Let's Think Positive!

 Autism can oftentimes be viewed in a negative light. Worrying about meltdowns, social skills and all around progress can be exhausting and daunting for autistic people and those who care about them. However, there is so much positivity we can gain from this condition as well. So, in the interest of shining some light on this potentially dark situation, here are some of the positive things that come from autism. 

People With Autism Rarely Lie

Most of us lie in our daily lives. Sometimes, it can be to keep that surprise party a secret or to spare another's feelings. There can be all kinds of reasons to feel the need to tell that little white lie. And these untruths can sometimes pop up in our conversations freely and frequently. 

Autistic people rarely lie. They rarely find the reason to. If they are capable, an autistic individual can express themselves honestly about how they are feeling or what they are doing. The situation doesn't matter. Positive or negative, an autistic person will usually be open with what they are saying. 

I have to be careful with Solon sometimes. If anything is phrased to him as a question, Solon honestly believes he has a choice. If I ask him if he can clean up his room a little, he will usually respond with "No. Not right now." Or at school, if he is asked if he would like to complete a problem, Solon will say "No, thank you." We forget that, even though these are phrased as questions, they actually aren't. One time, I asked Solon if he was excited that he was growing into a young man. He said he wasn't. When I asked him why, he answered with "I want you to do everything for me." Now, that's honesty!

People With Autism Rarely Judge Others

Let's face it. We are all human. Studies show that we judge people within the first few seconds after we meet. Subconsciously, we are gaging who is better looking, are they overweight, are they smarter than most. And, unfortunately, we use these answers to judge each other and decide whether or not we want to know them. 

Autistic people view the world differently. Most of them don't seem concerned with appearance. They don't seem to mind if they meet someone smarter than they are. They have this ability to treat everyone the same, free of prejudice. Some may even believe that they can cast off what they see on the outside and see who people really are. 

On that same note, people with autism don't shy away from other special needs individuals. A typical person might avoid interacting with a person with special needs. They may be uncomfortable or don't understand how they should be. Autistic people are comfortable with other special needs and can form friendly relationships with them. 

Solon is a very social boy. He faces some challenges with speech and conversation, so it is difficult for  him to make many friends. Despite his limitations, he still tries. I have seen him put in the same amount of effort trying to communicate with a typical child as he does with a special needs child. The differences between them don't phase him. He likes and appreciates everyone the same. I think this is a lesson we could all learn from. 

Autistic People Have Terrific Memories

This is not to say that typical people don't have wonderful memories. Many of us can hold and retain information to use later or pick out specific details on things we are interested in. Many typical people have great memories. Those who don't have found ways to compensate for it such as keeping a notebook in their pocket or storing their schedule in their phone with an alarm for a reminder. 

Autistic people seem to be more concerned with details of things. Especially with things they have an interest in. Many of them will have better memories than typical children. In fact, many autistic individuals have photographic memories. It's easy to be impressed by it. 

Solon often has the best memory of any child in his class. Even when he was three years old, he knew what kind of vehicle his teachers drove and what color they were. Now that he is older, he shows me how great his memory is by pointing out subtle differences in his toys. He can tell me not only the color of the car he's holding, but where he found it and who bought it for him. He can tell me if it was a gift for Christmas or his birthday. He has even explained to me the differences between all of the Lightning McQueens from every movie. One of his workers dropped him off to me one day and told me Solon had the best memory of any child she had ever met. And it only improves as he gets older. 

Even though dealing with autism can be taxing and difficult to deal with, there are so many positive things we can focus on. Perhaps if we concentrate on all the good things about autism, it will help us better deal with everything else. 

There are many more positive attributes associated with autism. I found these and more here: https://www.verywellhealth.com/top-terrific-traits-of-autistic-people-260321. Check it out if you would like to learn more. 

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As always, stay positive - Jen