Top 10 Best Things About Having Autism

1. It makes you who you are

   If I stopped being autistic, I would no longer be me. I would lose so much of my passion, creativity, and unique thinking. I would lose what makes me an acclaimed writer. I don't want to be a different person. Being myself is just fine.

   Yes, it does make me who I am. If I lost all my autism, I would no longer have a sense of humor, as much intelligence as I do, or anything special about me. I would just be dull, a bleak person.

   I'm autistic, and I have a great personality and sense of humor. My relatives all love me because of it.

2. You could possess great abilities

   Not to boast, but I am pretty much a walking, talking encyclopedia because of this. I know a lot about music bands, random facts, etc. I can memorize things extremely well, almost like having a photographic memory. These fact-checking habits are one of the things that interest me the most, probably because highly functional individuals have that savant-like ability to have knowledge on everything. It helps that I have ADHD, which fuels my interests.

   I'm not trying to put anyone down. I'm no different from any other person who's not autistic, but I just wanted to share this (on this list).

   I have an amazing memory. I can remember family events, vacations, and the exact dates and times that certain things occurred. I even remember food that was served during certain family gatherings, and also the people present and things that happened, even though it occurred years ago.

   I wish I could remember academic stuff that well too.

3. You're unique, not different

   Technically, they're not synonyms.

4. You have a special brain that works differently than everyone else's

   As someone who has autism, I know this for a fact. I think a lot differently than others. I'm really weird because when I look at numbers or recite numbers, I see colors, shapes, and patterns. Is this something to worry about?

5. It makes you special

6. Your intelligence may be higher than average

   I'm autistic, and I'm very smart or intelligent, but I'm no savant!

7. You get to be in Special Ed

8. You will not feel alone: 1 in 68 people have autism

9. You never grow out of your childhood video games, TV shows, toys, etc.

   I had a friend who never grew out of Barney. I had another friend who never grew out of diapers. One of my friends earned his nickname because he never grew out of his Thomas the Train. I never grew out of my own video games or TV shows. Other students think I am weird because I like Nintendo and don't like the PlayStation brand.

   My childhood is eternal, and nobody can change this fact.

10. You can think more logically

The Newcomers
11. ?

    You can laugh at an autistic joke without being judged

12. ?

    You're able to do the same thing without getting bored

The Contenders

13. Having an IEP

    This is one I can agree with. At my school, kids with IEPs get double the time everyone else does to do a test or exam and the option to write it outside of the classroom.

    I have the option to do tests outside of the class with help and use my computer for "work."

14. You are sometimes mysterious

    My friend is autistic, just like me. I remember one time at his school, the cafeteria lady brought her daughter because she had a P.A. day, and the school didn't say she could bring her. The little girl was maybe 4 or 5 years old, and my friend thought she was cute. He told her, "Do you want to go to my house and meet Gabrielle? Gabrielle is my cousin, and I know she's going to have a lot of fun with you."

    My friend's helper then told him, "You can't take her home with you. She belongs with her own family. How would you like it if you were taken to someone else's home away from your family? Would you feel upset?" He remembered this day like it was yesterday and thought the little girl was adorable. He even suggested that the cafeteria lady bring her daughter more often.

    Now, every day at school, he always goes to the cafeteria lady at lunch, and the first thing he tells her is, "Bring your daughter." He just has every excuse in the book for her to bring her daughter. For example, he once said, "I would like to eat the biggest ice cream in the world, and I need it by Monday. You have to make one for me and my cousin to share. Can you please do that?" The lunch lady then said, "Well, OK," and he replied, "YES! But it can only work if you do me one favor. You have to bring your daughter. If you don't bring her, then it can't work. But if you do bring her, then it can work. And then your daughter, me, and my cousin can all share the biggest ice cream in the world."... read more

15. You are not expected to grow up too fast

    I'm 26, and I am still trying to figure out how to be an adult. Due to my autism, I sometimes think and act like a little kid or teenager. My relatives help me with it, and they are OK with it. They accept that I'm still having difficulty transitioning from teenager to adulthood.

    It feels like I grew up too fast in some ways and not at all in others. It's weird and kinda hard to explain.

    Growing up is overrated anyway. If you're young at heart, stay that way.

16. You have a great memory

17. It makes you feel more proud of who you are

18. A lot of famous people have autism

19. You can be hyper empathetic

    I am autistic and nearly burst into tears after squishing ants, knowing they are living creatures.

    Many people have also thought of me as kind, smart, and mature.

    A lot of us feel things very strongly. For me personally, I'm 99% sure I'm hyperempathetic. I often cannot stand to see people or animals in distress. Whenever someone cries, I feel like crying too.

    I'm also a theatre major, so it sort of becomes applicable to that.

20. You can act like a little kid

21. Your interests are more concentrated

    It can also be useful because if you're so concentrated on an interest and you get a job related to it, you'll be great at it. Not only that, but you'll enjoy it if it's a topic you're deeply interested in.

22. You have great knowledge of dates

23. Most savants are autistic

24. You can be really good at certain things

    I love acting. There is nothing on planet Earth I love more. Due to my "advanced" memory, I can memorize things faster. That helps me a ton.

25. You're less judgmental

26. When you play a game, your noob instincts disappear fast

27. You get very happy about life