Do you think having autism is mostly an advantage or disadvantage?

[Ruby]

What do you like and dislike about autism? Do you think aspergers or just high functioning autism is better? Do you sometimes wish you were more neutrotypical or normal or are you happy the way you are?

 

[Mike_GX1]

Autism is a hurdle and like all hurdles in life it can be overcome or bypassed.

When you become at one with your autism it becomes like a glove with a perfect fit and you will live harmoniously with it and not let it stop you doing what you want in life.

 

[Soup]

"When you become at one with your autism it becomes like a glove with a perfect fit and you will live harmoniously with it and not let it stop you doing what you want in life." -Mike_GX1

Acceptance is so important. Those who choose to be at war with their Autism or Aspieness will turn it into a constant obstacle & will always feel like it is disadvantageous.

In my case, I love being an Aspie & would never even consider a cure. What I'd like to see is teachers receiving much better & more specialized training to understand & know how to handle & educate Aspies in a way that actually HELPS them blossom as who they are rather than ways that try to de-Aspify them. Being a kid & a teen is hard enough without the adults in authority around you making you feel defective or flawed. So many of us are highly intelligent, have a lot of particular talents & skills that nobody ever helps us to develop into a lucrative career. Very successful Aspies seldom reach out to the broader community to help guide & mentor others. I'd like to see an Aspie outreach mentoring programme.

It is one thing for some caring NT teacher to tell you that you can achieve your dreams despite being an Aspie. They mean well when they do this & they're trying to be encouraging BUT who wants to succeed DESPITE who they are? It would be much better to be able to speak to a fellow Aspie who HAS succeeded in your area of interest who can help you navigate the challenges & pitfalls while using your Aspie traits to your advantage.

As an Aspie teacher, Autie & Aspie students suss me out immediately & we get along well. BUT, since I have to avoid the appearance of any bias, I must be careful. If there was a mentor programme, I could help these kids in an entirely different way. Sad thing is that in this ultra conservative profession, I have to appear in full NT drag whenever any other teachers or staff members are around. Coming out as an Aspie would jeopardize my career.

 

[Kelly]

I find it to be a massive disadvantage to me but mainly only relating to the social side of things.

Most days I feel quite down about having no friends, but I feel even more sad about my pathetic attempts at communicating, if I'm not completely mute in social situations, guaranteed I will be saying the wrong thing because I can't keep up or can't think of the right answer fast enough. Even online, most of the time I find it so hard to put my thoughts into words and fully explain what I mean so most of the time I just don't, that's why I post for a bit and then disappear for days, weeks or months because I get so tired of trying to socialise/communicate.

 

[Bay]

It depends on what day you ask me. At times it is an advantage, at others it is a distinct disadvantage. I can't say whether or not I would trade it for being neurotypical, as it is all I have ever known. Being neurotypical often does not look very appealing to me.

(Hi Kelly! )

 

[Divrom]

Disadvantage.

It makes navigating the normal (read, predominantly NT) world exhausting.

 

[WildCat]

It can be a bit of both, in my past I've found it to be anything but an advantage, just more of a defect and a reason to be miserable and just give up on life...now that I'm coming to terms with it I'm beginning to reconsider my previous stance. I'd like to be "normal" for a day or two, just for the hell of it if I could, but my old self would likely be calling back again and...well, it's probably not what it's cracked up to be.

 

[NeverEnder]

It is a mix. Counting the meltdowns and social problems it may seem like a deficit. But there is the different way we look at and perceive things, the high-functioning benefits in some case that sets us apart from the rest. This makes it positive and I am quite content with having Aspergers.

Some might say we are a genetic evolution beyond the typical NT populous and all their convoluted reasonings and focus on unimportant matters. Do I think I'm better than the NTs because I have Aspergers? In some ways, most definitely. I am blessed with a special factor.

 

[Soup]

@ Neverender: That was a well thought out post. those who have meltdowns & anxiety issues would likely find Asperger's to be more of a pain. Very emotionally sensitive Aspies might have a tougher time of it too. Being emotionally flat-lined spares me much of the grief others are challenged by. Also, since I don't see a need for having friends any more than I feel like I need a combine harvester, I don't feel like I'm missing out on social stuff.

 

[Dragon's Tooth]

Disadvantage: to really get anywhere in this world you need to play the game. To play the game of life you need social skills. Also not a lot of people like the truth even if they claim they want to hear it. So without having a natural filter for giving people what they want to hear (in other words pissing people off which isn't good if you piss off your boss for instance (bye bye promotion)) then life can be a real challenge. That coupled with the fact that most people network at the pub rather than at work then we have that against us. Then there is the massive fear of talking to the opposite sex. which makes finding a partner harder. The depression and anxiety I would be happy to live without as well.

Advantage: Harder to sucker an aspie. We tend to look for the truth so its harder to pull the wool over our eyes. this means we also are able to make up our own minds. I love the way we think and this also means we see the truth in the world which a lot of people either can't see or don't want to see. A thirst to understand and know what is out there makes it all worth while. I enjoy my creative streak that brings a spark of vibrancy to my life.