Calling it having an A-Type (or a S-Type) Mind?

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Your personal situation doesn't speak for the whole AS community, everyone with AS is different, just because one person out of a small group of the whole doesn't have X problem, doesn't mean that X problem isn't a symptom of the diagnosis, it just means you got lucky in X area, unlike most of us. AS is a mental capability handicap, social skills are usually most apparent in this handicap but they are not the only thing that AS effects.

Partially agree. What we call ourselves makes no difference, but naming ourselves, instead of being named by others, does.

I seem to recall pointing out to you how, based on the DSM, it could. It depends heavily on circumstances. It also means that there are people with ASD who don't share all the symptoms you have. As for redefining ASD around your own symptoms and bitterly lashing out at anyone you perceive as having it "easy", well, that's just immaturity.

Asperger's cannot be diagnosed without there being some non-social symptoms present, though it may be only one symptom from that "repetitive/restricted behaviors and interests" category--repetitive behavior, routine-dependence, focus on details and small structure, and special interests that are either unusually intense or unusually narrow. Most Aspies have more than just one, but you only need one for the AS diagnosis.

However, someone with autistic-type social problems, and no non-social symptoms may still have a diagnosis of PDD-NOS, which is on the autism spectrum. Usually this happens only in cases where the social problems have existed since childhood and cannot be explained by some other disorder such as social anxiety, selective mutism, reactive attachment disorder, schizophrenia, or a personality disorder (among others).

Someone with purely social problems can still be autistic. It is atypical autism, but it is autism. And if I see any of you guys telling people they shouldn't be here because all their autism-related traits have to do with socializing, then I'm going to give you a virtual kick in the butt, because social problems suck and we're not here to be some kind of exclusive club.

If you want to say to somebody with social-only problems that they probably should have been diagnosed with PDD-NOS instead of Asperger's, fine. But telling them that their lives are "normal" is a low blow. It trivializes the obstacles they are facing. They already get enough of that from the rest of the world; they shouldn't get it here too.

Symptoms, yes. But are all symptoms always problems? There have to be impairments overall, but that doesn't imply that every symptom causes problems - at least not directly.

All symptoms wouldn't necessarily have to cause problems, no. But whether or not they cause problems isn't part of the actual diagnosis, it only amounts to how it affects the person and whether or not they can lead a relatively normal life, or whether or not they'd need assistance with things (severity). With me, I can't hold a normal job, I have capability issues that tend to interfere with a job that involves any real skill or repetitive action, but that issue wouldn't necessarily be a problem for other jobs, I just haven't been able to find one that works yet (although I am continuously looking at career possibilities, including Music Production). What gets in my way is time limitations, I can't work under time constraints because I shut down when I have a limited time to do something.

Like I said in previous response, I DO have symptoms from "category B"; namely, I have "special interests" that I previously listed (weather, science, mental illness, religion, and so forth). When I said it is only social stuff what I MEANT was that I don't have DISABILITIES besides social stuff (special interests and disabilities are not the same thing). The lack of disabilities besides social stuff is consistent with DSM 4 criteria for Asperger:



which is precisely why I am pushing this point.



If they are confirmed by DSM 4 then they do.