Neurodiversity.. the good stuff...

This thread has been helpful for me today because I'm feeling a bit down and struggling to be positive about my neurodiversity. So, to try to improve my mindset, here are the things I like about being autistic (and possibly ADHD):

Ability to care deeply for others and make decisions based on the feelings of those around me.

Empathy (although this can sometimes be a negative too). I can feel the emotions of others so I can understand how they feel. But sometimes I can't tell which emotions are my own!

The joy that I can feel when I'm doing something that makes me happy. I love birds, if I see a bird that I particularly like, I feel like I'm going to explode with joy and often end up crying. I love the way certain music can make me feel this way too.

Observation and problem solving skills - I tend to observe things at work from a distance and can often notice underlying problems that others haven't seen and think of solutions to those problems.

Retention of random knowledge - if I'm interested in something, I am very unlikely to forget it.This is mainly maths, sciences and nature related things.

I think this thread was definitely needed :) I'm coming to it a bit late as I was working the last couple of days, but here are a few for me.

I have a very vivid imagination. Great attention to detail. A good theoretical memory (I taught myself another language which I later went on to complete a PhD in, and I can make sense of several other languages, including ones I haven't learned, by process of logic - I bought train tickets in Swedish before now). And I am loyal and honest. I sometimes can lose my temper, but I don't do hypocrisy or back-stabbing.

I don't think inside the box, but I understand the box well enough to communicate with those in it and see the world outside it. I feel bad for people who can only think within the "normal" box - it must be very dull.

And yes to the sense of injustice. That can be a pain sometimes, too…wanting to fix things when other people don't care enough to try. But at the same time, I know I'm not being led along by other people in a direction I don't believe. The downside of that is that I'm also hyperempathic and very sensitive to other people's moods or to atmosphere, so fighting battles can be very tough going.

True, I can't remember numbers, my working memory is awful, I can't operate an oven or a washing machine, I don't understand my pension or student loan statements. I am compelled to double check doors at work if I've locked them just to make sure I actually did lock them, and I can't navigate well even in my own neighbourhood. But that's the balance of life. And, honestly, I have some pretty hilarious 'getting lost' stories.

I think most of us have very high skills in certain areas and then pretty awful ones in others to compensate.