TVtropes has a "Useful notes" page on Asperger's.

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You can find it at http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/U ... erSyndrome. It's really handy - it has a very good description of Asperger's, so it's a good resource to send to people that don't "get it." It also has some useful resources and advice for people on the spectrum. And it's on TVtropes Check it out!

Self-inflated Insufferable Genius/Asperger's as an excuse for bad behaviour. There's no real connection whatsoever, and may have just been borne out of people over the Internet using Asperger's Syndrome as an excuse to be a jerkass or a Know-Nothing Know-It-All. Part of the reason AS is a popular self-diagnosis is because Asperger's is linked (particularly in pop culture) with Idiot Savant characters who are brilliant but lack social skills. Such individuals are often the first to latch onto postmortem conjectural psychology calling various famous people like Albert Einstein autistic. They arrogantly believe that not only should having AS free them from judgement for being socially inept, but also pin them as genius-tier masters of their field. This is particularly infuriating for people who really do have AS, since as this practice continues they find it harder to explain accidentally offending somebody without being seen as liars, or worse as trying to make an excuse for bad behaviour. Most genuine Aspies don't see Aspergers as a 'Get Out Of Jerkass Free' card, just an explanation.

If somebody offends you, then tells you they have Asperger Syndrome and that's why they offended you, you can generally tell if this is true by a simple observation - If the admittance is followed (or preceded) by a genuine apology, it may be true. If it's followed by the expectation that you should now apologise to them for being offended, they're probably just jerks. If they do neither, simply mentioning it, it's almost (but of course not certainly) always true and simply an observation with no blame or excuse for either side attached.

If anything, given that the symptoms of Asperger's syndrome tend to lead other children (and sometimes adults) into bullying them, they usually tend to have a lower self-worth. This tends to be confused as a symptom of Asperger's due to the lack of social empathy and the tendency to dominate conversations.

While a case could be made that some who have been consistently bullied may consciously develop or become egocentric and cultivate feelings of a superiority complex as a psychological defense mechanism, this does not directly correlate with AS. What might correlate to it is that since people with Asperger’s tend to be experts in their narrow field of interest, they can think of themselves as superior to those who do not possess such skills. Also, some think of their lack of inhibition and sincerity as an advantage over the rest of the population.

It's important to note that while Aspies can be very nice, open people, that doesn't mean they're all nice all the time, or that they're naive. They may not have the same empathic connection to the world as you do, but they sure are good at working out how other people think (partly because they had to put so much more effort into working it out in their youth; talent is cheap). Try to upset them deliberately and you'll rarely get the reaction you expected, because the two most confusing emotions for Aspies are sorrow and anger. And while it depends on the individual, they may have a very unexpected Berserk Button.

Since they speak their mind so openly and lack skill with social situations, an AS person can and will voice anger in public, with no regard to the opinion of watchers, or the consequences of their anger. Though it will likely have been stifled for some time, some form of metaphorical straw has broken the camel's back and it may seem to come from nowhere - a nasty surprise to people who think AS folks are shy and thoughtful, since they can get very loud when provoked. Violence may be expressed, but usually in gestures that keep their 'opponent' at a distance.

Some people with Asperger Syndrome will bluntly ask you if they are bothering you, and expect for you to tell them the truth in your answer. Being 'polite' and trying to reassure them otherwise will merely result in further confusion. Just answer honestly and without hidden meanings.

Lack of Imagination. Related to No Sense Of Humour above, it is frequently reported that people with Asperger's have little to no imagination, but this is verging on Critical Research Failure. The misconception seems to stem from the fact that children with Asperger's are less like to engage in imaginative play - such as 'Doctors and Nurses', 'Mums and Dads' - with other kids, because they spend more time alone. The truth is that most Aspies have a detailed internal imagination, capable of creating entire worlds with which to entertain themselves while alone, sometimes bordering into Cloudcuckoolander territory. The 'lack of imagination' may be based on a need for a 'trigger' (such as a favourite cartoon show) or the need for their imaginary world to be absolutely perfect within their internal thoughtscape.

I'm glad that they included this in the article. I have always had an imaginary world that required a "trigger" (in my case, favorite movies), and I become very depressed if I have trouble making sure that it is absolutely perfect.

I think the original poster was not saying it was a diagnostic tool, rather a nice concise way to explain it to loved ones and others one wants to share with.

You know, rather then stumbling around with words to explain it all.....