callaghan 2017). Research also endorses that people with autism are more likely to demonstrate special abilities; one-third of people with autism displayed superior skills in one or more areas, as per parental reports and psychometric tests (Howlin et al. 2009). While over-expectations regarding such abilities need to be replaced with reliable facts, their existence must be understood from practice groups, which can foster nurturance.

Two groups directly involved with the child throughout the developmental years are parents and practitioners. Both work for prolonged periods with people with autism in their natural environments. Both experience multiple challenges in nurturance of strengths and fostering of learning needs of people with autism. Yet, research into the viewpoints of both these groups on the strengths and associated challenges is insubstantial (Garbacz 2016). Their first-hand reports can provide valuable, insights through qualitative underpinning and bridge the gap between research and practice in this crucial area. This study will offer a foundation on which future pathways can be mapped to address this underexplored area of nurturance and facilitation of strengths of people with autism.

Research questions

• What are the strengths of people with autism, as reported by parents and practitioners?

• What are the challenges in the nurturance of these strengths?

• What is the way forward for the nurturance of these strengths?

Methodology

Participant recruitment and data collection

Twenty participants (n = 20; parents = 13; practitioners = 7) were recruited through purposive sampling from various parts of the USA (13 from New York, four from California, one each from Nebraska, Indianapolis, and Texas) through an online recruitment process via various support groups. The initial selection was through a semi-structured questionnaire. Participants had to be (a) parents having children clinically diagnosed with ASD (APA 2013) prior to the study or practitioners who had served people with autism for at least five years in a clinical, home, or school setting; (b) willing to participate voluntarily, and (c) proficient enough in English to understand and respond to the questions. The target was a small number of interested participants, willing to share relevant information and facilitate deeper understanding. The researcher distributed the study description to registered members of online autism support groups via the support group leadership through their respective LISTSERVs. The final study comprised 20 participants who fulfilled the inclusion criteria and participated in the online interviews, spanning 60–120 min (for each interview). The in-depth, face-to-face interviews were conducted by the first author, a board-certified behavior analyst (BCBA) with 18 years of experience working with various special needs populations, including people with autism (seven years), in various low-, middle-, and high-income regions across countries. The demographic and personal information of the participants is given in Table 1. The number of noticed strengths in terms of the specific skills; viz., striking memory, mathematical ability, musical ability, in-depth visual perception, artistic and creative ability reported by parents in their ward with ASD and by practitioners in the people with ASD they served was calculated based on the preliminary information shared and also in-depth interviews.

Table 1.

Demographic details of the participants.

Characteristics	Sub-categories	N = 20 (%)
Parents	Total	13 (65)
	Mother	11 (84)
	Father	2 (15)
Practitioners	Total	7 (35)
	Males	2 (28)
	Females	5 (71)
State location (combined)	New York	13 (65)
	California	4 (20)
	Nebraska	1 (5)
	Indianapolis	1 (5)
	Texas	1 (5)
Ethnicity (combined)	White	17 (85)
	Mixed (one parent American and other Mexican)	3 (15)
	Others	NA
Highest degree completed (combined for parents and practitioners)	Masters and above	12 (60)
	Bachelor	8 (40)
	High School	0 (NA)
Occupation of parents	Special Educator | associate | academic advisor	5 (38)
	Medical doctor | lawyer | nurse	3 (15)
	Clerical | accountant | insurance	2 (12)
	Homemaker	3 (23)
Practitioners role (worked 5–15 years with 5 to 90 people with ASD)	School counsellor	1 (14)
	Special Ed teacher	4 (57)
	Outreach coordinator	1 (14)
	Student aid/advocate	1 (14)

NA, Not applicable.

Interview questions

The interview was initiated by explaining the study objective and asking the participants to talk freely about the autistic child(ren) they cared for (as parents) or served (as practitioners). Questions were asked to understand markers of strengths in people with autism and challenges in the manifestation of these strengths. Some sample questions were, “Can you tell me about your child (or the child you served)?” Follow-up questions included “Can you describe their strengths with real-life instances?” and “What challenges to nurturing these strengths did you experience at home, school, and community?” Specific questions were asked to gain an in-depth understanding of relevant areas.

Data saturation and appropriateness of sample size

After around 20 interviews, when the researchers reached data saturation, they ceased data collection, reasonably assured that no new themes would emerge and there was sufficient information to respond to the study objectives and replicate it (Sandra and Trotter 2017).

Data analysis

The study implemented the inductive thematic analysis methodology, a primary qualitative method of data collection reported as “a method for identifying, analyzing, and reporting patterns (themes) within data” and characterized by a rigorous, independent, and flexible approach of analyzing shared lived experiences (Braun and Clarke 2006) by extracting themes and subthemes (Braun and Clarke 2006, Carpenter and Suto 2008). Interviews were transcribed, read, and re-read, and descriptive notes were made to explore connections across themes (Dekzin and Lincoln 2017). The extracted themes and subthemes were organized, interpreted, and discussed in light of the objectives (Carpenter and Suto 2008). Two experts having years of experience working with ASD and autism research coded and reviewed the data and agreed with the themes and sub-categories as extracted. Coding and analysis were done manually and each step proceeded upon mutual consensus.

Compliance with ethical standards

The study was ethically approved by the Cornell University IRB board under the human subject exempt category (approval ref: protocol ID#2001009333), which includes data collection procedure, participant recruitment, and interview protocols. Written consent was taken from each participant, as per the Declaration of Helsinki. As participation was voluntary, no monetary compensation was provided.

Results and interpretation

The findings reflect the perspectives of participants based on firsthand experiences (Table 1). Practitioners had extensive experience of five to 30 years of working with five to 70 people with autism (of various ages) in various capacities such as special educators, teachers, teacher’s aides, counselors, etc. Parents were associated with various parent organizations, advocacy groups, and activism and support groups; five had also worked as special educators or teachers. One parent had twin girls and another had two boys, all diagnosed with ASD. Throughout this paper, in the direct quotes, PA stands for parents and PR for practitioners.

The broad themes discussed are strengths perceived and challenges faced with respect to the nurturance of abilities. The themes and subthemes extracted from the interviews are presented in Table 2.

Table 2.

Themes and sub-themes extracted.

Themes	Sub-themes
1. Perceived strengths	1.1. Types of exceptionalities reported
	Artistic and creative ability
	Exceptional faculty of memory
	Mathematical aptitude
	Musical ability
	Heightened visio-spatial perception
2. Challenges experienced	2.1. Inherent ‘differences’ limit potentialities
	Difficulties in processing
	Restrictiveness and rigidity of interests
	2.2. Limited, need-based alternative support system in schools
	Lack of knowledge, awareness, and orientation in teachers
	2.3. Striving to fit in undermines mental health
	2.4. Complexities understanding individual needs
	Underlying functions
	Misunderstood or misinterpreted
	Lack of alternative ways of teaching-learning and assessment
	2.5. Camouflaging in girls and the resulting delays
3. Support Needs derived	3.1. Early identification of markers of strengths
	3.2. Personalized teaching-learning approaches
	3.3. Simultaneous address weaknesses through strengths
	3.4. Supportive environment: multiple opportunities and maximum exposure
	Scope to showcase talents, abilities, and strengths.
	3.5. Understanding and matching of interests, comfort, and mood
	3.6. Necessity of informed and sensitized adult coaches
	3.7. Recognition of parents as valuable resources

Theme 1: strengths perceived

The practitioners were asked to disclose how many people with autism they served demonstrated notable abilities (exceptional/non-exceptional) while the parents were asked whether they observed notable potentialities in their own child or children. Many respondents reported noticing such marked strengths and abilities in the people with autism in their care (Figure 1).

Figure 1.

Perceived strengths noticed by parents and practitioners.

I might have worked with nearly 70–80 autistic people of a wide age range (five to 50 years) but I can recall only a few (n = 5) instances of exceptional skills. However, I don’t disbelieve the existence of such skills among autistic people. (PR5)

Subtheme 1.1: artistic and/or creative traits

Five participants reported artistic traits including drawing and painting.

My child was above average at writing and drawing cartoon characters. He created videos and uploaded them with meaningful stories. He maintains his own YouTube channel , and had many subscribers, since a very young age. In school, he received first prize for writing. (PA7)

Subtheme 1.2: exceptional faculty of memory

Two parents and one practitioner reported instances of above-average abilities.

They (twin girls) turn what they read into movies. They remember virtually everything verbatim. One of my daughters memorized the entire dog book and could identify all the street dog breeds, including mixed ones. Her interest later shifted from dogs to dragons. My other girl knows of all gods across cultures and countries (Indian, Roman, Greek, etc.) and can name all of them. (PA6)

Subtheme 1.3: mathematical aptitude

Participants reported manifestation of above-average mathematical abilities in their autistic children.

A student in second grade could comprehend higher-level mathematics of fourth grade, despite being nonverbal. Another student was extremely gifted in multiple areas, especially advanced science and mathematics. (PR4)

Subtheme 1.4: musical ability

Striking musical ability was reported by participants, relatively superior to their own abilities in other areas and also to peers of their age.

Despite being nonverbal, with occasional echoic or sound reproductions, my ward would recite a few lyrics of a song or hum the beat and retain them for long surprisingly long without any practice. I wonder if there was some personal connect between his being nonverbal and his ability to retain. (PR5)

Subtheme 1.5: heightened visual perception and attention to detail

Participants reported that their children or wards exhibited unique visual perception and attention to detail.

He has exceptional visual skills. He can solve 500-piece jigsaw puzzles and scored in the 90th percentile in the ‘visual performance’ sections of standardized assessment tests. (PA9)

Theme 2: challenges experienced

Subtheme 2.1: inherent ‘differences’ limit potentialities

Most practitioners expressed doubt about the possibility of significant or utmost use of their strengths and abilities in real-life contexts when it comes to application across environments in a productive way, due to their unique differences of responding which was mostly not understood by others and or mostly misunderstood.

A girl that I’m currently working with is extremely talented but it’s really hard to market her talent as her many deficits hinder her from manifesting her positive traits. (PR3)

Difficulties in processing

Almost all the participants reported processing challenges, such as difficulties in following instructions; comprehending Visio-spatial issues; understanding emotions and expectations; socializing and interacting appropriately, and global processing. These affected their daily activities and social engagements. Their unique ways of responding to the environment are more often considered inabilities by the mainstream in most cases as they were not understood well by others or misinterpreted.

It took me years of observing them and trying to understand their underlying functions to realize that they process information differently. Responding in the typical, expected way is thus a challenge for them. (PA6)

She knows the solution but cannot respond to the mathematics problem as expected. Also, she cannot figure out when the page ends so she tends to cram things in at the end. Her somewhat limited visio-spatial ability implies that she is unaware of where her body is in space and can hit others by getting too close or moving too fast. (PA1)

The most consistent and pervasive limitation I notice is that my autistic students lack perception, or what is referred to as “cognitive empathy”. They find it difficult to infer another person’s complex mental state based on subtle social cues, especially nonverbal ones. Another consistent and pervasive need is that of self-regulation of their emotional state. (PR3)

Restrictiveness and rigidity of interests

Parents, as well as practitioners, reported how their differences, unique characteristics or externally visible fixed patterns, resistance to change or adapting to unfamiliar people and events; intolerance to differing views; and extreme preoccupation with their own specific interests often acted as a barrier in the application of their own strengths to its fullest potential. From the shared instances it becomes evident that people with autism even though are characterized by the autism triad characteristics or the key symptoms of ASD (viz., social communication, social interaction, and repetitive behaviour), also have wide variations in their personal traits.

His interests and passions are, at times, limited in scope and development. It is difficult to tear him away from devices or interests on which he spends hours. (PA7)

Subtheme 2.2: limited, need-based alternative support system in schools

Parents expressed the need for positive, comfortable, and supportive environments. Interestingly, many practitioners endorsed this, stating that they often lacked the necessary skills and flexibility to adapt to the child’s atypicalities or unique patterns of differences. Parents added that this was exacerbated by the lack of alternative teaching-learning approaches by teachers in the classroom and school settings.

The school system cannot cope with the way our kids learn. The alternative strategies that are needed may be unacceptable to many teachers as demand immense time and effort to yield tangible outcomes. Several abilities and needs of autistic children remain underdiagnosed and horribly misunderstood. (PA7)

Middle and high school are weird for kids with sensory issues. Trying to fit into regular school may be detrimental to their natural development. Their deviations from typicality may result in non-acceptance, rejection, even bullying. (PA1)

I had to quit schooling and begin homeschooling for the right environment to nurture my twin sons’ abilities. Some schools didn’t support their accelerated learning capabilities in specific areas; others accepted their weaknesses but didn’t nurture their strengths via need-based, personalized curricula. (PA8)

Lack of teacher knowledge, awareness, and orientation

Most parents reported the individual unique needs of their child exacerbated the struggle and impacted the learning process due to the lack of time, effort, curiosity, and passion on the part of the teachers. They also took strong exception to the school’s overt focus on deficits rather than strengths. Practitioners admitted that they lacked understanding as well as knowledge of definite approaches to serve the autistic population.

In general, it is difficult as each individual need[s] individualized focus but we don’t have a specifically trained team at school to serve personalized needs well. (PR3)

In real classroom situations, due to a large number of students, it is tough for teachers to maintain one-to-one focus and meet each child’s needs. (PR3)

Teachers very often reported her writing as meaningless. However, proper task analysis i.e., breaking the task down into simple steps, the way she understood them revealed significant outcomes. Unfortunately, the teacher had no role in prompting this, owing to lack of adequate understanding, willingness, or time. (PA6)

Subtheme 2.3: striving to fit in undermines mental health

Parents reported mental health challenges of their children, who constantly struggled to fit in with the neurotypical mainstream. The constant non-acceptance of the mainstream people and society resulted in anxiety in people with ASD. Parents also reported how their attempts at helping their children adapt to and thrive in neurotypical society intermittently failed, with the result that the children often ended up isolated.

It is difficult for our kids to fit in. It is not easy to locate even people with other disabilities but matching her interests and intelligence; she attained 90+ percentiles in IQ but had social deficits and sensory issues. The atypicalities implied that she was a misfit among neurotypicals. Thus, unable to participate or feel included, and mostly being considered weird, she eventually lost interest in everything and went into depression. (P1)

Subtheme 2.4: complexities understanding individual needs

Going beyond classic autistic traits, there is the need to understand the variability within autistic domains. Most parents reported that the lack of much-needed time, effort, and willingness of school personnel to understand the individual needs of their child exacerbated the struggle and inhibited the learning process. Meanwhile, most practitioners reported their struggle in devising appropriate strategies to serve the personalized needs of autistic children. It seemed apparent that there was a lack of function-based intervention (i.e. intervening based on the source of the problem such as ABA-based interventions) due to the lack of function-based identification (i.e. understanding the source of the problem such as through functional analysis in applied behavior analysis) of the children’s needs and challenges in the early childhood years.

Underlying functions

Her hair pulling, a subset of autistic characteristics, was a soothing mechanism and not a separate or an aggressive issue, as I treated it in the early days. It took many years until she was finally diagnosed as autistic, for me to understand this. (PA1)

Misunderstood or misinterpreted

When the teacher asked them, what lights up the earth, my twins said stars; they perceived the sun as a star. Trying to explain this to the teacher was difficult as I myself was struggling to understand them better. (PA6)

Lack of alternative ways of teaching-learning and assessment

I know that my child possesses ample vocabulary but she cannot reproduce it in school, as she cannot sit at a stretch. I also know what may be needed to extract the best out of her. (P6)

They didn’t like to sit down and write the tests as typically expected but they can answer most of the mathematics questions in their heads. Thus, despite being good at mathematics, they eventually lost interest, as they were striving to fit in with what was expected. (P8)

Subtheme 2.5: camouflaging in girls and the resulting delays in diagnosis and intervention

Camouflaging by autistic females was reported as a major challenge, as this resulted in prolonged delays in diagnosis. This not only affected their development adversely but also created situations where their needs were often misunderstood and their strengths overlooked and, as a result, they are not supported appropriately either at home or in school.

She was verbal, made proper eye contact, developed typically to a large extent, was identified as gifted, and demonstrated no repetitive behaviors but was challenged when it came to understanding spatial issues, tonalities, sarcasm, humor, and emotions. This resulted in traumatic experiences in social contexts. We would have done things differently had we known this earlier than when she was diagnosed at 17. I would not have pushed her into a mainstream school or college, both of which were horrifying for her. (P6)

My child had sensory issues. She would wrench into the garbage bin whenever she encountered a strong smell or fragrance (e.g., the Body Shop outlet in the mall) and I didn’t know why until much later when she was formally diagnosed. Had I known earlier, I would have been more sensitive to her anxieties and offered her the comfort she needed. (P1)

She was that quiet little girl at preschool in need of help but never really getting it. My years of experience as a teacher taught me that it was always the loud and poorly behaved child that got help, rather than the quiet one. Perhaps her camouflaging abilities affected her negatively, as her needs remained unmet until her diagnosis. (PA1)

Theme 3: support needs derived

Subtheme 3.1: early identification of markers of strengths

It was apparent that people with autism possessed a wide range of abilities, both exceptional and non-exceptional. However, the strengths of many were not recognized as there was no set pattern of manifestation.

Some of our graduates who are now employed or pursuing higher education attend the alumni meetings. It is so great to note that some of their interests that we noticed at the preschool level have turned into their strengths by nurturance in appropriate environments. (PR4)

It is important to notice the glimmers of talent as well as the areas of struggle, both of which are visible at a young age. (PR6)

Subtheme 3.2: personalized teaching-learning approaches

Participants reported instances of children with unique ways of understanding. The school system’s inability to capture these different ways of learning impedes the understanding of function-based strengths and challenges and hence limits the possibilities of nurturance. Participants highlighted the strong need for alternative ways of teaching and learning.

My child could not score on the gifted and assessment measures despite his abilities and strengths as it was difficult for him to sit at a stretch and attempt the entire assessment in the typical, expected manner. (PA2)

The IQ test didn’t capture the actual score as his other deficits impeded his abilities. With a little assistance and prompting, his true strengths would have emerged. (PA7)

Subtheme 3.3: simultaneously addressing weaknesses through strengths

Participants shared instances that highlight the need to design effective interventions to bridge the invisible barriers of strengths and deficits. Working on the weak areas with assistance or intervention by coaches is essential while equally important is nurturing of the abilities. Perhaps students’ abilities to thrive in an environment are contingent upon supporting weaknesses and nurturing strengths simultaneously.

Despite his excellence at language and comprehension, my younger son is not a self-starter and could not structure his own pathways to attain mastery. He needed help from an adult coach to demonstrate his strengths. If the weakest link is not supported, the entire chain falls apart no matter how strong the strongest links are. Strengths and challenges need to be embraced together for true success. (PA8)

Subtheme 3.4: supportive environment: multiple opportunities, maximum exposure

Almost all parents and practitioners recognized the importance of a tailor-made, supportive environment to tap into multiple opportunities at home and school and provide maximum exposure to evoke the best in people with autism from a young age and effect far-reaching consequences. Such exposure, with optimal adult intervention, can be vital in discovering and stimulating the child’s natural interests and potentialities.

Providing ample opportunities matched with interests, taking cues from the child, and facilitating needful exposure such as nature exploration, circuses, skill development camps, and workshops for art, science, and math—all these can facilitate the maximization of their inner potential and bring out their best. (PA6)

Scope to ‘showcase’ talents, abilities, and strengths

There is a stated need for a platform to showcase and foster the talents of people with autism.

We are aware of our children’s talents and want to foster their brilliance through the school system. Take the instance of one child who was considered weird, unpopular, and overweight but was a phenomenal artist. We showcased his artistic abilities through an event that got him not only recognition but also acceptance and popularity among his peers. It boosted his self-esteem and reflected positively in other areas. (PR6)

Subtheme 3.5: understanding interest, comfort, and mood

While it is time-consuming to deeply understand the child and his needs, it is vital. Taking the child’s lead is a crucial step in drawing out their natural potential. At times, their strengths and their interests may not match, so enrichment should not be offered solely on the basis of traditional markers of abilities. The role of an adult coach in identifying the right match is critical.

Encouraging the child to be semi-independent while you look for positive traits and guide them accordingly while working on the deficits that impede achievement is the key to success. If you can discover what they love and let them do it, they can be geniuses. Schools should identify the children’s interests and facilitate skill development in those areas by fostering an appropriate environment. (PA7)

At times, they may suddenly lose interest altogether in something that stimulated them earlier. That should be accepted positively. (PA6)

Most job opportunities in companies hiring people with autism are meant for the more functional and are usually related to technology, computers, coding, etc. None matches her interests in history and the arts. (PA1)

Subtheme 3.6: necessity of informed and sensitized adult coaches

There may be times when the autistic child needs greater support than expected or is completely unable to express their needs. The study revealed the utmost importance for an adult coach attuned to the child’s needs not only in school but also out of school. Parents supported the belief that the responses, actions, and behaviors of people with autism may not be driven as much by societal or external orientation as those of neurotypical people. People with autism may need consistent assistance from a facilitator who thoroughly understands alternative ways to motivate them.

In her attempt to satisfy her inner need to socialize, she often ends up getting bullied by peers. She was continuously rejected by a group of gregarious girls whom she wanted to befriend. I constantly guided her and provided the emotional support she needed to cope with the rejection. Now in middle school, she has eventually made friends and is peaceful. (PA5)

External measures of success that motivate neurotypicals may be completely lacking in autistic people. Their motivation is contingent not on societal but intrinsic factors, such as what they find comfort in. (PA8)

Subtheme 3.7: recognition of parents as valuable resources

The parents demonstrated deep knowledge and resourcefulness they demonstrated in understanding and addressing the needs of their autistic children They attained in-depth awareness based on their persistence, passion, and proximity to their child. It was interesting to note the significant positive outcomes of this in their children, some of whom are leading successful, independent lives as a result of supportive parents and home environments. Some parents now extend their learning to the entire community by helping other parents through workshops and collectively devising solutions to common challenges faced by parents of children with autism. The value of this resource–knowledgeable parents–cannot be underestimated and must be duly recognized and also considered in developing plans for people with autism.

It is essential to build collaborative, continuing relationships with all team members. (PR6)

The teacher needs to be welcoming and willing to hear what the parents have to say. I can be resourceful and effective in providing the personalized curriculum modification that my child requires. (PA7)

Discussion

A thorough analysis of reports grouped the essential elements under the two broad study themes strengths perceived and challenges experienced in nurturance of these strengths which crystallized the derived support needs.

Strengths reported

Descriptions of abilities were consistent with earlier literature focused on strengths of people with autism (Crespi 2016); these include memory (Hughes et al. 2018, Treffert 2009), mathematical ability, and calendar calculation (Heavey et al. 1999), absolute pitch and music (Fung 2009), mechanical and in-depth visual perception (Diener et al. 2014), and artistic traits (Furniss 2008, Howlin 2009, Mottron et al. 1998). However, it is crucial to understand that these abilities considered strengths might not be commonly present in all people diagnosed with autism. The spectrum of such traits or abilities is extremely varied and diverse within the autistic population. Hence, such traits should be generalized for all people with autism. Earlier empirical studies suggested that some of the mentioned strengths emerged from the non-conventional ways in which people with autism process information (Van Hees et al. 2015). Studies found that over 70% of people with autism had a special isolated skill in memory (52% of the sample), visio-spatial faculties (32%), calculation, drawing, or music (∼17% for each); other researchers have endorsed the existence of many of these (Meilleur 2015).

Researchers have made strong claims of positive characteristics in people with autism. The mind-blindness or delayed theory of mind (ToM), also called deficits in advanced mind-reading that is endorsed as a prominent autistic characteristic resulting in difficulties in interpreting another person’s expressions (Baron-Cohen 1995), is simultaneously also considered the source of enormous possibilities for novelty, creativity, and innovation. The explanation is that owing to ToM, people with autism are not aware of the thoughts and expectations of others, hence they can think outside prevailing conventions and popular theories.

Researchers found that though people with autism produce fewer answers, their answers are unusual compared to people without autism; these reveal more innovative ways of problem-solving and generate more creative metaphors relative to the non-autistic control group (Kasirer and Mashal 2011). Liu et al. (2011) observed higher originality and lower flexibility in people with autism. Asperger (1944) reported in each of his patients a special interest that enables them to achieve quite extraordinary levels of performance in certain areas; a basis for certain forms of new thinking and creativity and henceforth possibilities for high-level skill development (Fitzgerald 2004, Fung 2009). Considering that a crucial element of creativity is a deep love for and enjoyment of the tasks undertaken (Torrance 1995), children with autism have the ‘creative’ advantage, so it is critical to creating opportunities for them to develop expertise in their preferred subjects.

Many of the underlying functions are also explained by the empathizing–systematizing theory of neurocognitive researchers such as Baron-Cohen (2009). It is pertinent to understand the nature and type of such strengths through further in-depth studies. For instance, research on early identification of traits, reasons underlying the traits, the interplay of nature and nurture, and potential benefits of such traits for the individual and society may provide many leads for further investigations (Astington and Jenkins 1995). Research on the extent to which inner abilities can be trained with human intervention can yield further insights. The study may be a preliminary background to accelerate research into this significant yet underexplored aspect of autism.

Challenges experienced

Most of the reported challenges were linked to the core autistic characteristics, related predominantly to processing difficulties. The results align with earlier findings that people with autism continue to struggle with communication issues, social skills, repetitive behaviors, resistance to change, sensory challenges, etc. (Levy and Perry 2011, Magiati et al. 2014, Van Hees et al. 2015). Many challenges are specifically related to and explained by the ToM (Astington and Jenkins 1995, Baron-Cohen 1995, 2009, Frith and Frith 2003, Senju 2013, Van Hees et al. 2015), executive functioning (Rosenthal et al. 2013), and weak central coherence (Happé and Frith 2006), all widely accounted in autism literature (Van Hees et al. 2015). Additionally, conditions such as anxiety and depression reported predominantly by people with autism are consistent with earlier research (Glennon 2001, Van Hees et al. 2015). The array of typical autistic characteristics spanned two extremes of the distinguishing continuum and included intellectual ability, communication skills, social interaction, restricted interests, sensory processing, and learning style with wide variations. Coupled with their unique interests and atypical ways of processing information, these traits set the people with autism apart as outliers, not only in the neurotypical world but also within the realm of disabilities. There is a need for constant psychosocial support since early years at home and school to guide them and help them cope better, by first understanding the nature of the underlying problem and designing suitable coping strategies accordingly (Van Hees et al. 2015).

A major set of reported challenges relate to deficits in general abilities. Researchers have recognized the importance of general ability (‘g’ factor), not only for the proper functioning of specific abilities (‘s’ factors) but also for overall social outcomes (educational and occupational) (Spearman 2005, Meyers 2009). People with autism may fare abysmally at certain complex tasks (especially those that demand social communication, global coherence, executive functioning, advanced mind-reading, empathizing, etc.) despite having superior specific abilities, and this may curb the potential functionality of those very abilities. While Spearman (2005) proposed general abilities to be educative, expanding the scope for possibilities but more empirical research is needed to strengthen such claims in the autistic population. Moreover, strengths need to be utilized to improve areas of deficits. For instance, the artistic abilities of the students can be used to enhance deficit areas. Such strategies will help attune the child’s interest and provide intrinsic motivation.

A significant research area is that of gender-specific differences in people with autism; some female phenotypes of autism posit additional barriers, for the individual, parents, and practitioners. A major concern reported by parents was the delay in ASD diagnosis due to camouflaging by females with autism. This masking leads to misinterpretation of several behavioral issues, further hindering the identification of strength markers and delaying the provision of support, so crucial in the early developmental period. There has been an indication of clear gender-related differences in empathizing (i.e. females performing better) and systemizing (i.e. males performing better) (Baron-Cohen 2009). The results are consistent with earlier research findings that reported challenges associated with ASD diagnosis in girls due to their camouflaging ability and high scores in social domains, which accounted for misdiagnoses, non-diagnoses, and or prolonged delays (Giarelli et al. 2010, Kim et al. 2011, Lai et al. 2017, Zwaigenbaum et al. 2012).

Parents expressed concerns about finding the ‘best fit’ in terms of career for their girls, given that prospects were concentrated on technology-based jobs while their child’s interests and abilities were inclined towards humanities and social sciences. Evidently, research in autism diagnosis in females remains a core area for much-needed research, the absence of which is likely to severely impact and limit the scope of support. Gender differences may have serious implications for skill development too (Pellicano et al. 2014, Van Wijngaarden-Cremers et al. 2014). Research in this area is nascent and further study with more female populations may deliver new insights into requisite skills development and job opportunities based on personalized needs and abilities.

Derived support needs

An analysis of the revelations by parents and practitioners clearly delineates the importance of a flexible and divergent environment, enriched by adult coaches, in identifying and eliciting the best in people with autism, be it in the form of exceptional or non-exceptional abilities. Figure 2 provides a diagrammatic representation of the derived support needs for the nurturance of inherent abilities of people with autism, delivery of which would catalyze the successful transition by people with autism into the domains of working professionally and living independently attuned to their inherent traits, abilities, and interests. The strength-focused approach of nurturance, highlighting abilities and strengths rather than weaknesses, is of prime importance to hone skills and optimize their best potentialities.

Figure 2.

Derived needs for the nurturance of abilities and strengths: emphasizing the role of home (families) and school (practitioners).

Derived support needs for the nurturance of strengths: role of home and school

The importance of conducive environments and the crucial roles of adult coaches (be it parents, teachers, etc.) as mediators at every stage of development, starting with the identification of traits and nurturance all along the way, has been repeatedly emphasized in talent development literature (Ankeny and Lehmann 2010, Gagné 2009, Giarelli Ruttenberg and Segal 2013 Subotnik et al. 2011). The necessity of multiple opportunities for learning and practice (at home and school) along with the crucial role of facilitators like adult coaches, teachers, and parents for the nurturance of subtle markers of traits has been reported by most participants and corroborated by earlier studies (Gagné 2009 Subotnik et al. 2011). Taking cues from the child and exposing them to multiple activities, which are regulated by free choice, at a neuroplastic age when the brain is still malleable is vital to identify strengths and interests. Almost all participants stressed the importance of exposing the child as early as possible to as many activities through active engagements to identify strengths and interests. Once strengths are identified, it is important to provide multiple opportunities to immerse the child’s traits, interests, and abilities in matched activities (Csikszentmihalyi et al. 1993)

A healthy partnership with parents and teachers is at the core of a successful program that nurtures the strengths of people with autism (Garbacz et al. 2016). Building that connection of trust is crucial for teachers and parents. The teacher’s openness to hearing what the parents have to share may reveal valuable resources, thus empowering and expediting the process of support. Believing in the experiential knowledge of the parents and extracting relevant information from their raw narratives can prove to be very useful. The knowledge of the parents is the outcome of prolonged time spent with the child in a natural setting and is based on the direct observation that may yield extensive information that the teacher is yet to, or might never, discover. However, the parents may lack the technical skills to provide the right kind of support and may need to be appropriately guided by the teachers, experts/specialists.

Conclusion

There has been a dominance of basic science when it comes to research underpinning on autism (Pellicano 2014). Autism research focusing on family-based studies and considering reportage by parents and practitioners has been sporadic (Pellicano 2014). Understanding autism from primary sources like parents and practitioners who spend the majority of the time with people with autism can be invaluable, as they can contribute significant information. Both perspectives added valuable resources to the current study. With more awareness and orientation, the parents and practitioners with their pre-existing intrinsic drives - could be further empowered as significant adult coaches and advocates. The study findings provide insights into strengths and challenges, propose a strength-based approach to serve people with autism effectively based on firsthand accounts of parents and professionals, and thereby add valuable contributions to the existing literature on the significant area. The findings may also provide insights into how to create positive ecosystems, which coupled with differentiated teaching-learning environments embrace atypicalities and can provide tailor-made support programs for personalized growth and development of people with autism.

The transition from schooling to successful career experiences for people with autism calls for a progressive, step-by-step process of identification of early markers of strengths and an enriched environment to nurture them. Acceptance and belief in the strengths and abilities of people with autism together with sensitivity to their atypicalities and challenges are crucial aspects for successful outcomes. The study findings can act as a guide for further, large-scale, national, and international studies on the strength-focused approach towards exploring the unique differences of the people with autism and a road map further.

Delimitation of the study

The study reports certain limitations. The study was based on purposive sampling and thus limits the randomized generalization of the findings. Fathers were underrepresented and the majority of parents were white residing in the USA. More extensive studies across countries covering various regions and more representative populations would provide crucial elements for the global generalization of the findings in the targeted research area.

Appendix A1: Measures/tools used for the study

Tools used for parents

Part I: demographic and personal information

1. Participant ID:

2. What is your relationship with your ward (Mother/father/grandparent/primary caregiver?)

3. Geographical location/residence: rural/urban

4. Address of residence (where you stayed most part of your life):

5. Gender of your ward with autism: M/F

6. IQ score or range of your ward if you have/know:

7. Age of your ward (with ASD) now:

8. Age of your ward when diagnosed with ASD:

9. Educational qualification of parents (mother and father):

10. Occupation (mother and father):

11. Family income (approx) Specify:

12. Ethnicity: (White/African-American/Asian/Hispanic/any others):

13. Nature of disability/ASD (of your ward with respect to the prominent ASD characteristics including co-morbidity if any/autism diagnosis:

14. Whether you have anyone in your family (paternal/maternal/in-laws) with any exceptional/special skills? Specify with example.

Part II: preliminary information about the person with ASD

15. Kindly answer the below regarding your ward:

1. Can you identify some skills/abilities/traits of your ward that they are good in/can be taken further (may not be exceptional)? Give details?

2. Does (your child/ward) display a skill/abilities/special/exceptional skill, compared with her/his general ability level? Yes/No. Specify.

3. Does she/he display a skill/abilities/special/exceptional skill, when compared with other children of her or his age. Yes/No. Specify.

4. Does she/he display a skill/abilities/special skill, when compared with children even much older? Yes/No. Specify.

5. If you checked ‘yes’ to any above kindly specify based on the below options which type of skills your ward demonstrates and how often (Always/often/sometimes/rarely/never) Kindly explain a little bit about it:

•   a. Memory? How often? [memorization of films, bus routes, maps, sports etc] (Always/often/sometimes/rarely/never)

•   b. Math [fast mental arithmetic calculations, generation of prime numbers, etc] (Always/often/sometimes/rarely/never)

•   c. Calendar calculation [generation of the appropriate day of the week of a given date] (Always/often/sometimes/rarely/never)

•   c. Absolute pitch [Can you identify the node of a pitch just by listening to it?] (Always/often/sometimes/rarely/never)

•   d. Mechanical/visuo-spatial abilities [building, creating, measuring distances]. (Always/often/sometimes/rarely/never)

•   e. Art [drawing, painting, sculpting] (Always/often/sometimes/rarely/never)

•   g. Music [Can you reproduce a piece of music after hearing it for the 1st/only a few times or musical instrument playing] (Always/often/sometimes/rarely/never)

•   h. Fluency for different languages (Always/often/sometimes/rarely/never)

•   f. Special eye for details (Always/often/sometimes/rarely/never)

•   g. Any other, please specify

1. Do your child/ward show the following tendencies/traits? Kindly explain in 1 or 2 sentences?

   1. Social Impairments (Yes/No)

   2. Communication Impairments (Yes/No)

   3. Restricted and Repetitive Behaviours and Interests (Yes/No)

2. Do they display/have a tendency of repetitive behaviour and/or preoccupations with a restricted area of interest? If yes kindly specify by checking the below options Kindly explain in 1 or 2 sentences.

•   a. Unusual preoccupations? Specify. How often? (Always/often/sometimes/rarely/never)

•   b. Compulsions/rituals? Specify. How often? (Always/often/sometimes/rarely/never)

•   a. Resistance to change? Specify. How often? (Always/often/sometimes/rarely/never)

•   b. Unusual attachments to objects? Specify. How often? (Always/often/sometimes/rarely/never)

•   c. Unusual sensory interests? Specify. How often? (Always/often/sometimes/rarely/never)

Part III: some more related information regarding people with ASD

16. Do you think there may be any association of the skills/abilities/special/exceptional skills with their IQ/cognitive skills (high/low)?

17. Is there any gender difference in the abilities/skills/special/exceptional skills that you located?

18. What challenges/needs did you locate in your ward associated with the skills/abilities?

19. Do you find the exceptional/special skills/abilities as a strength/challenge and why?

20. Do you think that any of her/his skills has the potential to be facilitated further through proper environment/training/opportunities/alternative teaching/learning? Explain how.

21. Did you do anything to facilitate the skills/abilities further at home or school? Specify how?

22. Can you identify some challenges/impediments in developing the skills/abilities further?

23. Do you have suggestions/comments/or anything you would like to say? Feel free to share.

Part III: interview sample questions for parents for an in-depth discussion

1. When were your child’s or wards strengths and abilities identified? Who identified?

2. How were their strengths and abilities recognized and identified? Explain with examples.

3. How were those skills or abilities nurtured at the home, school or community? Give examples

4. What were the facilitators and inhibitors in nurturance of your strengths with relevant examples?

5. Did they get the right match in terms of your abilities/traits/interests? How do they get their right match in terms of their strengths or abilities and interest and matched to a productive manifestation in real life?

6. Any suggestions for how would you like to have their abilities nurtured? (At home by parents, in school by teachers and others in the environment)

7. Do you believe the strengths have the potential to nurture further? Kindly explain.

8. What are the challenges experienced most to least in channelizing the abilities? Explain with examples.

9. How can they be further nurtured at home and school? What changes and modifications in home and schools for the nurturance?

Tools for practitioners who worked/are working in close proximity with people with ASD

Part I: demographic and personal information

1. Participant ID:

2. What is your Role/position:

   Special Educator/Practitioners/Co-employee/ Employer/Researcher/Others please mention:

3. Gender: M/F

4. Age:

5. Where/which school/centre/organization are you associated with?

   Name/Location of the centre (Rural/urban)/Address:

6. What is your educational and professional and/special qualification?

7. Ethnicity (white/African-American/Asian/Hispanic/any other):

8. For how many years you are working in close proximity with a child/children/adult with ASD:

9. How many children with autism you have worked with (in close proximity)?

Part II: preliminary information about the person with ASD

10. Kindly answer the below regarding the people with ASD you served/serving:

1. Can you identify some skills/abilities/traits that they are good in/can be taken further (may not be exceptional)? Give details?

2. Do they display a skill/abilities/special/exceptional skill, compared with her/his general ability level? Yes/No. Specify.

3. Does they display a skill/abilities/special/exceptional skill when compared with other children of their age. Yes/No. Specify.

4. Do they display a skill/abilities/special skill when compared with children even much older? Yes/No. Specify.

5. If you checked ‘yes’ to any above kindly specify based on the below options which type of skills did they demonstrate and how often (Always/often/sometimes/rarely/never). Kindly explain a little bit about it:

•   g. Memory? How often? [memorization of films, bus routes, maps, sports etc] (Always/often/sometimes/rarely/never)

•   h. Math [fast mental arithmetic calculations, generation of prime numbers, etc] (Always/often/sometimes/rarely/never)

•   c. Calendar calculation [generation of the appropriate day of the week of a given date] (Always/often/sometimes/rarely/never)

•   i. Absolute pitch [Can you identify the node of a pitch just by listening to it?] (Always/often/sometimes/rarely/never)

•   j. Mechanical/visuospatial abilities [building, creating, measuring distances]. (Always/often/sometimes/rarely/never)

•   k. Art [drawing, painting, sculpting] (Always/often/sometimes/rarely/never)

•   g. Music [reproduce a piece of music after hearing it for the 1st/only a few times or musical instrument playing] (Always/often/sometimes/rarely/never)

•   h. Fluency for different languages (Always/often/sometimes/rarely/never)

•   l. Special eye for details (Always/often/sometimes/rarely/never)

•   g. Any other, please specify

1. Do they show the following tendencies/traits? Kindly explain in 1 or 2 sentences?

2. Social Impairments (Yes/No)

3. Communication Impairments (Yes/No)

4. Restricted and Repetitive Behaviours and Interests (Yes/No)

1. Do they display/have a tendency of repetitive behaviour and/or preoccupations with a restricted area of interest? If yes kindly specify by checking the below options Kindly explain in 1 or 2 sentences.

•   c. Unusual preoccupations? Specify. How often? (Always/often/sometimes/rarely/never)

•   d. Compulsions/rituals? Specify. How often? (Always/often/sometimes/rarely/never)

•   d. Resistance to change? Specify. How often? (Always/often/sometimes/rarely/never)

•   e. Unusual attachments to objects? Specify. How often? (Always/often/sometimes/rarely/never)

•   f. Unusual sensory interests? Specify. How often? (Always/often/sometimes/rarely/never)

Part III: more information related to strengths/abilities of people with ASD

11. Have you found any special abilities/strengths/any skills among the people with autism that they are good in (may not be exceptional)? and can be taken further? Specify with examples.

12. Do you think some of the skills are exceptional as compared to other average going/Neuro-typicals? Specify

13. Do you think there may be any association of the exceptional/special skills with their IQ/cognitive skills (high/low)?

14. Is there any gender difference in the skills/abilities that you located?

15. What challenges/needs did you locate among the people with autism associated with their skills/abilities?

16. Do you think that any of the skills has the potential to be facilitated further through proper environment/training/opportunities/alternative teaching/learning? Explain/specify how?

17. Whether the skills/talents/abilities were facilitated further at home or school? Specify how?

18. Can you identify some challenges/impediments in developing the skills further?

19. Do you have suggestions/comments/or anything you would like to say? Feel free to share.

Part III: interview sample questions for practitioners

1. Do you believe in the strengths and abilities of people with ASD? Can you specify the different types?

2. Can you provide some examples of strengths and abilities in autistic people that you noticed or identified?

3. Do you believe people with ASD have superior abilities compared to neuro-typical people in some domains? Explain with examples?

4. How can the early signs of strengths in Autistic people be identified as early as possible?

5. Do you believe the strengths have the potential to nurture further (at home or school)? Can you provide some strategies or approaches or ways?

6. What are the major challenges (home, school or overall) that you experienced most to least in channelizing their abilities? Explain with examples.

Funding Statement

Funding for the 1st author was supported by Fulbright Academic and Professional Excellence Fellowship, United States India Education Foundation (USIEF), India and International Institute of Education (IIE), USA (Bilateral) (grant number: PS00281224).

Author contributions

SH primarily conceptualized the study, collected data, analyzed, and wrote the manuscript. SMB facilitated at every stage since beginning from shaping the thought process and contributing to the fine-tuning of the manuscript throughout. SB also assisted in the recruitment of samples for the study. WSG reviewed the manuscript and contributed to refinement further through the final stage of the manuscript. All the authors read and approved the final manuscript before submission.

Conflict of interest

Authors declares no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

The study is a part of ethically approved study by the Cornell University IRB board under the Human subject exempt category (approval ref: Protocol ID#: 2001009333).

Informed consent

Written consent was undertaken from each of the participants as per Cornell University protocol and format.