A common thing I have heard from various people is that a lot of people on the autism spectrum (especially Aspies) are either geeks or nerds and that is a good thing. I have also been told on numerous occasions that a lot of people are undiagnosed in engineering professions or professions related to working on computers. My own observation has been that this is true. It also seems true that there are a lot of geeks and nerds who fall somewhere on the autism spectrum who have gone undiagnosed for one reason or another. Me personally, I identify myself as a nerd/borderline geek. Nerd sounds cooler, so that is why I go with that term.

The reason a lot of people in the engineering or computer professions tend to go undiagnosed is because they are able to financially take care of themselves and even form some bonds with their co-workers or friends from school who share similar passions. A while back I made a YouTube video about The Big Bang Theory and how I felt many of the characters, especially Sheldon feel somewhere on the autism spectrum. It is my theory that the people involved on the show are well aware that these characters have Asperger’s Syndrome, but just like in real life, they go undiagnosed due to their ability to find intellectual and financial success. Social success, however, is another story altogether.

However, I want to add that there are other nerds and geeks that are on the autism spectrum that have gone undiagnosed. What I mean by this is that there are people who aren’t as financially successful like the characters on The Big Bang Theory. Where do you meet such interesting people? A common meeting ground would be major conventions like Comic Con and Anime Expo or BotCon or pretty much anything related to nerd/geek culture. Me, I am very much guilty of going to such conventions, and I have even started Cosplaying which is where you dress up as characters from TV shows, comic books, anime series, video games, etc.

Now, I also want to say that there are a lot of people not on the autism spectrum who are into what is considered this nerd culture. As a matter of fact, I would go so far as to say that things like comic books and Star Trek have finally become the trendy popular things with society as a whole. Nowadays, it seems to be cool if you are into these sort of things whereas back in the 80’s and most of the 90’s, you would be shunned by society for liking these things. I guess the moral of the story is that society was behind times and for once, those of us on the autism spectrum were ahead of times. Actually, I would argue that a lot of us with autism and Asperger’s Syndrome are very much in-tune with what is going to be the next big thing before the rest of society. For instance, I used to be big on technology, and I think there are a few Aspies who know what the next big technological breakthrough is going to be before the general audience.

So, what is that I am trying to get at? I guess I am saying that it is cool to be a nerd or a geek or both. Today, society seems to be more open and liking Iron Man and Captain Kirk can actually be seen as something cool and not something that only dorks like. I think this is a good thing. I am rather happy to see a lot of other people take passion in my likes. And, I think the direction society is going in is a good thing.

With that said, I welcome your comments and/or questions. What are your thoughts? Am I right? Did I get some things wrong? I look forward to hearing from you, and with that said, I would like to wish everyone a most awesome day of awesomeness!

Just as a quick nerd/geek culture bonus, here is a video I did a few years ago about Star Wars vs. Star Trek!

Arman Khodaei is the program director for Empower Autism Now, and is also an autistic individual. He maintains his blog empowerautismnow.com on a daily basis and also has guest bloggers involved in the community who also contribute. He runs a series of free Autism & Asperger's workshops that are open to anyone in Southern California.

In general, a lot seems to be focused on the negative aspects of being on the autism spectrum and not enough emphasis is put on the positive aspects of being autistic or having Asperger’s Syndrome. I think this is because a lot of the people discussing autism are either parents worried about their child’s future or professionals who tend to look at autism as a bad thing or something that needs to be cured.

With that said, here are a few things that I believe are good about being on the autism spectrum!

Extraordinary Memory—Even though this is not true for every autistic individual, I have known quite a few people such as myself who have strong memories. For me, I tend to remember small, random details, and I have met quite a few other people like that. I often get emails from people telling me that they have an amazing memory and if that means they are autistic. And, I will say this, it could very well be possible that you are somewhere on the autism spectrum. However, having a good memory does not make someone autistic. It is just a trait many of us on the autism spectrum share. And, no, not every autistic person has a great memory. Please remember that autism affects people in different ways and to varying degrees.

Less Likely to do Unhealthy Activities—I know this isn’t true for everyone on the autism spectrum, but it seems that a lot of autistic people I have met don’t drink, cuss as much, or do unhealthy things in general. I know I don’t drink or smoke or do drugs. I don’t break the rules. This seems to be the case for a lot of us on the autism spectrum. We tend to follow the law more and don’t do things that could be harmful for us. But, I have known a couple people on the autism spectrum known for experimenting. So, this isn’t true for all of us.

Don’t Need as Much Attention from Others—I think a lot of us on the autism spectrum might desire more friends or want to know how to reach out and connect better with other people. But, one thing I do feel is true is that we feel more comfortable being alone. I think humans in general are social creatures and tend to go crazy if they are left alone for any period of time. I know for me, I could be left alone for weeks without any impact on my mental health. I would enjoy my time alone and use it for reflection. I think a lot of people can learn something about themselves in this regard. I don’t get why most people go crazy when left alone to their own thoughts. That honestly makes no sense to me, but I have met a lot of non-autistic people like that. So, yes, I do think it is a good thing that many of us on the autism spectrum can be content being alone with ourselves.

 Very Loyal—This is something that I have observed from my group members and have also seen in myself. I feel that people on the autism spectrum can be among the most loyal people out there. When we join a group of people, make friends, or enter a romantic relationship, we tend to stick with it. Of course, this also means we might stick with something from our childhoods as well such as still being obsessed with Pokémon or Star Wars action figures even when we are adults.

Hardworking—This kind of goes back to the whole loyalty thing, but I feel many of us on the autism spectrum do the tasks were are told and don’t put up much fuss. When we have a job, we do our work. Now, we might not be the most social people on the workforce, but we tend to be the most thorough when it comes to doing our jobs, and we make sure we do a good job.

With that said, these are just among a handful of the positive qualities you will find in autistic individuals. Do you agree with my list? What other qualities would you mention?

Also, I do have an update on Autism in Love. The Kickstarter goal was not reached, but that is not deterring the filmmakers. They have a new idea to raise funds which they will soon share with the public, and they have also started a mailing list which you can join through their Facebook fan page. As things develop, I will continue to keep everyone in the loop.

With that said, I would like to end this entry with a video I made a couple years ago about bringing out the best in autism. Enjoy!

For most of my life, I recall not wanting friends. I did have feelings for girls and wanted a girlfriend, but actual friends, I had no need for. I did have some friends here and there though. But, for the most part, I would deny that I had friends. And, I never became emotionally attached to my friends. They came and went. Some, however, did become emotionally attached to me, but I never saw my friends in the same light they saw me.

I could go days without human contact. During summer break, I would not interact with anyone, and when it came to dinner, I would eat alone in the basement. I wanted to be left alone, and I liked the peace and quiet. Being around other human beings tended to add a burden to me and stress. Being alone was relaxing. I never got lonely.

Over the past few years, I have been running my autism program. At first, I distanced myself from the group members. I was the leader, and I felt getting close to my members was wrong for someone in my position. I also met people outside my group, but I felt they were just acquaintances. I did not make friends. I refused to believe I would ever have friends or have a need for them in my life.

I was selfish.

Over time, I had a girlfriend, and that was nice while it lasted. I did not mind having someone close with me in that sense. But, I still refused to admit I had friends. And, as more years of my autism program went on, more and more people seemed to look up to me, and I think some of them might have gotten attached to me. Although, I can’t honestly say with any certainty. I actually feel neurotypcial people tend to get attached to me more. Maybe this is because they see qualities in me they want to see in themselves because of being polar opposites. I’m not sure.

Anyway, I started hanging out with people and opening up. Then, one day, about a month or two ago, I met someone for coffee. I explained to the person that I did not have friends. I only saw people as acquaintances, and I refused to let others get close to me. As I said these words, I realized that this person probably kind of saw me as a friend. And, they were likely hurt by my words. At that point, I realized how selfish I was.

Maybe, I was afraid of getting hurt and kept the people in my life emotionally distant. Or, maybe, I felt human connections was a bad thing and forming friends was wrong. Actually, there is some truth to that. A part of me always felt making friends was something abnormal. I had this belief since at least middle school. I have no idea where it came from.

But, as time has passed on since that meeting, I realize that I do have friends. I have many friends. And, I am a very lucky person. I have people in my life that really care about me. Man, it feels awkward writing that, but it’s true. Actually, it feels awkward writing this blog entry. I feel like I am being very open, and I am actually scared how other people might perceive my writing today.

Overall, I feel that I have hurt many people because of my refusal to admit I had friends and allow the good people truly into my life. I even recall Autism in Love asking me about friendships and how I said that I don’t want friends and have no need for them. I regret saying those words. But, that was my truth not so long ago.

I am glad though that I am finally acknowledging that I have friends in my life, and really amazing friends at that. I am a very fortunate person.

With that said, less than 3 days are left for the Autism in Love Kickstarter Campaign. If you have not done so yet, please support this documentary anyway you can whether that is by spreading the word or through a financial contribution. Time is running out, and the film team still has a long way to go before having the Kickstarter fulfilled. Remember, if the full amount is not raised, the film team gets nothing.

Also, for those interested, here is a video I made a couple years back about my thoughts on friends.

Today, we have a very special guest, Christopher Morales. Christopher Morales is a good friend of mine and has been instrumental in helping me run Empower Autism Now this year. Without his help, I have no idea where Empower Autism Now would be. Christopher has been an amazing help to me, and without further ado, I present his article.

Well, my name is Christopher Morales and I stumbled across Empower Autism Now back in August 2012 because I was looking for a support group for those with Asperger’s Syndrome. I felt that it was time to look for help to help me understand Asperger’s and how it affected me, and my environment. I came across a Meetup.com group called Autism and Asperger’s Empowerment Group and I thought, “what the heck, I’ll join this group; and the rest has been a fun time. I’ve gone from being a group member to a leader. I have given my input and I have taught others how to survive in this crazy world that we call, “life”.

One of my experiences of being a leader is that I was able to lead a group; it was the, now on hiatus, Men’s Group, that took place at the West Covina Services Center for Independent Living, every last Tues of the month. One of my favorite activities/exercises that the group always did was improv/role-playing because I thought this was one of the best ways for the guys to learn about social environments and by doing it in an enclosed space, they could learn through trial and error, what to do and what not to do. It was also a way for them to be inhibited and for them to relieve some frustration with the real world. It also forced them out of their comfort zone. Now, I lead a 40 and over group and so far, it has been successful, though getting them to get out of their comfort zone is a little harder, since some are getting set in their ways.

In addition to being a leader/assistant organizer, I have been an active participant in the groups and workshops. Some of the groups are the Pomona Group, which takes place at the San Gabriel/Pomona Regional Center in Pomona, and that is the present support group for those 18-25, and some older adults, younger than 40, a cinema club, where at the time of this blog, we just finished watching the cinematic classic Casablanca, and I am looking forward to see what other movies we watch, and a video game club, where we play a variety of video games featured on either a Nintendo Wii or Playstation 3.

Now the workshops require more active participation, and I think they are more fun and useful, (though the aforementioned groups have their usefulness too because they teach you how to play well with others), because they put us participants into realistic situations where we are allowed to, through trial and error, participate in social situations and then receive feedback. The most popular workshops have been a leadership workshop, where participants create agendas and then attempt to run a group full of characters, a blues dancing workshop, where the participants learn how to dance to blues music (a favorite of mine because the instructor was patient with us) and a dating workshop; my all time favorite workshop because it helps me to work on my weakness of going up to a physically attractive female and striking up a conversation with them. This workshop has gotten some very willing ladies and they have given back some great feedback.  The most recent workshop is a Self-Actualization workshop and this one has been a very eye-opening because it is forcing me to take a look at myself  (…..”and I can’t believe it”…rearranged lyrics from Fooling Yourself by STYX) and find out who I am, what people are saying about me and who I want to be. I can’t wait to see how the rest of the workshop turns out, but I am sure I will like the outcome.

I feel that ever since I joined Empower Autism Now, that I have found a place where I belong, a place where I can learn how to deal with society and to survive on my own, a place where I can educate others and a place where I can go when I need more information to understand life. In other words, I feel great.

Thanks for reading Christopher's piece. If I may direct your attention, the project, Autism in Love still needs support to reach their goal of $100,000. 3 days remain of their Kickstarter campaign. They have raised over $20,000, which means they have a long way to go. Please help Autism in Love! Thank you!

Hi everyone,

Just letting you know that the Huffington Post did a live interview with me and also the director Matt Fuller and producer Carolina Groppa. The interview can be watched here. Be sure to check it out!