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:
- are able to easily forgive others
- are conscientious, reliable, and honest
- are enthusiastic and have a propensity for obsessive research, thus developing a broad and deep base of knowledge in subjects of interest
- are free of prejudice
- are intelligent and talented
- are less inclined to be fickle or bitchy than their neurotypical counterparts
- are more likely than those of the general population to pursue a university education
- are not inclined to lie to others
- are not inclined to steal from others
- are not likely to be bullies, con artists, or social manipulators
- are not motivated by an intense social drive to spend time with whoever happens to be available
- are persistent, and when they set their minds to something or make a promise, they can usually be trusted to follow through
- are unlikely to launch unprovoked attacks, verbal or otherwise
- are untainted by the judgments that people often make regarding one another's social position or social skills
- are very accepting of the quirks and idiosyncrasies of others
- bring a highly original perspective to problem solving
- can be selective, choosing honest, genuine, dependable people who share their interests
- can bring up a variety of interesting facts
- can listen to people’s problems and provide a fresh perspective, offering pure assessments based on the information provided
- can recall fine details that others miss
- can relax and be themselves without fearing social censure
- don’t attack the reputations of those around them
- don’t discriminate against anyone based on race, gender, age, or any other surface criteria
- don’t force others to live up to demanding social expectations
- don't have hidden agendas
- don’t play head games
- don’t take advantage of other’s weaknesses
- 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
- have a good work ethic
- have a lot of passion when engaging in activities they like, which may translate into a talent for certain athletic pursuits
- have a tendency to adhere to routines
- have above-average intelligence
- have an acute sensitivity that supports creative talents
- have exceptional memories
- have extreme endurance
- have high integrity
- have no interest in harming others
- have one or more highly developed talents
- have talents for swimming, rowing, running, bodybuilding, or other activities that require sustained physical effort
- have values that aren't shaped by financial, social, or political influences
- judge people based on their behavior – not the color of their skin or socioeconomic status
- like to spend time alone and are perfectly capable of entertaining themselves
- loathe small talk and trivialities, preferring instead to talk about significant things that will enhance their knowledge base
- make very good employees if able to control their pace and work within either a solitary or socially supportive environment
- pay attention to detail
- stick to their positions, even in the face of intense social pressure
- tend to become proficient in the technological media required for lucrative employment in the “information age”
- tend to prefer individual sports to team sports, as there are no social demands and they can exercise complete control over the activity
- who develop an interest in sport or fitness are likely to work at it every day, often for long periods of time
- will not go along with the crowd if they know that something is wrong
==> How To Prevent Meltdowns and Tantrums In Children With High-Functioning Autism and Asperger's
==> Parenting System that Significantly Reduces Defiant Behavior in Teens with Aspergers and High-Functioning Autism
==> Launching Adult Children with Asperger's and High-Functioning Autism: Guide for Parents Who Want to Promote Self-Reliance
==> Teaching Social Skills and Emotion Management to Children and Teens with Asperger's and High-Functioning Autism
==> Parenting Children and Teens with High-Functioning Autism: Comprehensive Handbook
==> Unraveling The Mystery Behind Asperger's and High-Functioning Autism: Audio Book
==> Highly Effective Research-Based Parenting Strategies for Children with Asperger's and High-Functioning Autism
20 comments:
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.
Hip hip hooray! I wish I was as earnest
perhaps moderate forms of Aspergers is what the human race needs to evolve to our race's next level?
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!
After reading that the world would be a better place if everyone had traits of aspergers in them
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.
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.
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.)
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
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.
It seems it would be a better world if more people had these traits.
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.
Your comment is sooo... true.(im an aspie ;)
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.
Love this I'm autistic and its purfect
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!
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!
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
Neurotypicals are very strange people, I'd hate to have their afflictions.
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!
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