Autistic strengths
It is quite possible that you haven’t really thought about some of these as attributes that you possess. By its nature, mentoring sometimes focuses on negatives. What I want to do here is to look at the types of strengths that some of you may well have. The list is not exhaustive, and it is a very personal one. Open to suggestions!
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Attention to detail
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Strong focus; ability to concentrate on preferred activities for hours
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A different way of looking at things
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Quirky, individual, not always going with the crowd. Whoever used the phrase ‘wow, you’re really normal’ as a compliment?!
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Seeing things other people miss
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Intense passions, e.g. photography, maths, music, gaming, writing, drama, languages
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Sense of humour (if unusual!)
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Determined, diligent
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Ability to quickly recognise patterns
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Have learnt to deal with prejudice
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Strong sense of justice and fairness
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Good memory for things you're really interested in
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Well-connected to senses and getting pleasure from e.g. a smell or the feel of something
See also Rosie King’s TED talk:
https://www.ted.com/talks/rosie_king_how_autism_freed_me_to_be_myself
Or this, from a Birmingham City University student:
http://www.b14news.co.uk/accepting-autism-saved-my-life/