Left brain dominant and right brain dominant Aspies.

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If I am an Aspie I'm not really sure where I would fit in. I feel like I think in a very logical, structured manner most of the time but I'm always told that I seem artistic and creative by other people. This is really not me, I'm very much into music but I have zero interest in visual art because I don't "get: it and other than being an extremely random at times(I'm able to improvise pretty well and have a wacky, offbeat sense of humor) I'm really not all that creative. I had very good writing skills growing up but it was because I was using such specific formula for my style and had a large vocabulary, creative writing was NOT my forte.

So do you think that the majority of Aspies are left brained? I feel like this is the consensus amongst NTs, anyway, and that most people would probably think I'm too creative or animated to be an Aspie. I was once told by a teacher than I seem to have a unique way of using both sides of my brain, is this true for most Aspies? I also wonder how much gender would have to do with this, I am a woman BTW.

I have no clue whether or not it's true for most Aspies and/or how much gender has to do with it. Einstein, an alleged Aspie, had a Sylvian fissure that was truncated. I suspect the same about mine. If I'm explaining this correctly, it means that the two hemispheres of the brain communicate closely with each other. For Aspies, that could mean an ability to have a high level of logic in thinking, along with a high level of creative ability. There are other Aspies besides Einstein who also had this unique way of using both sides of the brain.

I'm a very musical aspie. I can sing with perfect pitch, and when I'm playing the drums, during my clubhouse jam sessions, I can keep beat, with any song, that the boys throw at me. I can also remember the words of a song, that I discover and like, after listening to it, two times. Also, if I hear a Top 40 song, that I'm not crazy about, and I don't have access to my CDs, it's stuck in my head, for the rest of the day, or the evening. What hemisphere of my brain, do you think is dominant?

One of my Aspie sons is left handed which I think means he's left brained, but that might be an oversimplification.

Music, logic and math are all very similar and often linked to strength in language. In Linguistics our professors said that strong abilities in music and math were good indication of an aptitude for linguistics (which is very logical). Your description of your abilities sounds quite feasible and not at all unusual for an NT or non-NT.

Language involves a great deal of logic and grammar. A creative genius who can't manage grammar isn't going to be a great writer. People who are sloppy with grammar are easily misunderstood and have a hard time getting their ideas across. Maybe Rimbeaux pulls it off, but I think there is logic in his poetry, though I don't think I've ever really looked for it. Creativity requires a fair bit of technical ability to go anywhere, regardless of the field (music, writing, graphic arts...). Logical ability and creativity are not mutually exclusive.

I am neither proven nor disproven to be on the spectrum--the only proven diagnosis is ADHD and synesthesia.

However, most right-brain left-brain tests I have taken, I have split down the middle to the point where dominance cannot be determined. Even physically I am split: right-handed and footed, but left-eyed.

Kiley--I think it's right hand/left brain, left hand/right brain...someone correct me if I'm wrong.

Here's a good link that describes the functions of each hemisphere of the brain: http://www.singsurf.org/brain/rightbrain.php

I've also found the answer to my question. I'm right brained.

Yes, that was a typo. I meant to say he's left handed so therefore right brained.

Interesting question. I'm not officially diagnosed, but I can say I use both left and right sides of my brain. I'm ambidextrous, logical, and creative.

Are you "supposed" to have one dominant half over the other, if you're NT? Surely that can't be a prerequisite.

It seems to be the consensus, though I'm not sure how accurate it is. There's still a lot we don't know about the brain.

I'm left handed, and I've never taken any official reputable tests if they exist, but some random online quiz told me I was 75% right brain and 25% left brain. I've played piano since I was 4 and write my own music, but I was tested as gifted in math and science when I was in grade school.

I'm not sure. But I'm right handed and I think I'm very logical, good at maths and science.

Actually math and science utilize both hemispheres. Actually I'd say most theoretical scientists and mathematicians have a superior right brain intellect. Memorizing formulas, categorizing data, or doing calculations might be left-brained but coming up with new methods or forming your own hypothesis is very right brained. Basically learning science can be a left-brained activity but actually doing science requires right-brained abilities.

In my case, I think of myself as extremely left-brained. I think in terms of logic, and I don't like doing things unless I understand the reason behind them. I'm typically not very empathetic, either. However, I am a great lover of music, and I love looking at certain types of art (graphic art, comics, manga, cartoons, digital art) and I love film. It's just that I'm not particularly creative, in that I don't think I could come up with my own art. I can appreciate things but I don't create.

As for the part about writing skills... I am totally the same. I read a lot when I was younger, and I consequently have a very large vocabulary and unusual cadence. I tend to use a lot of archaic phrasing and elaborate linguistic constructs when writing (and speaking), which people seem to find interesting, sometimes endearing. I just write in the same way my thought processes coalesce, but people seem to like it. However, like you, I don't think I'm creative enough to actually write my own stories and whatnot.

I'm a guy, but I don't think sex is the deciding factor here. Granted, the differences between men and women's brains tend to be related to spatial understanding (left brain) vs. empathy (right brain), but I'm not sure that means that women are more creative than men. I think creativity comes from both sides of the brain working in tandem.

Math and language came easy to me in school and I'm ambidextrous, so I don't know. Might be a little more right brained since images make more sense and I have to fight my way through text a little.

Cheers Marshall. I agree and thanks for summing that up. Science is my thing and I was wondering about the brain in relation to process. I can write, well, I hope so as a book is on the burner on at the moment!

I had always considered myself very non-creative. I like patterns, order and lines and boxes. I do not relate well to circles. And I always seek to put things in sequence. I cannot really write creatively but love to add texture and symphony to short descriptive written passages.

After reading a bit about neuroplasticity, I have heard that people with an ASD, are often "hyperplastic". We have too many neurones connected as opposed to too little. Too many processes going on at the same time, hence the feeling that we cannot "filter". Well, I know I can't.

Fascinating topic. Thank you OP.

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