"I'm glad I have Asperger's"

A direct quote from Rosie.
Because it makes her different, she says, and she likes being different. Although I think the smirk on her face when she turned away secretly said: better, not just different.

I contemplated quickly taking the opportunity of reinforcing different, since thinking oneself better is betrayed in so many ways to other people that it's definitely not any advantage in getting along to think so, not to mention that it's a false way of thinking - there's always going to be someone better than you are at something, no matter how intelligent or capable you are. It undermines one's sense of goal-setting and necessary work, too - I'm not expressing this terribly well, but having fallen into the same ego-trap as a child and young adult, I don't want her to make this mistake. I still fight a tendency towards intellectual arrogance; I'm hardly a dolt, but I'm as prone to making a mistake as the next person, and it's been one of the enormous lessons of my life. (Old dogs DO learn new tricks, thanks!)

However, I didn't correct her at this time. It's the first time I'm hearing pride in her difference instead of worry or confusion, and the last thing I want to do is squish that. Her unique gifts will take her far, I think, and there's time enough to seek a balance.