The Kids Who Beat Autism

[Butterbean]

4. I.Q. plays a role. Something people seem to be ignoring.

There do, however, seem to be some clues, like the role of I.Q.: The children in Lord’s study who had a nonverbal I.Q. of less than 70 at age 2 all remained autistic. But among those with a nonverbal I.Q. of at least 70, one-quarter eventually became nonautistic, even though their symptoms at diagnosis were as severe as those of children with a comparable I.Q. who remained autistic (Fein’s study, by design, included only people with at least an average I.Q.) Other research has shown that autistic children with better motor skills, better receptive language skills and more willingness to imitate others also tend to progress more swiftly, even if they don’t stop being autistic.

Judith Bluestone talks about her ability to "pass" as neurotypical in her book The Fabric of Autism. I am inclined to believe that is what is happening here. Just my opinion.