ABSTRACT
People with autism often have an uneven, unusual profile of cognitive or intellectual functioning. In some areas the person might be significantly above average, even exceptional and very poor or below average in other areas. This diversity means that it is sensible to exercise extreme caution when making generalisations or talking about concepts such as overall intelligence. Generally, people with AS perform well on tests which require the ability to learn and remember factual information and are good at learning how to do things. Their minds are often like sponges, absorbing new facts and filling up categories and systems like an encyclopaedia. The person with AS can sometimes be, 'lost in a sea of time'. This may mean that planning ahead, which involves imagination and thinking in terms of the future, is problematic. This can make situations such as examinations particularly difficult as the person cannot work out how long to spend on each question.
