Living with Asperger’s may not give you “superpowers,” but you may find you have some really positive attributes that help you shine.

Mental health experts no longer consider Asperger’s an independent diagnosis. Instead, in 2013, the American Psychological Association updated their “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition” to place Asperger’s as part of the autism spectrum disorder diagnosis.

Removing Asperger’s as a formal diagnosis resulted in some backlash. Critics of the decision say it doesn’t make sense to eliminate the decision because many folks with Asperger’s share common characteristics. This makes it an easy way to help classify where on the spectrum a person lands.

And it’s these fundamental characteristics of Asperger’s that someone with the diagnosis may view as their greatest strengths.

Whether you agree, disagree, or feel indifferent about the change in diagnostic status, one thing is clear: Living with Asperger’s symptoms has some potential positives that can be worth noting.

Before getting into the positive traits associated with Asperger’s, it’s important to note that not everyone will have the same traits, experience them the same way, or have good or bad experiences because of them.

It’s part of what makes everyone unique. People with Asperger’s may also have other traits that make them special that aren’t listed here. The following list offers insight into some common traits associated with people living with Asperger’s.

Honesty

One trait that people may often attribute to autistic people is honesty. People can sometimes view honesty in autistic people as extreme, in which they might perceive an autistic person as brutally honest with their thoughts and opinions.

However, many people might also appreciate this degree of honesty. For instance, knowing exactly how a person feels can bring a certain level of security to a relationship. In that sense, many may view an autistic person’s potentially extreme honesty as refreshing and authentic.

Strong focus

Strong focus, particularly on enjoyable tasks, is another positive trait people often associate with Asperger’s. An autistic person might be more naturally equipped to focus on reading, writing, or working on a hobby for longer periods of time than what may be common for a neurotypical person.

This strong focus on a particular task also allows many autistic people to feel more comfortable being alone for long stretches of time compared with others.

An autistic person may find that people consider their interests somewhat unusual. They might experience people who believe that those interests don’t always align with the interests of a neurotypical person.

However, an autistic person may also find that their unique ability to concentrate can allow them to thrive in a work or school environment, especially if they show interest in the topic.

Detail-oriented

If you live with Asperger’s, you may be more detail-oriented than a neurotypical person. You may be able to focus well on mundane tasks, pick up on small details, or commit yourself to a quality of work and accuracy. This can be a very helpful attribute at home, school, and work.

Intelligence

People might often associate Asperger’s with strong intelligence in certain categories.

In general, people may categorize Asperger’s as imbalanced intelligence, in which an autistic person scores high in certain categories and low in others, such as social or linguistic intelligence.

A 2016 research review found that autistic people with a higher IQ tend to have exceptional spatial awareness, concentration abilities, decision making skills, and mathematical intelligence, among other skills.

Strong morals

People with Asperger’s might often have a strong moral code. A small 2014 study found that high functioning autistic children tend to be more rule-oriented when it comes to morality. This can often provide autistic people with a deep sense of moral justice and fairness.

This desire to protect others may translate into the autistic person or their loved one(s) getting involved in charities or other causes that help others.

Unique sense of humor

Although people may not typically associate humor with autism, people with Asperger’s do have their own unique sense of humor. In general, autistic people tend to approach humor from a more intellectual perspective, and the topics of humor that they enjoy generally center around their specific interests.

Autistic people tend not to use humor as much for social purposes. They may not think to share something they find funny, but instead may enjoy an amusing topic on their own.

Loyalty

Loyalty may be another aspect people associate with Asperger’s. If you live with the diagnosis, you may find it difficult to learn social skills and interact with others.

But once you find friends, you may find that you are incredibly loyal to your friends. And while you may have a difficult experience fitting in, you may find that you can bounce back fairly easily from rejection.

While Asperger’s may no longer be an official diagnosis, many people still recognize it and talk about some of the more common characteristics associated with it.

That may be for good reason. Many of the traits associated with Asperger’s have positive implications.