Busting the Myth That Autistics Lack Cognitive Flexibility

Operating in neurotypical environments uses it in spades.

Photo by Josh Duke on Unsplash

Along with lack of empathy and communication skills, autistic people are saddled with the misconception that we lack cognitive flexibility. In other words, that we are rigid in our thinking.

Autism has become so closely associated with rigidity in the popular consciousness that it’s become a kind of shorthand. It’s someone referring to their work colleague as ‘a bit on the spectrum’ if they have a highly methodical way of operating. Or a parent describing another as ‘a bit autistic’ because they are very attached to their routine.

Cognitive flexibility is our ability to adapt to the environment and modify our thinking in response to new, changing or unplanned events. It can involve switching from one style of thinking to another to move between tasks. It’s part of the suite of executive functioning skills.

Someone who is neurodivergent has to work harder to adapt to their environment due to the additional load carried by our sensory processing and executive functioning.

We are often hyper-alert to our environments, constantly assessing and recalibrating our interaction with them. We develop strategies to cope with situations that we find difficult or…