Synaesthesia and special abilities in people from the general population with differing degrees of autistic traits

Introduction and objective: The study was carried out to explore the potential positive correlations between the degree of autistic traits and various types of special abilities or synaesthetic experiences. Autistic traits are a set of cognitive and social features that occur both in individuals with autism spectrum disorder and – less frequently and to a lesser degree – in individuals from the general population. Synaesthesia refers to phenomena whose common foundation is the principle of intersensuality. It occurs more frequently among individuals fulfilling the diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum disorder. It is also hypothesised that synaesthesia plays a key role in the manifestation of savant abilities, which occur in approximately 10% of individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Materials and methods: The study included 181 subjects from the general population, who completed three questionnaires: the Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ), the Special Abilities Scale (Skala Zdolności Specjalnych, SZS), and an original questionnaire inspired by the Synaesthesia Battery. Results: The results confirmed a positive relationship between synaesthesia and the presence of special abilities, and a negative relationship between musical and linguistic abilities and the degree of autistic traits. Conclusions: The insights gained from this study and the existing literature outline an interesting area for further exploration of the indicated relationships. In addition, the findings contribute to the change in the narrative surrounding the autism spectrum: from characterisation as a disorder to a resource-based approach with emphasis on diversity and positive traits associated with non-neurotypicality.