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What are the upsides, the advantages you have that come with your autism/autism spectrum?

AmyB8484

AmyB8484

Well-Known Member
What are the upsides, the advantages you have that come with your autism/autism spectrum? If you had a choice, would you change to being neurotypical?

As for me, I like being smart and being able to teach myself almost anything with the right resources (such as internet). Also, because I know what it's like to be rejected, I am more understanding and accepting of other people whom most people reject. Growing up, I would have chosen to be normal in a HEARTBEAT! But now, I guess I'm ok with the way I am, I guess because I wouldn't want to give up the advantages.

What about you?
 
I guess an upside for me would be that I'm so disconnected from other people I tend to have less drama in my life. Still there, but it could've been way worse, were I a social butterfly with lots of "friends".

But as with all things I have going on, I don't know if it's actually autism that makes it be the way it is, or if it's part of my personality. I mean, perhaps I would've been just as much as a recluse as I am now, if I weren't on the spectrum.

Probably more, but this is one that comes to mind right now.
 
I know what you mean, as far as not knowing if it's the Aspergers or just part of your personality, because I know that plenty of people who are not Aspies have the same trait. I am that way too, so I wonder the same thing. Sometimes I feel guilty about it, like maybe it means I'm self-centered or something. But often when I try to make myself spend more time with my family or friends, the whole time I'm antsy because I just want to go back to my room to do an activity I'm obsessed with.

But 1 good thing about that is, you become your own person with your own original ideas, think outside of the box. I'm spending my alone time teaching myself about computers, learning things on the internet that are useful in life, etc. I guess its that I try to make the best of that trait, since I can't change it.
 
The upside to my Autism is that it's who I am and I will never ever want to change that. I figure no matter what your Neurology is, your always going to have your good and bad with it.
 
I like generally being different from everyone else. I like thinking and reasoning differently, being able to think of and see things that no one else does, getting way more out of sensory experiences, deriving more pleasure from interests, being able to focus on things closely and for long periods of time, and being able to learn and retain a lot of information about my interests.
I would never want to become a neurotypical. I'd probably be interested in trying it out for maybe a day just to see what it's like, but I wouldn't want to stay that way.
 
Socially I wish to be neurotypical. Sometimes. If I was an NT, I would probably be one of those jocks or someone like that. I'd be a cheerleader and be popular. People say I'm pretty but pretty and confused, crazed girl don't cross when is comes to friendships and relationships.

I'd be able to do a lot of things I may never do.
 
My Asperger's started to sound fun in college when I would habitually destroy the bell curve in all of my classes without even noticing. I remember when people started saying "What happened to the curve" "...Alyx"
It was fun until other people caught on and decided I was doing it on purpose to be mean.
In all seriousness though, Asperger's has given me much more time on my hands than most people will ever have. That's an enormous advantage, and although it doesn't bridge the divide between myself and other people I can't help but feel lucky.
 
In my case, I really don't feel like I've inherited any sort of advantage from having Asperger's. I would give a lot to be neurotypical.
 
The way I think I'd say is an advantage. It's different and I have fun solving things in my weird way. Being NT would be nice, but I don't think I'd be willing to give up how I think. I also don't see too many gains from being able to join in idle chit-chat with my co-workers :p
 
I've always thought my best inate skill was the ability to detect patterns and draw sensible conclusions from seemingly random collections of data. Never gave it much thought until I began to explore my own autism and possibly connect it to this.

Of course trying to read between the lines of causal conversations in real time is another matter!
 
None. No upside at all.

Actually, my experience is that AS is at the root of all my difficulties in getting a livelihood. I did have a career for about 13 years, once being a senior portfolio manager, and once setting up a hedge fund and running its investments. I was a consistently good (award winning) portfolio manager - the rarest of skills. That all came to an end over 12 years ago.

All my endeavors since have failed just as soon as other people come into the equation, and in spite of hundreds of applications for jobs I am well qualified for, and with a track record that backs it up, I have never even got a second interview, not once, and am now reduced to poverty.

When disasters happen, markets go wild and it's really difficult and stressful to look after the money. Take 9/11 - I was portfolio manager of a small hedge fund, and saw - live on TV - the second plane fly into the WTC, and it was clear the world had changed, and the market s went crazy: We could have lost our business that day and substantial amounts of our investors money. Stress, on a scale of 1 to 10? That was an 8, there, or there abouts.

But my boss coming across the floor to talk to me, any time during my career, stress, 10; called into his office? 10+. Go figure.

What I'm getting at is that the downside of not being able to find any kind of livelihood, overshadows everything else. Maybe if I had a livelihood - enough money coming in the door to pay bills and to be certain that I will be able to keep a roof over my head, then maybe the other sides: clarity of thought, knowledge, skill, attention to detail, special engaging interests etc. might be be good, but confronted with the reality of the situation, nothing.

Actually, I didn't know I had AS until I figured out that I probably had and it was the probable cause of all my difficulties, about 15 months ago, and I didn't get a formal diagnosis until 10 months ago (aged 48). Here's the one good bit to emerge from my experience: my problems were not caused by my having AS, but by my not knowing it.

Had I known, I would have pursued a different career strategy, and ended up being settled and happy in my work, well enough off, and enjoying it all. But I didn't know, and followed different strategies that could not possibly have worked, and so ended up with disastrous results.
 
I would have to to say attention to detail. The ability to drill down to the microscopic layer to filter out the detritus
 
I love my ability to hyperfocus and memorize things easily. Also, I love happy stimming! It feels amazing!
 
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