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50 Positive Characteristics of ASD [level 1]

Most kids and teens with ASD (high functioning autism) have a bunch of positive traits that more than make-up for any negative ones. As one Aspie asserted, “Thank God I have Aspergers!” 

Let’s look at just a few of the positive traits associated with the condition...

Most young people on the spectrum:
  1. are able to easily forgive others
  2. are conscientious, reliable, and honest
  3. are enthusiastic and have a propensity for obsessive research, thus developing a broad and deep base of knowledge in subjects of interest
  4. are free of prejudice
  5. are intelligent and talented
  6. are less inclined to be fickle or bitchy than their neurotypical counterparts
  7. are more likely than those of the general population to pursue a university education
  8. are not inclined to lie to others
  9. are not inclined to steal from others
  10. are not likely to be bullies, con artists, or social manipulators
  11. are not motivated by an intense social drive to spend time with whoever happens to be available
  12. are persistent, and when they set their minds to something or make a promise, they can usually be trusted to follow through
  13. are unlikely to launch unprovoked attacks, verbal or otherwise
  14. are untainted by the judgments that people often make regarding one another's social position or social skills
  15. are very accepting of the quirks and idiosyncrasies of others
  16. bring a highly original perspective to problem solving
  17. can be selective, choosing honest, genuine, dependable people who share their interests
  18. can bring up a variety of interesting facts
  19. can listen to people’s problems and provide a fresh perspective, offering pure assessments based on the information provided
  20. can recall fine details that others miss
  21. can relax and be themselves without fearing social censure
  22. don’t attack the reputations of those around them
  23. don’t discriminate against anyone based on race, gender, age, or any other surface criteria
  24. don’t force others to live up to demanding social expectations
  25. don't have hidden agendas
  26. don’t play head games
  27. don’t take advantage of other’s weaknesses
  28. don't usually recognize hierarchies, and so are unlikely to give someone superior status simply because that person is wealthy or has attained a high position in an organization
  29. have a good work ethic
  30. have a lot of passion when engaging in activities they like, which may translate into a talent for certain athletic pursuits
  31. have a tendency to adhere to routines
  32. have above-average intelligence
  33. have an acute sensitivity that supports creative talents
  34. have exceptional memories
  35. have extreme endurance
  36. have high integrity
  37. have no interest in harming others
  38. have one or more highly developed talents
  39. have talents for swimming, rowing, running, bodybuilding, or other activities that require sustained physical effort
  40. have values that aren't shaped by financial, social, or political influences
  41. judge people based on their behavior – not the color of their skin or socioeconomic status
  42. like to spend time alone and are perfectly capable of entertaining themselves
  43. loathe small talk and trivialities, preferring instead to talk about significant things that will enhance their knowledge base
  44. make very good employees if able to control their pace and work within either a solitary or socially supportive environment
  45. pay attention to detail
  46. stick to their positions, even in the face of intense social pressure
  47. tend to become proficient in the technological media required for lucrative employment in the “information age”
  48. tend to prefer individual sports to team sports, as there are no social demands and they can exercise complete control over the activity
  49. who develop an interest in sport or fitness are likely to work at it every day, often for long periods of time
  50. will not go along with the crowd if they know that something is wrong

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20 comments:

Unknown said...

This is a great website that is helping me more than anything else out there! Thanks for this, it helps when raising a little one with Asperger's.

Anonymous said...

Hip hip hooray! I wish I was as earnest

Beverly D. said...

perhaps moderate forms of Aspergers is what the human race needs to evolve to our race's next level?

Anonymous said...

Mark,

My name is Todd Garrison, Executive Director of ChildWise Institute. We are presenting a conference on Autism & Asperger’s Disorders on September 28th and 29th here in Helena, Montana. I found your blog post (50 Positive Characteristics of Asperger’s) and was wondering if we might use it at our conference. We will, of course, give you credit and point people to your blog, “My Aspergers Child”. Please take a look at our non-profit organization and let me know your thoughts.

Thanks so much!

Anonymous said...

After reading that the world would be a better place if everyone had traits of aspergers in them

Steve Borgman said...

Mark, thanks for sharing these wonderful Aspergers traits. I'm going to be referring to some of these for my argument that building internet businesses is one of the best ways for adults on the autism spectrum to provide employment for themselves.

Steve Borgman said...

This is such a great article. I'm referring to a number of these positive Aspergers characteristics as a rationale for my argument to adults with autism that building their own internet businesses can be a great way to provide employment for themselves.

Tree Man said...

While some of these were dead on, quite a few are the exact opposite of how my Aspergers affects my behavior, such as "1. are able to easily forgive others" - I find myself never forgiving those that don't show any sign of actual regret. A forced or fake apology usually means that I will never forgive them for they do not feel true regret, why lie when saying that you're sorry? Rhetorical since the reason for lying is social acceptability. Plus a few other ones that I won't list in the interest of keeping this short. Some other ones, are accurate but they tend to require a bit more detail, such as "34. have exceptional memories" - that is an extreme in both directions. If it's something I care about, I tend to know a lot about it and retain a ton of information on it, but if it's something that I have to fake interest in, then the information will not retain at all (such as birthdays, anniversaries and the full names of people that are not an important part of my life, like neighbors, co-workers and friends.)
Anyway, nice list, it was an interesting read, almost feels like someone out there gets it, well I mean comes really close to getting it, which is as close as a non-Aspie can get. :) <---Compliment, not insult (I can never tell if I'm insulting someone.)

Lushia said...

I have Asperger's and I can relate to most of these. The only ones I cannot relate to are the sports/physical activity-related ones. Aspies get fatigued rather quickly from having to manually process stimuli, so sports doesn't seem like a common aspie interest. Of course, everyone is different, so some can handle more than others.

I have my own blog about AS and wrote a post about fatigue and how we process information. Check it out here if you're interested. :)
http://life-of-an-aspie.blogspot.com/2013/10/aspergers-and-fatigue.html

Unknown said...

My Aspie isn't so sports inclined but music is another story. He practices his cello with the same enthusiasm and writes his own music as well. As pies are definitely dedicated when they find what they are good at and enjoy.

Unknown said...

It seems it would be a better world if more people had these traits.

anderessein said...

thank you for this text! He cleans up with different cliches. It also good to read something good about a itself, where else but just bad and sad is reported.

Unknown said...

Your comment is sooo... true.(im an aspie ;)

Seenbean said...

Lol. I enjoyed reading your input. I would actually like to hear the rest of the ones you agree with or disagree with to better understand. As an adult you can articulate your thoughts well. A child with Asbergers cannot always express their feelings as clearly but may feel the exact same way.

Unknown said...

Love this I'm autistic and its purfect

Ethan al said...

I was diagnosed when I was about 5 months old and now I'm 14 a freshman in high school. I'm not going to say that it's all gone but it's almost barley noticeable if you have any questions. Please feel free to ask me I have lived through it!

Ethan al said...

My name is Ethan I was diagnosed when I was about 5 months old I think. I struggled a lot with some of the basic things that came along with aspergers such as the awkwardness, eye contact, and focusing on one subject for a long duration of time. I am now 14 almost 15 and have little to no symptoms. I am a freshman in a college prep high school with a's and b's. If you have any questions feel free to email at thelessergamer@gmail.com I mean I lived through it so ask me anything you may need!

Unknown said...

I am the mother of a ten year old boy who was only recently diagnosed with asperges and I would not change him for anything.After reading this I was amazed that he has almost every trait on the list. Now that he knows he has asperges and has read up a lot on the subject he understands himself better and is better able to cope in situations especially other childrens perception of him.I feel truly blessed to have him in my life and do agree that the world would be a much better place if everyone saw life the way he does. I am one proud mama....x

Andy Pagin said...

Neurotypicals are very strange people, I'd hate to have their afflictions.

Unknown said...

I just feel exactly the same way. My boy is 7 years old and when he was diagnosed with aspergers last year, my husband and I were so scared. Now we all understand him much better and can truly appreciate all his positive traits. Like you, I wouldn't change him for anything!

My child has been rejected by his peers, ridiculed and bullied !!!

Social rejection has devastating effects in many areas of functioning. Because the ASD child tends to internalize how others treat him, rejection damages self-esteem and often causes anxiety and depression. As the child feels worse about himself and becomes more anxious and depressed – he performs worse, socially and intellectually.

Click here to read the full article…

How to Prevent Meltdowns in Children on the Spectrum

Meltdowns are not a pretty sight. They are somewhat like overblown temper tantrums, but unlike tantrums, meltdowns can last anywhere from ten minutes to over an hour. When it starts, the Asperger's or HFA child is totally out-of-control. When it ends, both you and your child are totally exhausted. But... don’t breathe a sigh of relief yet. At the least provocation, for the remainder of that day -- and sometimes into the next - the meltdown can return in full force.

Click here for the full article...

Parenting Defiant Teens on the Spectrum

Although Aspergers [high-functioning autism] is at the milder end of the autism spectrum, the challenges parents face when disciplining a teenager on the spectrum are more difficult than they would be with an average teen. Complicated by defiant behavior, the teen is at risk for even greater difficulties on multiple levels – unless the parents’ disciplinary techniques are tailored to their child's special needs.

Click here to read the full article…

Older Teens and Young Adult Children with ASD Still Living At Home

Your older teenager or young “adult child” isn’t sure what to do, and he is asking you for money every few days. How do you cut the purse strings and teach him to be independent? Parents of teens with ASD face many problems that other parents do not. Time is running out for teaching their adolescent how to become an independent adult. As one mother put it, "There's so little time, yet so much left to do."

Click here to read the full article…

Parenting Children and Teens with High-Functioning Autism

Two traits often found in kids with High-Functioning Autism are “mind-blindness” (i.e., the inability to predict the beliefs and intentions of others) and “alexithymia” (i.e., the inability to identify and interpret emotional signals in others). These two traits reduce the youngster’s ability to empathize with peers. As a result, he or she may be perceived by adults and other children as selfish, insensitive and uncaring.

Click here
to read the full article...

Highly Effective Research-Based Parenting Strategies for Children with Asperger's and HFA

Become an expert in helping your child cope with his or her “out-of-control” emotions, inability to make and keep friends, stress, anger, thinking errors, and resistance to change.

Click here for the full article...