Non-Autism Traits and Autism Traits I Have

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I thought it might be interesting to see what autism traits other members of WP do and do not have, as even people with severe autism don't necessarily have all of the traits, and even NTs can have some autism traits or fit into BAP. I am diagnosed with ASD (it probably would be Asperger's if we were still going by the DSM-IV so I consider myself an Aspie) and I don't have all of the traits of ASD, in fact writing down all of my traits I have quite a few "NT" traits, but I still have more autistic traits. My point is you don't have to have all of the traits of ASD to be an Aspie! This is just what I thought up and I may edit it as I think of more, feel free to correct me if I misidentify something as an autistic or non-autistic trait:

Non-ASD Traits I Have:

Understanding sarcasm (if in a sarcastic tone)

Wide variety of interests

Little echolalia (in terms of repeating what others have just said to me, I do repeat other phrases to myself sometimes)

Not making unusual noises

Little wandering

Not usually entranced by visual patterns

Shares interests with others

Feeling (some level) of empathy for others, even people I don’t know

Wanting to connect with others

Understanding metaphors/abstract language

Not having frequent “meltdowns” (though I do get very upset or overwhelmed occasionally, especially when things don’t go “my way”)

Being able to play imaginary games as a child (though these games were controlled by rigid thinking as they had very specific “rules”, and before I played imaginary games I fixated on objects)

ASD Traits I Have:

Stimming (rocking, spinning, rubbing my arms and legs, occasional hand movements such as hand flapping or clapping, pacing)

Problems with nonverbal cues (not reading facial expressions, tone of voice, eye contact)

Problems with social reciprocity (saying "hello" or "thank you" back to someone, waving to someone if they wave at me, following up on conversations)

Problems with give-and-take of conversations (not sure if that's the same thing as social reciprocity)

Synesthesia (for me touch, sound, and color are kind of interconnected, I see colors and "feel" music and occasionally see colors when I feel intense touch)

Sensory problems (indifference to hot/cold, sensitivity to touch and noise, sensory processing issues)

Not liking soft touch but liking deep pressure

Intense and specific Interests

Obsessions with objects or parts of objects

Not much variation in tone of voice

Hyperlexia (I learned to read by the age of 3 and fully taught myself to read and write by the time I entered kindergarten)

Poor spatial sense (according to Temple Grandin's "autistic thinking model" I am more of a verbal thinker, which means I have very poor spatial skills (although this could have something to do with my cerebral palsy so I really don't know))

Literally tone-deaf (I've heard either being tone-deaf or having perfect pitch are Aspie traits)

Repetitive use of language (especially writing or asking the same question repetitively to people)

Difficulties making friends with peers (although I've made friends with people significantly above and below my age)

Difficulty with emotional expression and regulation

Being too loud or too quiet at inappropriate times

Poor theory of mind

Poor balance/coordination (I have mild cerebral palsy so it might not be related to my ASD)

Quoting movies and videos I watch

Comorbid mental health disorders common in autism (I have GAD, OCD, depression and psychosis)

Extreme attention to detail (so much that I've considered becoming a proofreader)

Prosopagnosia (difficulty recognizing faces, I frequently get different faces mixed up in my head and have problems recognizing people even when I've recently met them)

Gastrointestinal issues (I have IBS)

Allergies or sensitivities (I am sensitive to lactose and gluten)

Speech problems (I grew up with speech problems in my early childhood and was treated for this along with my social skills issues and coordination issues. I still think I would be an Aspie though as I started speaking at 18 months, so there was no language delay)

Socializing is extremely tiring for me (it feels like the energy has been sucked right out of me when I have to engage in a big social event)

Relating better to animals and objects than to people (I am an animal lover and get obsessed with objects)

Thinking concretely/literally/rigidly (even though I can understand metaphors and some sarcasm, I usually approach problems very literally and take instructions at face value, which leads to problems with creative problem solving and fluid intelligence)

Taking time to process what others day to me, likely due to my issue with auditory processing

Extreme perfectionism (to the point of getting upset if something doesn’t go “my way” or fit “my standards”)

Seeing the details rather than the bigger picture

Having an above-average memory for numbers and other similar strings of information (but not for names and faces)

That's all I can think of for now. Like I said, feel free to put the traits you have and don't have below!

This isn't a 'trait' as such, but more of a paradox. It is often said that those on the AS have difficulty in detecting sarcasm/attitude/humour in others, but I often find that others have difficulty in detecting those things in me. This is likely because I tend to have a persistently 'neutral' facial expression and an extremely dry sense of humour.

Sticking more to the thread topic, I'm generally not too bad at detecting sarcasm and what differing facial expressions in others mean. My own little theory as to why this is is that, as a toddler, I was a fan of Thomas the Tank Engine. In episodes the narrator would often say something like "Thomas was very happy" and the screen would show Thomas smiling.

Fairly obvious traits that I have include:

- Stimming
- Having obsessive interests
- Fascinated by numbers
- Lack of general social skills
- Physical clumsiness

And many others.

Non-ASD Traits I Have:

Understanding sarcasm, jokes, idioms, metaphors, etc

Can cope naturally in a romantic relationship

Not a logical thinker. In fact I get annoyed at logical thinkers

Don't have any special interests I talk nonstop about

Don't make unusual noises or unusual stims

Shares interests, gossip, smalltalk, jokes with others

Feeling empathy, both cognitive and emotional. People actually feel comforted talking to me about their emotions because they say I'm a good listener and very understanding

Have good TOM, can usually see things from others perspectives, and can often predict how someone will feel in a situation

Wanting to connect with others and I do enjoy being around others

Don't take everything literally

Never had a rigid routine (like must eat dinner at 5 o'clock every day or something)

Self-awareness, to the point where social approval is important to me

Having a big imagination as a child and being able to play with other children

Not lining toys up or stacking things as a child, instead I played with toys how a typically developing child would

Was an affectionate child

Verbal, even when anxious or stressed

Like being touched no matter what mood I'm in

Can generally read nonverbal cues like facial expressions, tone of voice, body language

Make eye contact naturally

Can follow a conversation

Don't lack general social rules



ASD Traits I Have:

Synesthesia (but I didn't know this was an Aspie trait?). I've always seen numbers, letters, days of the week and even names in colours

Sensory problems with loud noises and some clothing tags, and I have severe pain intolerance (but I am not sensitive to bright lights or smells)

Often ask silly questions and can repeat (not rigidly but I can say the same phrase nearly every day or something), but this is usually based on impulsive behaviour (I have ADHD as well)

Difficulties making friends with peers, as in I seem to get rejected or excluded by peers even if they like me

Had outbursts, which are now controlled by meds

Forgetting to be quiet at times when I should be quiet, but again I think this might be ADHD

Not very good hand-eye coordination (find it hard to do fiddly tasks like peeling potatoes)

Comorbid mental health disorders common in autism (I have anxiety disorder and can have episodes of depression and self-loathing)

Can overreact by little things (like if a loved one says something that pushes my buttons, I can respond by leaving the room slamming the door behind me)

I get upset when I see typos or stupid spelling mistakes

Lack knowledge in celebrities and other forms of pop culture that I'm expected to know

I'm not really big on attending social events, although I do force myself to go because at the same time I do enjoy socialising

Having high empathy for objects and believing that objects have thoughts and feelings

Can mumble and get misheard by others

I used to like a "weekly routine" and got upset if something came along to change this, but I don't really care for that any more

Some things I see details, other things I see bigger picture, I'm not always sure which is which really

Not sure if this is an Aspie trait, but I have a good long-term autobiographical memory. I don't remember the exact dates but I can remember the year (and sometimes the month) of events in my life that happened. I can easily write a yearly timeline of my life, starting from 3 years old

I used to get obsessions with certain people, to the point where the obsession got out of hand, but since I've been with my boyfriend I haven't had any obsessions

Sometimes I want to have control over people's lives, like if my best friend is trying for a baby I start to panic because having a baby is a big deal and I cannot cope with the big change, so it makes me want to try and talk them out of it. But I've learnt not to get jealous or anxious about this kind of thing as I've gotten older, and just have to think "what will be will be"


I will add more if I think of any, as I've probably missed out some.

autism traits I dont have:

can understand when someone being sarcastic and I can be sarcastic too

dont talk about interests nonstop

don't rock or flap

have a demanding job that im good at

I put on make up every day and like to look trendy and beautiful

capable of living independently

lower than average iq


autism traits i do have:

dont understand humour very well

dont care for friends or socialising

dont get affected emotionally by people's emotions, dont care what they think of me

like to keep everything in order and get mad if someone messes my things up

lack self aware

prone to meltdowns and anger

long attention span

didnt talk until 7 year old

dont like some loud noises

get easily stressed and worried

couldnt cope looking after son very well ( he lives with his dad and I see him sometimes)