Understanding Black and White Thinking in Autism

One day, my son, Jeremy, was playing a video game. Despite winning the game, he decided he had failed because he didn’t get a perfect score. At this moment, his black-and-white thinking in autism caused him to get stuck on something that seemed trivial to his mother and me.

Jeremy has been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and sometimes falls into black-and-white thinking patterns. When he does this, it’s up to his mother and me to recognize what is happening and help him work his way out of it.

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What is black-and-white thinking in autism?

In its simplest terms, black-and-white thinking is a cognitive pattern where people view situations as strictly good or bad. Every situation is either “right or wrong” or “yes or no.”

In this binary thinking, there is no middle ground or shades of gray. This tends to be common among people on the autism spectrum who may struggle when things aren’t clear-cut.

This dichotomous thinking among autistic people can lead to struggles with social interactions and may hurt their relationships as they age. They may also struggle to understand nuance or sarcasm, leading to them misinterpreting the context.

When Jeremy was younger, this was something to which I was forced to adapt. Sarcasm has long been my go-to sense of humor. While I always understood young children wouldn’t be able to grasp sarcasm, as he aged, I expected him to grasp it over time.

However, after his autism diagnosis, I noticed he wasn’t grasping the intended humor even though he seemed to be of an age where he could understand it. I had to adapt so that he wouldn’t think a comment made sarcastically was meant to be taken seriously.

Why do autistic individuals experience black-and-white thinking?

Black-and-white thinking patterns can have many causes among those with autism spectrum disorder. Some of the more common factors include:

• anxiety, 
• intolerance of uncertainty, or 
• difficulty with social interactions.

Anxiety is often co-occurring among autistic people. However, many times, it may present differently than other autistic traits. As mentioned earlier, black and white thinkers often view situations as extremes of right or wrong.

Anxiety can exacerbate these thinking patterns, making it harder for autistic people to accept a middle ground.

Many others may struggle with intolerance of uncertainty. This rigid thinking process can make them unable to accept anything that isn’t clearly defined.

This can contribute to cognitive distortions in dichotomous thinking that negatively impact behaviors and emotions.

Black-and-white thinking on the autism spectrum can also lead to struggles with nuanced understanding that negatively impacts social interactions.

It can also indicate a struggle with mental health conditions like borderline personality disorder (BPD) that leads to extreme shifts in perception among autistic individuals.

Challenges that come with black-and-white thinking

Unfortunately, black-and-white thinking can have a negative impact on almost every facet of a person’s life. Some of the challenges that accompany dichotomous thinking include:

• Emotional instability: Black-and-white thinking can lead to extreme swings in mood because everything is viewed through a good or bad lens.
• Relationship challenges: This rigid thinking can make it harder to see different perspectives and reduces the chances of compromise, which can lead to conflicts. 
• Distorted self-perception: Black-and-white thinking can feel inadequate or be extremely self-critical, resulting in low self-esteem.
• Anxiety and depression: The pressure to see things as black or white can increase anxiety and depression, fueling perfectionism and overwhelm when plans fall short.
• Lack of flexible thinking: Black-and-white thinking can make it difficult to accept multiple perspectives on an issue and adapt to changes. 
• Difficulty accepting criticism: Black-and-white thinking can make feedback hard to accept, as autistic individuals may perceive criticism as rejection rather than guidance.
• Impulsivity: In extreme cases of dichotomous thinking, autistic people can start acting irrationally because they are unable to weigh their options carefully.

All of these challenges associated with black-and-white thinking can lead to increased negativity and unnecessary stress.

How to support autistic individuals with these thinking patterns

Black-and-white thinking can be a hindrance for people on the autism spectrum. However, there are ways parents and caregivers can help them recognize the issues these thinking patterns present.

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Some ways to support autistic individuals who experience black-and-white thinking include:

• identifying and challenging extreme thinking,
• exploring multiple perspectives, and
• therapy.

Identifying and challenging extreme thinking

When autistic individuals struggle with extreme black-and-white thinking, parents and caregivers should help identify and challenge these patterns.

 This can include:

• asking questions to encourage considering other perspectives,
• considering other explanations as to why something unexpected may have happened,
• encouraging them to reframe their thinking when they jump to extremes.

Exploring other perspectives

Introducing other potential options could help address black-and-white thinking among autistic adults.

This can include:

• encouraging them to explore their way of thinking and how it might be affecting their relationships,
• encouraging them to pursue more flexible thinking that allows them to see someone else’s viewpoint,
• using precise language, especially with autistic children, to help them see a potentially more nuanced understanding.

Therapy

If black-and-white thinking persists after these interventions, therapy may be a good option to address the issues.

Multiple therapies address dichotomous thinking, including:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): to challenge and change intrusive thoughts.
• Dialectal behavioral therapy (DBT): to help manage strong emotions.
• Psychotherapy: to help understand the reasons behind the dichotomous thinking.

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Encourage flexibility and growth with an understanding

Black-and-white thinking is one of many common autistic traits. The cognitive rigidity associated with these thinking patterns can lead to struggles with social interactions, perfectionism, and even impulsivity. However, like other autistic traits, black-and-white thinking can be managed to help improve their overall well-being.

Work with your loved ones to recognize the proper strategies to help them accept and understand nuance and opposing viewpoints. Care and support from parents and caregivers can help autistic individuals recognize the limitations of black-and-white thinking and work towards a more flexible way of life.

FAQs

Q: Is black-and-white thinking associated with autism?

A: Black-and-white thinking is an autistic trait where people see things in an all-or-nothing capacity. Also called dichotomous thinking, it tends to be common among the autism community. However, not every autistic person will experience it.

Q: What are the thinking styles of autism?

A: Autistic individuals tend to exhibit three primary thinking styles: visual thinking, verbal/logical thinking, and pattern thinking, which are sometimes described as musical and mathematical thinking. However, many autistic children may display a mixture of any of these thinking styles.

Q: What is mindblindness in autism?

A: Mindblindness is a theory that seeks to explain why many autistic children have difficulty understanding the thoughts and feelings of others. Also called the Theory of Mind deficits, mindblindness is believed to affect social interactions, group dynamics, and moral reasoning.

Q: Do people with ADHD think in black and white?

A: While black-and-white thinking is common among autistic children, they aren’t the only ones who may experience dichotomous thinking. People with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can also experience this all-or-nothing style of thinking.