Concrete vs. abstract thinking

It is hard for many people to understand the difference in concrete and abstract thinking and how hard abstract thinking can be for people with autism. There are so many abstract concepts that we understand but we take that understanding for granted.

Take into consideration these abstract concepts: time, relationships, multiple representations, non-verbal communication, inferences, social interactions, and idioms. Many of this concepts are easily understood by the average person, but for some people with autism these concepts can be incomprehensible. This is not to say that they can not be taught to understand them, but it is not always able to teach in the typical way (i.e. verbal explanation).

So now I’m sure you’re asking “Okay, so how do I teach abstract concepts?” The answer is visual representations and repetition. Many people with autism tend to be very concrete and literal thinkers, which means that teaching abstract concepts needs to be done in a concrete way, this is typically accomplished through the use of visuals. An example of this is teaching the concept of time passage. For instance if you were to say “we’re going to go to the park on Friday” to a person who has no concept of time or when Friday is, the meaning is lost. Therefore, using the calendar as a visual show what day it is today and writing on the calendar “PARK” on Friday then you have a visual representation of when that thing is going to happen. This can be supplemented by identifying the current day of the week, counting how many days are left, etc. This visual support is extremely important because without it the original statement may be meaningless.

If you have any questions about how to use visual supports to teach specific abstract concepts or have ideas of your own, please post it here.