Name an ASD "super power" or talent you have no use for

[Katleya]

I'm sure most of us have one thing (or more) that most people wouldn't even believe is true.
And sometimes that thing is pretty useless, but just out of curiosity, what are things you can do/feel that you really don't put to use on a regular basis, either because you haven't found
what to do with it, or because it's so specific?
So I'm sure we have enough between all of us to start the most unusual talent show that ever existed.

Me: I can hear light bulbs whenever they're on. And powerplugs any time some device is plugged into them. Don't plan on working as an electrician.

 

[Tyrantus1212]

I see specific objects around me and if they're of interest, I memorize the way they look and sound and stuff. Like, construction cranes - crawler or tower. I memorize the crane's color, engine sound, configuration and even glimpse at the operator if possible. I might actually depict the crane's sound, and then picture a similar imaginary crane that's even more powerful. At the same time, my mind is always racing and what crosses it are either useful thoughts, or otherwise filler gibberish. For some odd reason I often think of non-existent words for the objects of interest. Just random examples of gibberish words I associate with objects (or people) of interest: "Misro", "Misrosho", "Mirbacha", "Shamshamsham", "Dlinn", "Ta", "Mure", "Grimm", "Choog", "Nu". Other words are real Russian words (I'm originally from Russia), but they're so random - like "slon" (elephant), "belochka" (squirrel), "hodit" (walking), "riba" (fish), "malenkiy" (small)...many of these words actually represent animals, as there's also "olen" (deer) and "popugai" (parrot). Anyway, does anyone have any insight as to what exactly is generating these random words and associating them with objects and people?

 

[Dadwith2Autisticsons]

My wife's weird talent (she is not an Aspie but just has ADHD traits and physical sensitivity traits despite scoring very high on that Aspie test) is that she has the exceptional ability to listen to any song once or twice on the radio regardless what it is, and play it back to 90% to 100 %accuracy. Although she had piano lessons as a very young child for a few years, she had never played the piano again until 6 months ago, when our oldest son and I went for vocal lessons. Regardless what song that music teacher randonly played for her, she played it back easily through brief listening to the song, and with no sheet music. But, my wife's talent is useless as she always hated playing the piano. She rather read a book, and do adult coloring.

Our two young Autistic children have lots of talents, but all of those unique abilities I think could be used one day in some way should they desire.

 

[Momo]

I see specific objects around me and if they're of interest, I memorize the way they look and sound and stuff. Like, construction cranes - crawler or tower. I memorize the crane's color, engine sound, configuration and even glimpse at the operator if possible. I might actually depict the crane's sound, and then picture a similar imaginary crane that's even more powerful. At the same time, my mind is always racing and what crosses it are either useful thoughts, or otherwise filler gibberish. For some odd reason I often think of non-existent words for the objects of interest. Just random examples of gibberish words I associate with objects (or people) of interest: "Misro", "Misrosho", "Mirbacha", "Shamshamsham", "Dlinn", "Ta", "Mure", "Grimm", "Choog", "Nu". Other words are real Russian words (I'm originally from Russia), but they're so random - like "slon" (elephant), "belochka" (squirrel), "hodit" (walking), "riba" (fish), "malenkiy" (small)...many of these words actually represent animals, as there's also "olen" (deer) and "popugai" (parrot). Anyway, does anyone have any insight as to what exactly is generating these random words and associating them with objects and people?

I do the same thing with random word associations, I also have this way of breaking down languages and words I really shouldn't be able to, such as Australian aboriginal, and translating them after only hearing it once and then memorising the word if I want to. Even whole phrases at times. I seriously don't know why I do this...

 

[Gracey]

If I had to commit to just one, it would be my hearing. Beautiful and really fortunate when it comes to listening to classical pieces of music, or even when the car sounds different (picking up faults that my fully qualified mechanic husband can't hear)

But listening to electric gets irritating.

loving the design and style of a new wall clock but can't buy it because it ticks, not sweeps. Hearing the constant whirr of the gears that move the sweeping hands being preferable to a tick.

entering a room and having to turn straight back around and exit - too much going on inside the room to handle.

people supposing I'm imagining noises they themselves can't hear. Has me doubting myself sometimes.

 

[Bolletje]

I can tell when objects in a room have been moved while I was gone

I can tell in which year a movie was made based on the soundtrack

I can worry about several things all at once

 

[SusanLR]

Hearing the differences in places where there are sounds like the electric or gears as mentioned. No one else seems to notice this. That can be annoying. I was just talking about this very thing with someone just before I came to the group tonight.

Here is something do like having the ability for: I call it 'feeling' things. I believe has to do with electromagnectic fields of other living things. Birds especially. Many people don't believe it, but, if you're around me long enough it is noticed withoout saying. For example I might be asked something like "How did you know that car was coming around the bend? You couldn't see it." I 'felt' it.
I don't mean a gut feeling sense, it is a physical type of thing that is very difficult to explain if you've never had it. Almost like feeling an energy or magnetism.
Many times I will 'feel' an energy in a storm and look quickly at that spot just as a bolt of lightening comes down.
I can be in a room, asleep even and someone in the house starts to come into the room, I sense it and wake up. They ask how did I know they were there. I answer I felt you coming.
The thing with birds is fascinating. They are one of my favourite creatures. Walking outside or riding in a car I look everytime I feel this and see a group of birds or a single bird flying over or sitting where the feeling comes from. This has been noticed by others too. Applies for other animals too, birds are just stronger.

There is a whole field of scientific study on this topic. I believe it is a sense that either many have not yet developed or it is ancient and most have ignored it and now don't use it. Can it serve a purpose? When you feel a snake where you are about to step, yep, it can serve a purpose. That too has happened many times.
"Feel the grasshopper beneath your feet." Remember Kung Fu?

 

[Bolletje]

My sense of smell can be annoying too.
My colleagues were talking about fruit flies the other day, and all was going well, until I mentioned how fruit flies are smelly. Everyone looked at me like I was insane. They told me I probably just meant the smell of rotten fruit. No, that's not what I meant. No, I didn't mean stale beer either. I meant the smell in a room when there's a lot of fruit flies present.

The same thing happens when I smell the air and announce there's going to be rain or a thunderstorm (That may have to do with my dramatic way of announcing it too, lol)

 

[Jet Weiss]

Similar to others have mentioned, I can hear someone speaking a different language and (usually) recognise where they are from and which language they are speaking. Languages that I know well or speak fluently, I can even determine the regional dialect, and I can tell when someone is speaking a language with a foreign accent.
I can hear a song once or twice and memorise the lyrics, even if the song is in a language I do not speak.
I can't read sheet music but I can play and sing music from memory.
I can organise everything in my house so that it is in perfect order and looks like the Ikea catalogue.

 

[xudo]

Me: I can hear light bulbs whenever they're on. And powerplugs any time some device is plugged into them. Don't plan on working as an electrician.

If I had to commit to just one, it would be my hearing. Beautiful and really fortunate when it comes to listening to classical pieces of music, or even when the car sounds different (picking up faults that my fully qualified mechanic husband can't hear)

But listening to electric gets irritating.

loving the design and style of a new wall clock but can't buy it because it ticks, not sweeps. Hearing the constant whirr of the gears that move the sweeping hands being preferable to a tick.

entering a room and having to turn straight back around and exit - too much going on inside the room to handle.

people supposing I'm imagining noises they themselves can't hear. Has me doubting myself sometimes.

I'm exactly described in these posts. As @Gracey says, great hearing is fantastic when listening to music, and would probably be useful if I were ever in a horror movie situation where I needed to listen for the killer, but other than that it's quite irritating. Clocks, signals for things like the TV, electrical noise, lights, my incredibly noisy neighbours (if they argue, I can usually make it out word for word) are all very loud for me.

Other than that, my ability to remember a ridiculous number of random facts. Only use for that has been board games where I will be able to answer some of the more random questions.

 

[wight]

I have a very keen sense of smell. I can tell the difference between new and old gasoline. Or when meat or milk is going bad. I can tell if water is safe to drink or not just by how it smells. Though helpful in specific instances, generally this is not very useful.

 

[Sabrina]

Being good at writing and reading.
Being good at languages (I speak four).

 

[Sabrina]

I see specific objects around me and if they're of interest, I memorize the way they look and sound and stuff. Like, construction cranes - crawler or tower. I memorize the crane's color, engine sound, configuration and even glimpse at the operator if possible. I might actually depict the crane's sound, and then picture a similar imaginary crane that's even more powerful. At the same time, my mind is always racing and what crosses it are either useful thoughts, or otherwise filler gibberish. For some odd reason I often think of non-existent words for the objects of interest. Just random examples of gibberish words I associate with objects (or people) of interest: "Misro", "Misrosho", "Mirbacha", "Shamshamsham", "Dlinn", "Ta", "Mure", "Grimm", "Choog", "Nu". Other words are real Russian words (I'm originally from Russia), but they're so random - like "slon" (elephant), "belochka" (squirrel), "hodit" (walking), "riba" (fish), "malenkiy" (small)...many of these words actually represent animals, as there's also "olen" (deer) and "popugai" (parrot). Anyway, does anyone have any insight as to what exactly is generating these random words and associating them with objects and people?

Seems that you're spontaneously creating a language. You could use it in a fiction world to make it more interesting.

 

[Sabrina]

If I had to commit to just one, it would be my hearing. Beautiful and really fortunate when it comes to listening to classical pieces of music, or even when the car sounds different (picking up faults that my fully qualified mechanic husband can't hear)

But listening to electric gets irritating.

loving the design and style of a new wall clock but can't buy it because it ticks, not sweeps. Hearing the constant whirr of the gears that move the sweeping hands being preferable to a tick.

entering a room and having to turn straight back around and exit - too much going on inside the room to handle.

people supposing I'm imagining noises they themselves can't hear. Has me doubting myself sometimes.

I also listen to noises other people don't, and that's one of the reasons it's difficult for me to have a whole night sleep. Any little noise can wake me up. For example, one of my kids usually talks while sleeping, and I can hear him, even if he's in another room.

 

[CyborgSpaceKitten]

I remember all or almost all of the lyrics to a song the first time I hear it, and I can often tell where song is headed tonally and lyrically so I can fairly accurately sing along with songs I have never heard before.

 

[CyborgSpaceKitten]

Me: I can hear light bulbs whenever they're on. And powerplugs any time some device is plugged into them. Don't plan on working as an electrician.

I'm so glad you said that. I've been telling people for years that I can hear electricity, and people always just laugh and don't take me seriously!

 

[WereBear]

I can tell in which year a movie was made based on the soundtrack

This is a skill my NT musician husband and I share!

Also, I can smell flies and it is the most obnoxious smell!

 

[WereBear]

I meant the smell in a room when there's a lot of fruit flies present.

The same thing happens when I smell the air and announce there's going to be rain or a thunderstorm (That may have to do with my dramatic way of announcing it too, lol)

I am VERY dramatic; I like it. However, most people just look at you like you have kicked them in the brain.

 

[wight]

most people just look at you like you have kicked them in the brain.

 

[Optimus]

I am a purveyor of useless facts. Usually triggered by someone saying something and me retrieving some obscure, related fact. This is especially so in terms of movie facts and trivia. So much so that every day work we have a random spot where I get my random out lol I am also known as Mr. IMBD...