Most of the time when someone sees a person with Asperger’s, they see a list of problems, deficiencies, and weaknesses. While they might see positive traits, those positive traits are rarely associated with Asperger’s itself. I personally find it valuable to consider every side of a subject, so today I’m taking that positive side and listing out some of the strengths of Asperger’s.
1. Focused
Aspies tend to have a level of focus on a subject that is rarely matched by any of their peers. As a result, a wide range of subjects (including odd and arcane ones) are essentially mastered by aspies by our very nature.
In addition to this, aspies are very often worth trusting if a task is assigned to him/her. Being reliable is held in high esteem by the aspies I have been able to get to know over the years. 🙂
2. Detail oriented
Patterns are a sort of obsession for many aspies, and I am no exception. Speaking from experience, the importance of finding and holding to patterns is paramount! When a situation seems like it might be getting out of control, many times I find myself working behind the scenes to make the situation reach a sort of balance. 🙂 I really do think this helps everyone involved, and it puts my mind at ease.
3. Loyal
To a fault sometimes. Aspies tend to heavily value being an incredibly loyal friend or even acquaintance! Oftentimes this backfires when other people are far less than loyal, but I think fundamentally most aspies understand that if someone is less than kind or trustworthy to them it just goes to prove how valuable holding to those traits really can be. After all, if it hurts to have someone be less than loyal, surely that proves being loyal is the right way to go.
4. Fair/Just
It is a rare sight indeed to find an aspie who does not speak his or her mind directly. This approach to the world tends to make him/her see the world in a way that is very honest to his or her beliefs of what is right or wrong.
When an aspie sees something he or she feels is wrong, it is very likely that aspie will do something about it. (Even to the point of enacting substantial social damage to themselves)
5. Intelligent (Special Interests)
Partly in an effort to cope with the stress of sensory and social experiences and partly in pursuit of a personal goal and interest, many aspies (including myself) turn to focusing on a very narrow interest or small set of interests.
As a result of this common practice among aspies, it is incredibly common to find exceptional and precise talent from someone with Asperger’s. Occasionally these interests line up with highly demanded skills in the workplace and the aspie makes great strides in that given field. (See Temple Grandin)
6. Not inclined to deceive
For the same reason as point #4, aspies are commonly very intent on not deceiving others. For me, this comes from my natural inability to understand some smaller things other people do in social situations. It’s that rarity of honesty that leads me to value honesty so highly.
I am under the impression this trait is quite common among aspies.
7. Judgement of people based on actions
It has been my experience that aspies are much less likely to judge other people based on anything other than their literal actions (or how the aspie interprets those actions anyways). The flip side of this strength is that once an aspie does finally form an opinion about you, it is likely to take great effort to change that view. (This might not be universal, but it is my experience)
8. Sensitivity to sensory inputs allows for a unique perspective of the world
The fact that sensory information is so intense and sometimes painful for aspies is, perhaps surprisingly, not always a bad thing! The very fact that each input the world throws at us is literally seen differently than a neurotypical would see it guarantees that our perspective is a unique one (at least unique among neurotypicals). Often times this leads to innovations and ideas that might have never been considered otherwise*.
*Again I recommend you look up the name “Temple Grandin“! She is a fantastic example of this phenomenon 🙂
9. Speaking honestly about how they feel regardless of social context
This one is simply an extension of #6 in that aspies are not likely to deceive you. If they are speaking at all, it is likely you can trust what he or she says. This rings true very clearly when he or she is talking about his or her emotions! Be on guard though, the way an aspie talks about their emotions is likely going to be a bit different from the norm. Remember to listen.
10. Naturally seeks out patterns and order in things
In an effort to form their world to make that much more sense, aspies very often make focused efforts to find patterns in things. For me, this most often takes shape in looking for patterns in social behaviors to help counteract the difficulty in seeing smaller social cues.
I suspect this is why many aspies end up finding unexpected and useful solutions to things in their respective fields. Afterall, a lifetime of desperately seeking patterns has to do something? Right?
11. Time alone does not bother Aspies as much as it might a Neurotypical
This might sound lonely, but it really doesn’t have to be. The main reason aspies tend to enjoy spending time alone in relative quiet is because it allows them to have a clear mind and feel the peace of working on their field of interest most strongly. Of course, aspies enjoy spending time with others, but less of that is needed to make aspies content. (I know this is the case for me anyways).
I suspect that many of these strengths hold true for most if not all aspies, but keep this in mind: each of us is unique. Aspie or not. This list is a guideline and encouragement based on my own experience, intuition, and research.
If you have further questions about Asperger’s, email me at “wouldaspie@gmail.com” and I’ll try to answer your question in article form here on wouldaspie.org!