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Ten positive traits of autism

I'd say many of these are generally true, in our natural state, although there are as many variations in our brains as in any other group. However, by the time we get to this forum we are probably not in our natural state anymore. I remember being straightforward, direct, and honest, an independent and creative thinker, happily following my own set of social rules, and not being afraid to be myself. Unfortunately, many years of those things not working out very well taught me to keep all of that to myself and to try to blend in. I'm now trying to regain some of that and blend it with my adult understanding of the world so it can work to my advantage this time.

I certainly agree with the general principle of the list. I'm very tired of everything bad being considered autism and everything good being considered that parts of the person that have escaped autism. Autism is one of many parts that make up everything my brain can do, good and bad.

Another good thing it has done for me is make it easier for me to understand and value people who are not like me. Humans naturally understand and relate to people who are similar to themselves, so when you grow up in a world where everyone is a lot like you, you never have to teach your brain how to deal with differences. I grew up in a world that wasn't like me, so I had to learn how to intentionally connect with people who I don't understand, and those skills transfer over to connecting with people who most people don't understand. We struggle because we weren't born with many of the social shortcuts that most NTs have, but if we learn to get to the same place anyway we might understand it better than they do. The challenge is figuring out how to get there, and being given the chance and supportive environment to learn it.
 
To be honest, that is more for classic autistic people, than those on the spectrum.

If the official guideline went by those points, I would not be diagnosed as on the spectrum.

I do most certainly get hyperfocused, to the point of making my husband feel sensitive at my lack of acknowledging him. I also have a natural ability, but unable to utilise it for the benefit of others.

I have my routines, but there are times, when I can't cope with them and have to change something.

I most certainly not comfortable with being me!
 
Suzanne said:
To be honest, that is more for classic autistic people, than those on the spectrum.
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People with so-called 'classic autism' are on the spectrum. Nowadays most people receive a diagnosis of ASD regardless of where they are on the spectrum.

I agree with most, but I would say the 5, 8, 10 are true only for some people, and what attributes they may have also depends on any comorbid conditions they may have and their personality - most people on the spectrum have one or two comorbid condtions.
 
Mia, all of those traits are so true for me, thank you for this, especially number 7 - whilst I can verbalise what I see, i have difficulty in understanding what people mean unless we draw a picture, words just stress me.
I am quite stressed today, I have reached the end of my diagram, my diagnosis and I want to now get back and help my family more, everybody is saying its Ok, but for me it isn't. This list did cheer me up. Thank you
 
Peter Morrison said:
I like this post because I like being reminded that our quirks have a special value. I also think these same qualities are responsible for us getting into trouble with conventional systems, methods, and cooperative efforts. We don't act, think, or do like others, making us weird and peculiar in the minds of the NT world. We can accomplish goals and make contributions by going our own way, but it makes people nervous when they don't understand our methods. There are many places in our world where our extreme behaviors produce superior results. This added value is usually only appreciated by people who know us well because they have seen us in action and trust us. To the rest of the world, we're just weird.
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I just wish the employers/colleagues/clients/audience can see past the communication problem of autistic people. Autistic people or Aspies really focus and do well in what they do, so I think they shine in research field. (Downside: not much research jobs, and many research jobs are coupled with communication-related sub-jobs).
 
BlueSky Aozora said:
Is that true? I see/read that many hfa only do what interests them.. which seems quite narrow.
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It likely depends on the individual, when children they might have varied interests which change over time. Or specific things that they focus on. It probably depends too on the things they are exposed to as children.
 
Tom said:
Same with me exactly. I have trouble remembering my own phone number.
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I believe that is because most of us have cell phones and the phones store all of our numbers for us. The number that I call the most is my wife's and I have no idea what it is. I go to the contact list and the first contact is "AKatie". I click on that to call her.
 
clg114 said:
I believe that is because most of us have cell phones and the phones store all of our numbers for us. The number that I call the most is my wife's and I have no idea what it is. I go to the contact list and the first contact is "AKatie". I click on that to call her.
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Yes, you don't call your own number, its true. But I have been asked for it hundreds of times. Part is I get nervous and freeze up a little (though I am practiced at hiding it). It gets worse then that even.

Receptionist: 'Name'
Me: 'Um...name..' and I am thinking to myself 'ok... now quiet your mind... your name will come to you, you got this!'
 
In relation to #4 I would also say, that we are aware of the subtleties and notice more connections between things.




Mia said:
https://www.cbc.ca/parents/learning...-positive-traits-that-people-with-autism-have

1. Autistic people are extremely passionate about what interests them.
An attribute that translates to hyper focusing and researching those interests until they have a deep understanding of the subject matter. They also have a wide variety of interests.

2. They are straightforward, direct and honest.
They mean what they say and aren't afraid to tell you what they truly think.

3. Autistic people perceive the world differently and process information in unique ways.
As a result, they are independent and creative thinkers.

4. They are detail-oriented and they pay attention to the finer details that others often miss.

5. They love routines and will happily maintain those routines with great success.

6. People with autism have a good memory and an amazing ability to recall facts.

7. Autistic people also tend to be visual thinkers.
As a result, they can visualize solutions to problems, as well as other things, better than most people can.

8. They follow their own unique set of social rules, which means they often don't bully people, judge others or get easily swayed by peer pressure.
They don't feel the pressure to fit in like most people do. I bet most people wished they had these attributes!

9. Autistic people are smart.
Many have above-average intelligence. Yes, even pre-verbal or non-verbal autistic people! This is where I insert my reminder about always presuming competence...

10. Autistic people aren't afraid to be themselves.
They're unique and quirky, and don't get bothered by what other people think of them. They just continue to be the unique individual they are by embracing and sharing their passions with the world.


Note: This is written by a Mother, raising high functioning autistic children. It is general.

Comments? Can you add any more positives?
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Tom said:
Yes, you don't call your own number, its true. But I have been asked for it hundreds of times. Part is I get nervous and freeze up a little (though I am practiced at hiding it). It gets worse then that even.

Receptionist: 'Name'
Me: 'Um...name..' and I am thinking to myself 'ok... now quiet your mind... your name will come to you, you got this!'
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That is what business cards are for, that and writing notes on the back.
 
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I can visualize maps but pictures and ideas are like oatmeal in my head. I often forget what people I know well look like, and it's an exciting surprise the next time i see them. I feel like "Hey! I know you!" Or I don't realise it's them.

These traits on the list seem to be written by a parent of a child rather than the individual themself.

What about eye contact, invasive thoughts, memory gaps, social isolation that feels oh so good, rocking, pondering stuff that comes naturally to NTs, being gentle to animals and little kids, rigidity of thought without being able to understand subtle nuances, etc?
 
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Yeshuasdaughter said:
...I often forget what people I know well look like, ...?
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I can do this a lot too.
I'd always thought it may have been because I didn't care, it wasn't important to me.

Their 'packaging' wasn't what I was interested in,
More interested in their words, thoughts and ideas.

If someone asked me right now,
"what does your husband look like?"
I might reply, "kind"

I have an idea of his character, morals, beliefs, likely choices, etc, built up over 30 yrs.

I'd have to dig deeper and give it more thought to provide an accurate physical description.
 
I have problems with 1 and 7
I can't seem to find my interest and I have problems visualising things
 
6, 9 and 10 don't relate to me at all although I am getting better at dealing with 10.

I visualized made up countries, radio/TV stations, shows. I had a fantasy about Channel 75 an comedy station for the lonely later evolving into IR which stands for "Impossible Relationships". IR Radio was an Ambient station until I found a real one here.

As for 7 I can problem solve issues with computers by finding solutions that others can't seem to solve but when it comes to math and science I flunk out bad.
 
I read in a study that paradoxically people with asd are both easier to get stressed/ overwhelmed/ upset while also being more resilient and capable of bouncing back from their traumatic experiences. That is definitely my experience. I have had many very traumatizing and painful experiences that I’ve been able to bounce back from. However what I bounce back to is a state of nervously blissful confusion which isn’t really that great.

I am not sure about everyone with asd but I think I am way more compassionate because of it. I am deeply disturbed by all that is wrong with the world and try to do what I can when I can to fix injustices. Rooting for the underdogs are a natural thing for us since we find underdogs relatable. Growing up with asd I think forces you to see that life can be really hard and unfair to some groups more than others. While I gravitate towards helping animals because I see defenseless underdogs in need of protection, I also feel the same towards oppressed people. The more oppressed and defenseless, the more I will be pushed to help. And I’m fearless when it comes to standing up for what’s right and I will put myself in harm’s way to try to do the right thing. I wouldn’t yell my views at someone but I have ran in front of cars for animals and things like that. And I will swallow my social anxiety and fear of confrontation to tell someone that they or their kids shouldn’t chase or throw things at animals and that I will report them if they do not stop.
 
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