Sometimes it’s hard to feel positive about being autistic when so much of the presentation of autism focuses on our deficits. In a world that tells us all the ways we are “wrong”, I think it’s important to look at the many ways we are awesome.

As such, I have taken a list of autistic traits that was written by allistics and have rephrased everything to show our strengths and positives. As we are all unique human beings, not everything on this list will fit all of us. However, hopefully you will find some traits below that fit you and can help you feel better about your experience as an autistic person.

Also, this list in not meant to be all encompassing. There are many more autistic traits that have, I’m sure, been overlooked. Feel free to comment if there are traits you would like added to the list.

  • Differences in eye contact that allow for more observation of bodily movements and the environment
  • Knows physical boundaries and is willing to assert these boundaries regardless of social norms
  • Gets very excited during conversations and may be more physically expressive as a result, including moving closer to those involved in the conversation about the subject of interest
  • Prefers to listen and observe during conversation which gives others, who would prefer to speak, more space to do so
  • Has a unique sense of humor that may not match up with socially normative humor but is hilarious nonetheless
  • Takes words at face value and trusts that when others speak they are speaking their truth
  • Has expressive body language that differs from social norms but communicates just as much, if not more, than neurotypical body language
  • Prefers one on one or small group interaction to large groups
  • Finds ease of communication with other neurodivergent people
  • Sees connections and patterns that others may not
  • Values honesty over social norms
  • Has very high levels of empathy, particularly for animals
  • Has low levels of empathy which allow for more rational analysis of situation
  • Has fluctuating levels of empathy which allows for times of high connection to others as well as times of more disconnected rational thinking
  • Values time alone to reflect and relax as a part of self-care
  • Very friendly without concern for how social norms dictate one should interact
  • Tends to develop better friendships with other autistic people or otherwise neurodivergent people
  • Has a friend group that spans a wide range of ages which offers more varied perspectives
  • Highly engaged with the surrounding world, particularly elements that neurotypicals don’t focus on
  • Highly passionate about subject of special interest(s) and can speak endlessly about these topics
  • Very trusting in other people and believes others have good intentions
  • Unique patterns of speech that vary in pitch, intonation, rhythm, and volume
  • Enjoys repetition of words or phrases, may speak poetically as a result
  • Finds comfort in making verbal sounds
  • Uses alternative sentence structure and plays with parts of speech
  • Has an impressive vocabulary that includes words that are not in common use
  • Grows very passionate and invested in objects, ideas, or desires that become special interests
  • Finds repetition in play very soothing
  • Stims to express emotion or ideas
  • Stims to soothe the senses
  • Stims to communicate with others
  • Can amass impressive collections relating to special interests
  • Can develop strong bonds with objects such as stuffed animals
  • Makes use of quotes from movies, books, or video games to convey meaning in conversation
  • Values high quality of work, as close to perfection as possible
  • Enjoys fixing and rearranging things
  • Becomes wholly invested in the task at hand and may not want to switch to another task
  • Is more comfortable wandering around than staying still
  • Does not perceive time as others do which can allow for undivided attention from a task
  • Has intensified experience of sensory input which can be useful in noticing things others can’t
  • Has less intense experience of sensory input which can lead to less distractions from the environment
  • Has very specific food tastes and knows which foods are enjoyable
  • Finds comfort from familiar objects such as a blanket or stuffed animal
  • Confuses the neurotypicals with reactions to environment that they aren’t sensitive enough to notice
  • Prefers consistency and prior notice to change
  • Prefers written or visual instruction to verbal direction
  • Excellent memory, particularly in area of special interest
  • Enjoys walking on toes
  • Has vast imaginative inner worlds
  • Very artistic with a unique style
  • Great writer with an unusual command of language