What ASD traits do you NOT have?

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What no one's mentioned yet is being uneven. I'm very empathic when I get something and it's familiar, but seem unempathic over what I miss. I'm very gullible but may hear the contradictions and notice I'm being lied to. I don't flap except when I do, do eye contact unless I get upset, don't talk in a monotone so long as I remember not to and don't get too upset. Am picky about some things, not about others. Can't handle tags except sometimes I can tune it all out.

There are a few ASD traits I probably never have, a few I always have, and the rest, at some point in my life I've had, or it varies.

I love change. I need it. I may eat the same meal at the same restaurant pretty much every week for over a decade even when I move out of the area, so I have some established patterns, but if things don't change in other areas dramatically and continuously, it makes me uncomfortable and trapped. I am definitely not the autistic stereotype of insisting on long term, rigid, repetitive patterns in all areas of life.

I have always been into fiction and I wrote and created things prolifically as a child (although I like researching nonfictional subjects too)
I think the amount that I read taught me a lot of figurative language, so I don't have problems with it as often as expected
I'm not good at math
I have good personal hygiene (I had problems with it until I was a teenager, but later my appearance and self-expression became more important as interests and routines)
I don't have "angry" meltdowns because I'm not an angry person at all, only cry over seemingly minor things or go blank and don't know how to explain anything or answer questions

I can read body language and facial expression pretty well if I pay attention. Nowadays I realise that other people are important lol. As a kid I didn't pay attention so much because I thought learning about objects was more important than learning about other people.

I'm not gullible or too trusting. When I was a kid I was though.

I don't have impairing sensory issues. I do have issues with too much mental information or if im very confused though but I hardly ever read anything about that; all the times I've shutdown or meltdown was due to that, not sensory problems.

I don't stim.

No ecolalia.

I make eye contact, understand sarcasm, metaphors. Aren't good at math.

I've never had echolalia.

I'm NOT good at math.

I've never been good with computers.

I understand most forms of humor.

I am not a picky eater, although I've been trying to convert to veganism.

I can tell when people are telling the truth most of the time.

These are all skills I developed as an adult:

I can use eye-contact.
I understand most humor.
I can show empathy most of the time.
I don't talk endlessly about my interests.
I can make myself talk to new people and go to new places.
My stims are less obvious.


These are things that have always been true:

My issues with food are easily avoided and don't usually bring attention to me.

I don't follow any rigid routines. I'm not sure what is meant by this, really. I do like having things the same, like wearing the same clothes repeatedly and eating the same food at a restaurant every time. But, that's not really a routine. Daily routines evade me. I'd actually probably be better off with them.

I had to check for a list of all traits, and out of the list here: http://www.help4aspergers.com/pb/wp_4a3 ... 112c8.html ... the only ones that don't really apply are the ones below.

Doesn't always recognize faces right away (even close loved ones).
I am generally good seeing people who I know from a distance, although I still have problems knowing which one of our dogs are which after 2 years, even though they wear a different collar. I just can't remember them lol. I sometimes get people confused, but only usually at quick glance.

Clumsiness / Uncoordinated motor movements.
Another one I can't link with. But then again I have been told I'm clumsy. I'm usually clumsy due to being extremely nervous.

Speech and language peculiarities / hyperlexia (little professors) or, early in life may have a speech impediment.

No speech impediment, not sure what the rest relates too.

Everything else though I can relate to and have issues (if they're even issues) with them.

I am fortunate that I only have minor sensory difficulties. I have developed decent conversational abilities--though I sometimes still don't correctly guess when it's "my turn." I'm not really good with computers. I'm good with arithmetic/practical math but not abstract mathematics. I've been able to use my "oddness" to help me keep my job of 35 years; if I didn't develop that sense of humor, I would have been fired long ago. I'm not really picky with my food. I get tense with change--but I adjust. I don't usually go on-and-on about my special interests, unlike during my childhood.

I'm fortunate that I work alone for most of the day.

Yeah...sometimes "male banter" could be irritating! But if I must, I give it back to them.

There's more "female banter," though--which I rarely participate in for 'tis the province of ladies.

There are several traits that I have that impact me pretty minimally. For example, the only hypersensitivity I have is to light touch, and while eye contact doesn't always come naturally, it's not painful or difficult for me if I want to do it.

The one big trait that I definitely don't have at all is difficulty reading peoples' facial expressions.

I have an adequate ability to comprehend sarcasm and I only endure at least one meltdown once a year thanks to my perennial ability to evade situations (e.g. getting stuck in crowds or a lack of seclusion) that may provoke them as such. They were incessant to a moderate degree during my childhood years, but if I do suffer from one nowadays they tend to be highly tempestuous.