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I have a unique profile when it comes to my memory. According to Spectrum, autism does not often affect declarative memory. In some cases, a good declarative memory can even make up for other difficulties.
Working memory, however, can be a weakness for some people on the spectrum because according to Psychology Today, the prefrontal cortex, which controls working memory, is a brain part that autism affects the most. I am no different.
What is your memory like? Feel free to answer these questions. Also, feel free to come up with your own analogies.
Short-Term Memory Self-Questions
1. How would you describe your working memory? In my working memory article from last year, I described it as poor for my younger years. However, I have improved a little bit. I mostly struggle with working memory now when I need to respond fast or if there is a lot of motor planning.
2. How well do you remember things when first introduced? I usually remember names well shortly after meeting someone. If they have a complicated or long first or last name, however, I may occasionally ask them to repeat for me or spell it out. With new places I never heard of previously, it's the same thing.
3. Is there an analogy you use to describe how your short-term memory works? You can pretend that one is filming these cars going past the camera. Think of cars as one processing piece of information. Do you notice how quickly the cars would leave the screen, particularly if traffic is light? This is what my short-term and working memory is often like.
I may learn information but it will quickly go away. A car that moves slower may be material that sticks with me, but the other cars, assuming that they don't move too fast to stand out, will be a blip that I'll forget within seconds or minutes.
Long-Term Memory Self-Questions
1. What is your long-term memory like? It's hard for me to say what it's like compared to the average person, but for stuff, I've learned and experiences that have stood out to me, I can still remember to this day. I also can remember basics from my early past such as where I had my eighth birthday party, the layout of my first house, who my friends in school were or doctors I used to see and you name it.
With memories from 20+ years ago, I can't actually remember too many interactions or situations except for some that stood out because I got rewarded for good behavior or punished for bad behaviour. Even in many of these situations, I don't fully remember. However, incidents that affected me in some way from say 15 or fewer years ago, I remember clearly.
2. Is there anything that stands out about your long-term memory? I have a strange habit of remembering the dates of certain events. This is mostly because I had an unusual interest in calendars, months, days of the week, and seasons in my younger years. For example, I had a disturbing incident with a person in Toronto before an internship meeting on June 5, 2019. I can also remember people's birthdays once I learn them.
Despite the above, I'd say I'm average or below average when it comes to other areas of memory. This whole date thing has taken a good intentional amount of focus on my part.
3. What's your long-term memory analogy? My favourite analogy would be a glass of water that has ice cubes in it. Let's pretend that the water is barely above freezing, and therefore, the ice cubes will last a long time. The long-term memory information with smaller ice cubes doesn't stand out as much to me. As a result, these ice cubes will melt fast due to how small they are. The bigger ones, however, take much longer to melt.
Apply the above to memory, and these memories stick for a long time. Of course, long-term memories last much longer than ice cubes above freezing, but this analogy compares big and small ice cubes to long-term memories that one can easily remember and others not as much.
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