9 Positive Autistic Traits (that you may not already know!) | Patrons Choice
Summary
TLDRIn this video from Asperger's from the Inside, Paul discusses nine positive traits commonly found in autistic individuals. These traits include attention to detail, persistence, creativity, honesty, non-judgmental attitudes, loyalty, empathy, flexibility, and a strong sense of justice. Paul emphasizes that while these traits can be strengths, they can also present challenges. The video highlights the diversity and unique strengths of autistic people, encouraging viewers to appreciate these traits and understand their dual nature as both strengths and potential weaknesses.
Takeaways
- 😊 Autistic people break stereotypes, with common traits that can surprise you.
- 🔍 Attention to detail is a well-known autistic trait, leading to specialized skill sets.
- 💪 Persistence is another trait, characterized by hyper-focus and high standards.
- 🎨 Creativity and thinking outside the box are common among autistic individuals.
- 🗣️ Autistic people value honesty and clear communication, avoiding unspoken assumptions.
- 🤝 They are non-judgmental and radically accepting of diversity.
- 👥 Loyalty is significant, with strong relationships being highly valued.
- 💔 High empathy is a myth; many autistic individuals feel they have too much empathy.
- 🌟 Flexibility, despite the stereotype of rigidity, allows for creative problem-solving.
- ⚖️ A strong sense of justice and fairness is prevalent, driving a desire for continual improvement.
Q & A
What is the main focus of the video?
-The video focuses on highlighting nine positive traits commonly found in autistic people, emphasizing their strengths and how they can be beneficial in various aspects of life.
What is the first positive autistic trait mentioned?
-The first positive autistic trait mentioned is 'attention to detail,' which allows autistic individuals to excel in specialized areas and see things that others might miss.
How does the trait of 'attention to detail' manifest in autistic individuals?
-It manifests as having specialized skills in particular areas of interest, often leading to high standards and a deep focus on these areas, sometimes at the expense of the bigger picture.
What is the second trait discussed in the video?
-The second trait discussed is 'persistence,' which is related to hyperfocus and the difficulty autistic people often have in changing gears from one task to another.
How can the trait of persistence be both a strength and a weakness?
-Persistence can be a strength as it demonstrates determination and the ability to stick with a task until it is completed to a high standard. However, it can also be a weakness when it leads to stubbornness or difficulty moving on to new tasks.
What does the video say about autistic people and creativity?
-The video states that autistic people are often very creative, thinking outside the box and coming up with innovative solutions, which can be an asset in various fields such as art, music, and problem-solving.
How is the trait of honesty and directness beneficial in a work environment?
-Honesty and directness ensure clear communication and transparency within a team, reducing assumptions and misunderstandings, which can lead to a more genuine and effective work culture.
What does the video mention about autistic people and being non-judgmental?
-The video mentions that autistic people are often non-judgmental, accepting diversity and different ways of being without attaching value judgments, which fosters a more inclusive and accepting environment.
Why might autistic individuals be described as highly empathic despite common stereotypes?
-Autistic individuals can be highly empathic because they notice small details and are sensitive to others' emotions. The misconception of lacking empathy may stem from difficulties in social communication and the 'double empathy problem.'
What is the ninth positive trait discussed, and what does it imply about autistic individuals?
-The ninth positive trait is having a strong sense of justice, implying that autistic individuals are often very concerned with fairness and continuous improvement, striving to make society better and not accepting 'just because' as a valid reason for actions.
How does the video suggest that strengths and weaknesses are related in autistic traits?
-The video suggests that every strength has a corresponding weakness. For example, attention to detail can mean missing the bigger picture, and persistence can lead to stubbornness. It emphasizes the importance of recognizing both aspects in autistic traits.
Outlines
🔍 Introduction and Purpose
The video introduces nine positive autistic traits that are commonly found among autistic individuals, breaking stereotypes and highlighting strengths. The host, Paul, from 'Asperger's from the Inside,' aims to share the human side of autism. He emphasizes the importance of understanding these traits, which are unique to each person, contributing to the diversity of the autistic community. The focus is on the positives, despite acknowledging the downsides of being autistic.
🔍 Attention to Detail
Attention to detail is a well-known autistic trait. Many companies seek out autistic individuals for their exceptional attention to detail, which often translates into specialized skills and expertise in specific areas. Autistic people may have varying levels of intelligence and memory, but they consistently focus on details, sometimes at the expense of the bigger picture. This specialization can be a significant asset in the workplace.
🔍 Persistence and Hyper Focus
Persistence, related to hyper focus, is another positive trait. Autistic individuals often find it difficult to switch tasks, leading to deep, focused work on a single task. This can be perceived as stubbornness or rigidity but is driven by a desire for thoroughness and high standards. Autistic people often need a high level of certainty before moving on to the next step, which can result in exceptional quality and dedication in their work.
🎨 Creativity and Innovation
Creativity is a hallmark of many autistic individuals, who often think outside the box and innovate in various fields such as art, music, writing, and more. This trait, combined with attention to detail, allows autistic people to bring unique perspectives and solutions to teams and projects, making them valuable assets in creative and problem-solving roles.
🗣️ Honesty and Clear Communication
Autistic individuals are often known for their honesty and straightforwardness. They prefer clear, direct communication, avoiding unspoken assumptions and ensuring everyone is on the same page. This can be beneficial in team settings, fostering transparency and genuine interactions. However, it may sometimes come across as bluntness or social inappropriateness.
🤝 Non-Judgmental Attitude
Many autistic people are non-judgmental, often not recognizing societal norms or hierarchies. They tend to accept people as they are, without preconceived notions of good or bad. This radical acceptance of diversity can be a strength, promoting inclusivity and equality, but may sometimes result in missing social cues or expectations.
🤗 Loyalty in Relationships
Loyalty is a strong trait among autistic individuals. Building meaningful relationships can be challenging, so when they find genuine connections, they are deeply committed to maintaining them. This intense loyalty can be a strength but might also lead to staying in dysfunctional relationships longer than advisable due to a reluctance to let go.
🌟 High Empathy
Contrary to common belief, many autistic people experience high levels of empathy. They can be highly sensitive to others' emotions and may even feel overwhelmed by too much empathy. This sensitivity is sometimes misunderstood due to differences in social communication and expression.
🌐 Flexibility and Adaptability
Autistic individuals can be highly flexible, thinking outside the box and finding creative solutions. While they need structure and routine to function well, their openness to new ideas and systematic approaches to life make them excellent problem solvers. This flexibility contrasts with the stereotype of rigidity and resistance to change.
⚖️ Strong Sense of Justice
A strong sense of justice and fairness is common among autistic individuals. They often focus on rules and equality, driven by personal values of continual improvement and fairness. This trait can lead to challenging the status quo and advocating for better practices, although it might sometimes cause friction in hierarchical or traditional settings.
🎬 Conclusion and Call to Action
The video concludes by emphasizing that every strength can also be a weakness, depending on perspective. The host encourages viewers to focus on the positive traits of autistic individuals and recognize their potential. He thanks the Patreon community for their support and invites viewers to join the community to influence future content. The video ends with a call to comment on favorite autistic traits and a promise of more content in the future.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Autistic traits
💡Attention to detail
💡Persistence
💡Creativity
💡Honesty
💡Non-judgmental
💡Empathy
💡Flexibility
💡Sense of justice
💡Special interests
Highlights
Autistic people often possess a strong attention to detail, a trait that many companies seek to leverage in the workplace.
The ability to hyper-focus is a common trait, leading to persistence and high standards in areas of interest.
Autistic individuals are often creative and think outside the box, contributing innovative ideas in various fields.
Honesty and direct communication are typical, leading to clear and transparent interactions.
Autistic people tend to be non-judgmental, embracing diversity and ignoring hierarchical structures.
Loyalty is a strong trait, resulting in deep commitment to relationships and organizations.
The myth of autistic people lacking empathy is debunked, with many experiencing high levels of empathy.
Autistic individuals often exhibit flexibility, finding creative solutions outside of conventional norms.
A strong sense of justice and fairness drives autistic people to seek continual improvement and fairness.
Every autistic strength can also be perceived as a weakness, depending on perspective.
Attention to detail may lead to missing the bigger picture.
Persistence can be seen as stubbornness or rigidity.
Creativity often results in non-conformity and disregard for social norms.
Honesty and directness can sometimes appear blunt and tactless.
Loyalty might lead to difficulties in ending unproductive relationships.
Empathy, while high, can lead to sensitivity and overwhelm.
Flexibility requires structure and stability to function effectively.
A strong sense of justice may cause individuals to challenge norms and 'rock the boat.'
Transcripts
Nine Positive Autistic traits.
Nine Traits of autism that you may not already know.
Autistic people tend to break all the stereotypes,
but there are some traits that almost all of us have in common.
Some may be familiar to you, others may surprise you.
Just wait till we get to number seven and eight.
Welcome to today's Patron's Choice video from Asperger's from the Inside.
You're here with Paul and I make weekly videos sharing the human side of autism,
so make sure you hit Subscribe to get the latest content.
So ever since discovering I was on the spectrum a couple of years ago, I've met
lots and lots of other autistic people.
And what I've noticed is that there are some traits that almost all of us have in common.
So I really don't like to exaggerate, but it's no exaggeration to say that most, if not all,
autistic people I've ever met have most, if not all, of the traits we're about to talk about.
So exactly how these traits are expressed are uniquely different for every person,
and that's part of what makes the beautiful diversity of our community.
But there are some strengths that a lot of us have.
So this video is based on strength and positives.
There are also downsides to being autistic,
as you may know, but this video really focuses on those positives.
Okay, trait number one, attention to detail.
This is probably the autistic trait that is most well known, most well understood.
There are billion dollar companies around the world trying to leverage the strengths of
autistic people in the workplace by looking for those unique individuals that have a
fantastic attention to detail and can really bring a lot to
the company and see things that other people don't see.
So part of this means that we tend to have specialised skill sets.
So rather than being having our attention everywhere and being
able to do everything equally, we tend to focus on one or 2 things.
Sometimes they're called special interests,
and our attention to detail in those areas means that we have specialised skills in those areas.
This does not mean we all fall into the autistic savant category.
Most of us are nowhere near that. We have the entire range of intelligence.
Some of us are above average.
Some of us are below average.
Some of us have incredible memory.
Some of us have incredible memory for some things, and incredibly poor memory for other things.
So our special skills range across the whole spectrum of all of the traits of humanity.
But we do often focus our attention on the detail missing the rest of the picture.
So this brings us to the second positive autistic trait, which is being persistent.
And this relates to hyper focus
and sticking on one thing and not being very good at letting it go and moving on to the next thing.
So I know for myself it takes a lot of energy
to change gears from doing one thing to doing the next thing.
So that means that once I get into the groove of doing one thing,
letting it go, putting it down becomes really, really difficult.
So this links back into the attention to detail that if I'm
focused on one thing, I might be called stubborn, I might be called rigid.
People might say that my interests are very narrow and I'm not willing to look
outside that. This often looks like being very passionate and having extremely high standards.
So I know for myself before I can feel confident with something I need to have
about a 99% confidence level before I think that I know something and what I've noticed that
the neurotypicals around me, if they're about 60 to 70% sure, then they go with that decision.
Whereas I feel like I need to keep looking, keep asking the question, and be very, very,
very sure before I'm happy to say, yep, that's done and actually move on to the next step.
This might have something to do with having a lifetime of rejection and having the internal
message that, well, maybe if I succeed then finally, people might accept me.
So the next positive autistic trait is being creative, thinking outside the box,
ignoring social expectations, being innovative, creating new things.
And this could be in any area of life, it might be art or music or
dancing or writing or philosophy, you name it.
I guarantee you can find an autistic person who's creative in that area.
So this is really fantastic from a work perspective.
When you couple this with our attention to detail, we can think outside the box from
a fresh perspective and bring something to a team that would otherwise not be there.
And this is one of the reasons that there are so many really big companies
looking explicitly for autistic people to join their teams.
The next trait is being honest, straightforward,
direct, requiring - and giving - really, really clear communication.
So some people say that the reason they do this is that it's just way too hard to lie.
The kind of social skills that you need to try and figure that out is really difficult.
So we don't like unspoken things.
It's so much simpler if we just speak something out loud and then everyone is on the same page.
So again, in a work situation, this can be really beneficial for the whole team,
because instead of making assumptions, I would much rather see those things written
out and check my assumptions to make sure that everyone is on the same page.
And we have extremely clear communication between all of the team members.
So this often takes more time because we need to go back and check our understanding.
But it leads to a culture of transparency
where everyone can be genuine and actually say what they mean
rather than saying what they think is socially appropriate or acceptable in the situation.
So that means that we'll often put a hand up and say "something's not right here"
and this, again, can be a real asset
to a Corporation where you need people to actually say what they think.
And I think one of the reasons for this that I've observed is that autistic people tend to
have this need to be really genuine and authentic to themselves,
which means that rather than just following along with other people
and doing what is socially expected, we tend to be more comfortable going out on our own.
And this goes back to the creativity point.
I would much rather create something entirely new and do it by myself
than just go along with what is already happening and say and do what everyone around me is doing.
So that makes it easier for me to say what I think because I'm less
concerned about saying the right thing or saying the same thing as everyone else.
And as you may also see, sometimes this means that I might come across
as blunt or possibly socially inappropriate because I actually named the elephant in
the room that everyone else knew wasn't supposed to be talked about.
Trait number five is being non-judgmental, and what this looks like is just having no clue
that one thing is supposed to be good or supposed to be bad.
I just look at things and think that's a thing.
I remember I was on a business trip to camera speaking to all of the
ministers and senators about autism advocacy, and we were sitting in the canteen and there
were a couple of women who were dressed as if they were going to the horse races.
So I don't know if this is across every culture, but especially Melbourne in Australia,
people, especially women, really dress up and go and watch horse racing.
So this is really elaborate, colorful costumes, big hats and feathers and things.
When I saw these two,
I didn't really think anything of it because it didn't mean anything to me.
It wasn't even out of place.
It took one of my neurotypical colleagues to say, "Oh, that's a bit weird
I wonder what they're doing".
Whereas for me I was so out of place,
everything didn't make sense that I didn't even question what was going on.
It was just fine.
It was just a thing.
Why would I judge it as good or bad, or even notice that it was
different? So how this plays out is a lot of us tend to be radically accepting of diversity,
especially within the autism community, because we're all so different from each other.
The only way we can coexist is to be radically accepting of diversity,
especially within our own community.
The other thing this means is that I often forget to respect hierarchical power structures,
which means that I will talk to a CEO the same as I might talk to the
person, you know, begging for money on the street.
And I forget that I'm supposed to treat these two people differently, because in my mind,
aren't we all just human anyway, so that it can be a real strength, and it can also
come across as a little bit weird and sometimes socially inappropriate.
In some situation,
the next trait is being loyal.
It's hard to make friends, it's hard to find friends.
It's hard to build the kind of relationship that is actually worthwhile having.
So a lot of autistic people prefer to spend time alone, and
sometimes that's because finding other people to spend time with who actually,
like doing the same thing, or it's a genuinely positive experience can be quite difficult.
So when you find a person or an organisation or your employer
or someone that treats you really well and it's a really good relationship, we can work really,
really hard to keep that because it's so hard to find another solution that fits.
Unfortunately, intense loyalty also means that we might not be so good
at ending relationships that we probably should.
So that could mean going along with a dysfunctional relationship or
staying in a situation longer than we should,
because someone else would have just left because we're not being treated properly.
So trait number seven is being highly empathic.
Now you might think, Wait, what aren't autistic people supposed
to lack empathy? Isn't that what everyone says? Actually, we know that that's a myth.
There was an online survey run by Chris Bonello from Autistic Not Weird not that long ago,
and he actually found that a lot of people say that they feel like they have too much
empathy, and that is actually a problem compared to not having enough empathy.
So another way to think about this is that we can be really
sensitive to some things, and this makes sense when you think about it
through the frame of attention to detail, we notice small things
we can get affected by small things.
One of the reasons that people think we lack empathy is something called the double
empathy problem, that it's hard to relate to someone who's very, very different to you.
But on the other hand, think about someone like Temple Grandin.
So she had this amazing ability to understand and connect with cows that the
neurotypicals around her just couldn't really understand.
But at the same time, if you're relating to cows as much as you are relating to humans,
then that probably says that you're not really as close to your fellow human beings as you could be.
In fact, this was why sometimes, Asperger's is called Wrong Planet Syndrome, because some
people literally asked the question, Am I the same species as the people around me? Or was I somehow
accidentally dropped here by aliens? And now I have to learn how to get along with the natives.
So the other interesting thing that happens when you're really empathic
is that you see the real person that is talking to you.
So if you're talking to me and you're sad,
but you're pretending to be happy because that's the socially appropriate thing to do.
Then I will respond to you as if you're sad, and that makes people feel really uncomfortable
sometimes. I was supposed to know that if you're pretending to be happy,
I should treat you as if you're happy and pretend I can't see the sad.
So it took me a long time to learn that just because someone is actually sad,
if they're saying they're happy, I need to pretend they're happy.
And that just blew my mind.
But unfortunately, these kinds of complicated social dynamics lead a lot of autistic people to
feel like we don't understand other people's emotions because I thought you were sad
but you're telling me that you're happy and there's no congruence there.
Actually, you're probably right.
There is often no congruence between a person's actual state and their actual actions.
But this is just a really complicated social thing that we need to learn.
So number eight is that I have found that, ironically, autistic people tend to be extremely
flexible which, again, this goes completely against the common wisdom
that we're supposed to be rigid and not liking change and all of these things.
But again, if you think about it, if we think outside the box,
find creative solutions, ignore the social norms around us, then anything is possible.
I'm not going to do something because I'm supposed to
I can do absolutely anything.
So when especially when you combine this with difficulty judging whether something
is a good idea or a bad idea, it's just an idea, and I'm happy to think about it.
This means that we need structure and stability and routine
and order and all of these things so that we can actually function in life.
Otherwise anything is possible.
And I have no idea where to start.
So another positive that comes out of flexibility is that it
means a lot of us have learned a very systematic approach to life.
So that means that I will get all the information
and put it through my system and come up with an answer.
And this has great benefit for problem solving and rational thinking and
structure and organising things.
And it actually comes from that need for structure because I'm so flexible
that I need to make a structure for myself so that I can function.
So number nine is having a very strong sense of Justice.
Now, this might come from a lifetime of being treated unfairly.
Who knows? But I find that a lot of us really get stuck on rules and fairness.
Perhaps if you're a parent, you may have come across this phenomenon.
For me personally, it's really hard to let things go when I know they could be better.
So a personal value of mine is continual improvement.
This goes hand in hand with seeing society and seeing how people work together and thinking
that is not okay in the future.
We need to keep doing better.
So the answer of 2it's just because that's how we do it",
"Because I said so"
All of those kind of answers just are not a good enough reason.
I need to know that there's
a process and a fairness and a justice to what we're doing and that we're getting better at doing that.
So I guess the message with that is, do not underestimate us.
The autistic people I know are some of the most hardworking, persistent, determined
people that I know, which means that we will keep going and keep trying until things get better.
And now for the most important lesson - we've seen nine strengths, nine positive traits.
It's important to realise that every strength is in itself a weakness and vice versa.
So the question then becomes, Which one do you see? Do you see the strength or do you
see the corresponding weakness? Let's take the positive traits we've just heard about.
Attention to detail means that I miss the bigger picture.
Persistence equals stubbornness.
Being creative means that I don't conform.
Being honest and direct means that I can be blunt and tactless.
Being non-judgemental means that I can have really poor social judgement.
Being loyal means that I might not be able to manage relationships properly
and I'll cling to a relationship that's not working instead of figuring out how to fix it.
Being empathic also means that I'm highly sensitive,
being flexible means that I need a lot of structure and stability
and having a really strong sense of justice means that I often rock the boat
and not everyone likes that.
So as you can see, black and white both occur in the same picture.
And the real question is, Which one are you going to focus on? So we might leave it there for today.
Thanks to our Patreon Community for voting for this topic.
If you'd like to have your say in next month's Patron's Choice video,
you can become a Cup of coffee supporter of this channel for less than a dollar a week.
So thanks for watching.
Make sure you leave a comment telling us what your favourite autistic trait is,
and we'll see you again next week.
Bye.
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