Seeing the Whole Spectrum: Rethinking Autism Through Signal Analysis
In signal processing, frequencies come in two forms: positive and negative. These represent the direction of oscillation in a wave, and both are essential in forming a complete understanding of a signal. When we perform a Fourier Transform on a real-valued signal, the result is a symmetrical frequency spectrum—negative frequencies are the mirror image of positive ones. Because of this symmetry, analysts often focus only on the positive side, assuming the negative adds no new information. But the full signal only truly makes sense when both sides are considered. Ignoring half the spectrum might simplify the math, but it also filters out part of the story. In many ways, this mirrors how society has understood autism: by focusing only on the “visible” or more disruptive traits, we’ve overlooked the full richness of the spectrum.
The autism spectrum is broad, encompassing a diverse range of traits, experiences, and ways of thinking. Yet, historically, the conversation has focused almost entirely on the challenges—communication difficulties, social struggles, and behaviors deemed “abnormal” by neurotypical standards. These challenges, while real, are only one part of the picture. Like the negative frequencies in a signal, they have dominated the public perception, shaping a narrow, deficit-based narrative around autism. This framing treats difference as dysfunction and complexity as something to be minimized or managed, rather than understood.
What often gets overlooked are the strengths and unique abilities that also reside on the spectrum. Many autistic individuals demonstrate exceptional skills in pattern recognition, deep focus, honesty, creativity, and unconventional problem-solving. These are the “positive frequencies” of autism—traits that can be incredibly valuable, but which society often misses because it has been trained to look for problems rather than potential. Just as an engineer who only studies half the frequency graph misses the full shape and texture of a signal, we miss the full humanity and capability of autistic people when we ignore their strengths.
It’s not that the struggles should be denied or minimized; they are real and deserve support and understanding. But focusing only on the challenges creates an incomplete and often damaging narrative. We need to broaden the lens—to recognize that autism is not just a list of deficits, but a spectrum of human difference that includes resilience, insight, and gifts that may not always be immediately visible. The goal should be to tune into the full signal, not just the parts that are easiest to categorize.
By shifting the way we talk about autism—from a disorder to a spectrum, from a problem to a difference—we create space for inclusion, acceptance, and appreciation. Just as signal processing becomes more powerful when we understand both positive and negative frequencies, our society becomes more compassionate and whole when we learn to see the full range of human neurodiversity. The spectrum is not broken—it’s just been misunderstood.
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