Can People on the Autism Spectrum Compete?

A few weeks ago, my son Tom was in band camp. He did a fabulous job playing his clarinet in a challenging setting, and I expressed my pride to my Dad. Dad's comment: "Wow - I never would have imagined that Tom would be able to compete like that!" Compete? I asked what Dad meant. "Well, you know, competing to see who's the best clarinetist, that kind of thing." I really wasn't sure what Dad was on about; after all, band camp is intended to be a supportive, collaborative experience - not a competition. But the conversation got me thinking.

In the past year, since we moved and started homeschooling Tommy, he's tried out all kinds of sports. Some, like tennis and bowling, were his own idea. He can hike long distances, climb rock walls, and swim a good long way. Yet, so far as I know, Tom has never actively sought out competition of any kind. Until recently, I've always thought it was a lack of awareness on his part. He always seemed simply oblivious to the idea that it's better to get more points than fewer... and never seemed concerned about peer responses to his performance. In fact, I've always thought this was a wonderful gift for a child who rarely makes it to the top rank in any area of achievement.

Now, though, he's started worrying more about winning. He's won a couple of bowling trophies, and that's a source of real pride. He struggled to finish a running race and sprinted to the finish line. In other words, he's becoming more self-aware, more aware of the perceptions of others, and more interested in shining in the eyes of those around him. For a child with autism, this is a huge achievement. But is it also a difficult place to be? After all, he still struggles with so many things... and seeing yourself as a loser is painful for anyone.

Today, as I was mulling this question, I was delighted to find an article on the subject of Asperger syndrome and competition by autistic self-advocate and artist Donna Williams. Williams, who has beat the odds to become a renowned artist and writer, says:

I got a letter from a lovely parent about her teenage daughter, a wonderful long distance runner. Yet the coach was stumped. Why wouldn´t she compete? She´d just let the others pass her, retaining her same rhythmic pace.

Non-autistic people have a consistent capacity to simultaneously process sense of self and other. This is necessary to many things… to imagining what another person might think, to gaining insight about one´s effect on others, to having that insight AND being able to then apply that in altering one´s own behavior, to being fluent in social game playing, to remembering why to say hello, and to holding onto the point of a game, a race, a competition.

But whilst many people with Asperger´s get enough simultaneous processing of sense of self and other to gain some entry to these things, even they may find this cognitively waxes and wanes.

Williams goes on to describe issues relating to personality, environment, and self-perception, all of which, she says, play a role in competition and autism.

Do you have insights on autism and competition? Any suggestions for teens or adults who need to compete in order to achieve their goals, yet have a tough time actually focusing on and managing the process the competition?