Autistics ‘think outside the box’

Autistic traits may be socially disabling, but are also linked to original thought and creativity.

Scientists say that when autistic people were asked for solutions to a problem, they provided fewer of them, but were more likely to think “outside the box”.

This is a paradox associated with the developmental disorder, which impairs the ability to socialise and form relationships. Even though autism is often linked to narrow interests and a poor grasp of abstract concepts, people who have it can be highly creative.