The Physical Aspects of Asperger's Syndrome

16.  Physical Differences and Unusual Talents Seen in Those on the Autistic Spectrum as Compared to Neuro-Typicals

In this section I would like emphasize two points.  One is that Aspies and others on the autistic spectrum can be, and usually are, very talented in some areas.  The areas of talent are different for each person, but when looking at many Aspies, some common patterns of talent clearly emerge.  I will list some of those talents here so that you, or the Aspie in your life, can see this list, and perhaps more easily determine where their strengths might lie.  The more successful an Aspie is in identifying his or her strengths and talents, the more those strengths and talents can be developed, and can therefore be of benefit to that person.  Whether in financial pursuits, hobbies, service, or in personal life management, any talent an Aspie has is a talent that that person is likely to be incredibly good at, and it can be of great use and value in their life.

The other thing I would like to emphasize, or to illustrate, is that Aspies, with their unusual body chemistry, brain chemistry, and brain wiring, often have "unusual" differences when compared to neuro-typicals.  I would also like to list some of those differences here in an attempt to help you, the Aspie, get to know yourself better.  If you think you have one or many of these conditions, but it seems too uncommon in other people to possibly be true in you (I've thought this about many things in myself throughout my life), then please know that you are unique from them, and yes, you really might have these differences.

Common Talents and Strengths in those with Asperger's Syndrome

• Musical abilities
  • Hear all details in the music
  • Can replay music in mind with great accuracy
  • Can play music by ear
  • Sometimes, can name a note after hearing it
• Visual eidetic (nearly-photographic) memory
  • Can remember anything that is looked at and focused on for 5 seconds
  • Helps with information memorization from books
  • Helps with spelling
  • Helps with life memories
  • Can be worked with and strengthened
  • Helps with daily duties and memory, if used
• Art
  • Talents in art, sculpture, mechanical design, interior design, architecture, and painting
• Talents in Math
  • Can do more math in head
  • Higher understanding of math
• Talents in Spatial (3-D) Thinking
  • Design, Architecture, Sculpture
• Greater long term memory
• Hyperlexia
  • Precocious reading
  • Large vocabulary
  • Greater understanding of written text
  • Could have talents in writing
• Increased Spiritual Sensitivity

Common and Possible Physical Differences in those with Asperger's Syndrome

• Right/Left handedness, footedness, eye, and ear might not be consistent. 
  • People are usually right-handed, -eyed, -footed, and -eared; or left- for all of these.  In fact, sometimes doctors suggest that it is detrimental to not have a dominant side of the body. 
  • However, there can be many variations thereof in an Autistic person. 
  • For example, I am right-eyed and right-handed for writing.  I am also left-footed, left-eared, and do a majority of my non-writing activities with my left hand.
  • This shared-side dominancy illustrates that the autistic brain is wired differently from non-autistic brains.  It is another example of something that is different with Aspie bodies, but can definitely be an advantage in life if the user learns to see it that way, and to use their body to its full potential. 
• Higher IQs than average.  Genius levels (around 145) common in Aspies. 
• Daydreaming is different than neuro-typicals
  • See http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/43418.php
• Commonly have poor short term memory
  • This can be overcome by constantly writing things down and referring to those notes.  
• Can forget about physical life, such as eating, grooming, body care, laundry, shopping for food and clothes. 
  • I recommend making notes, lists, and charts to illustrate when these things need to be addressed and how to do so.
  • For example, I recommend writing down when meal times will occur.  Then write down what will be eaten for those meals.  Make a schedule for every meal for a week, then reuse that schedule every week.
  • Set watch alarm with reminders to tell you when to eat, sleep, and stop work, if necessary.
• Sections of the brain appear to have developed at different rates
  • Functional MRIs (fMRI) of those with Asperger’s Syndrome show that when thinking, different locations in the brain “light up” and are used for thought, when compared to electrical activity locations during specific types of thought in neuro-typicals
• Echolalia (inside head or verbally), see Auditory section
  • Helps create a great vocabulary
    
    
     

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