Aspies can't be innovative?

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Why are aspies always stereotyped as automatons, because we are less spontaneous?

Or maybe the "experts" studying autism just beleive we lack spontaneity because we are more reserved? Because we would rather save our speech for something profound instead of becoming talking heads

What if originality's definition is insufficient? Some NTs think that to be original one must act up, which is just childish. But for all their attention getting antics, these aforementioned folks have no original thoughts and actions. And then there are aspies who seem like nonentities who have creativity in a subtler form.

I find that once high school finishes, NTs act less the way I described, but every time I go into town, seeing these irritating adolescents drugging themselves into conformism makes me question the assumption that aspies cannot have novel thoughts.

Spontaneity is not the same as creativity.

Okay, in my case... spontaneous... maybe. Sometimes I enjoy doing things spontaneously if it is a matter of just doing something on my own for the sake of having fun, but if it involves other people or something that may involve long-term consequences, then I need to plan carefully and mentally prepare myself well in advance.

But originality is completely different. I have always been far more creative than those around me. When I was only five or six years old, I was already writing stories and poems, painting, and composing music... and I have always tried to be as different as possible with my ideas,

I think my Asperger's has helped me to be more creative because I see things quite differently than NTs and my original perspective comes across in my writing. I know many other people who say that Asperger's enhances their creativity.

Anyone who says we are automatons just does not know enough about Asperger's to make that claim.

Because NT's have very narrow black and white thinking and can only understand things in very narrow, black and white terms.

It's a stereotype. It's convenient. It's also how Aspies are remembered - at their worst, or the least adapted or functional. They stick out, they're remembered (think of Rainman).
My adult life has been one creative job after another; in some respects I'm creative simply because I can visualise easily (I'm spatial) and that puts me one step ahead of most NT's in the creative world. And yeah, think of Einstein- nothing unspontaneous or uncreative there!

Just like most people have said on this forum, innovation doesn't necessarily mean spontaniety. The literal definition of spontaniety is to do things out of random, with little planning and thought, which may help the adventurer in society, but for innovation, it doesn't require a spontaneous mind; it requires an original perspective and creativity. It requires the interest and ability to see cliches for what they are and create some new idea, or to create a new perspective on life. Innovation isn't people blending in, and making inventions, novels, or artwork that mimics the world. Innovation, to me, is thinking outside of the narrow-minded view of normalcy, and into our own minds to see what we come up with.

I rarely do things spontaneously. If it wasn't planned, I don't usually stop. But if I am with other people and someone just decides to stop at a yard sale lets say or at some bizarre fair, that's when I am spontaneous since I like going to those things.

In my case, the whole point of a rigid schedule is to free time for creative work. I'm getting through what needs to be gotten through as quickly as possible so I can have the maximum amount of freedom. With that freedom I'm building a world-with-the-world for which no blueprints are provided. I'm prickly if you hold me up, but no automaton.

I have rarely been told that my ideas are not original enough, I have frequently been told that my ideas where too original

I am an engineer. I get paid for innovation. I am still employed so I must be somewhat decent at it.