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I see the need for such a thread...being that there are at least 2 of us here in Nerd Fitness Forum Land, and I suspect a much larger percentage of undiagnosed individuals exist among the anti-social, introverted nerd population. The internet has been a great blessing for many of us who are extremely isolated in our everyday "real" lives, but even here we can and do feel alone among those who understand the unwritten rules and "common sense" that is foreign to us. We welcome questions, concerns, comments and conversation, but be aware that if you find something offensive, this is OUR space and you have the ability to leave and not participate here, and there will be no trolling/negativity towards others, just like everywhere else on the NF forums. If you aren't sure what Asperger's/HFA et al. actually is... Here is a very comprehensive list of the characteristics of someone with Aspergers/High Functioning Autism: (for female specific traits: click here) Personal / Physical Repetitive routines or rituals Can engage in tasks (sometimes mudane ones) for hours and hoursFlat, or blank expression much of the timeDoesn't always recognize faces right away (even close loved ones)Strong sensitivity to sound, touch, taste, sight, and smell (e.g. fabrics—won’t wear certain things, fluorescent lights)Sensitivity to the texture of foods Eccentric personalityIdiosyncratic attachment to inanimate objectsBeing "in their own world" / Preoccupied with their own agendaHighly gifted in one or more areas, e.g. math, music, etcSingle-mindednessLikes and dislikes can be very rigidCan spend hours in the library researching, loves learning and informationMay have difficulty staying in college despite a high level of intelligenceLimited interests / Intense focus on one or two subjectsUnusual preoccupationsCollects thingsClumsiness / Uncoordinated motor movementsSpeech and language peculiarities / hyperlexia (little professors) or, early in life may have a speech impedimentNon-verbal communication problems: difficulty reading body language, facial expression and toneWord repetition (they may frequently repeat what you've just said)Excellent rote memory FOCUSING ON THE POSITIVE: Focus and diligence – The Asperger ability to focus on tasks for a long period of time without needing supervision or incentive is legendary. Internal motivation – as opposed to being motivated by praise, money, bills or acceptance. This ensures a job done with conscience, with personal pride. Independent, unique thinking – people with AS tend to spend a lot of time alone and will likely have developed their own unique thoughts as opposed to a ‘herd’ mentality. Higher fluid intelligence – scientists in Japan have recently discovered that AS children have a higher fluid intelligence than non-autistic children. Fluid intelligence is "the ability to find meaning in confusion and solve new problems. It is the ability to draw inferences and understand the relationships of various concepts, independent of acquired knowledge.†(Wikipedia 2009) Experts say that those with AS have a higher than average general IQ as well. Visual, three-dimensional thinking – some with AS are very visual in their thought processes, which lends itself to countless useful and creative applications. Attention to detail – sometimes with painstaking perfection. Honesty – the value of being able to say “the emperor isn’t wearing any clothes.†Logic over emotion – although people with AS are very emotional at times, we spend so much time ‘computing’ in our minds that we get quite good at it. We can be very logical in our approach to problem-solving. Relationships We Can often be distant physically and/or emotionally.Often are attracted to another purely because they are attracted to usAlternatively, we can be obsessiveMay have a hard time saying I love you, showing physical affectionWe can be very criticalWe takes things personallyWe can be very loyal to one personOften times we will make no motions to keep a friendships goingWe need to withdraw and have solitudeMen in particular find emotions messy and unquantifiable; If partner tries to share her love for him, he may find her need to “connect†smotheringOur attention is narrowly focused on our own interestsMen with undiagnosed AS often feel as if their partner is being ungrateful or “bitchy†when she complains he is uncaring or never listens to herHe can become quite defensive when she asks for clarification or a little sympathy. The defensiveness can turn into verbal abuse (usually not physical abuse) as the man attempts to control the communication to suit his view of the world.Social Interactions Desire for friendships and social contact but difficulty acquiring and maintaining themShuts down in social situationsSocial withdrawal / may avoid social gatheringsLack of interest in other peopleLack of empathy at timesDifficulty understanding others’ feelingsCan obsess about having friends to prove they’re “normalâ€Rigid social behavior due to an inability to spontaneously adapt to variations in social situationsHas an urge to inform that can result in being blunt / insultingPreoccupied with their own agenda Great difficulty with small-talk and chatter