"Personal Space" Recognition

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Some people claim to have the 6th sense of being able to see a person's aura, that normally
invisible electrical field around a person. Others, the NT's as they are called, seem to be
able to recognize another's "personal space" and know when standing too close to someone
or just a bit too far away... Different types of people have different "personal space"
requirements... Such as, a celebrity will require a greater distance usually than just a normal
worker-type person. NT's seem to automatically be able to differentiate and know when
they are violating someone's "personal space"....

As a person with an autistic spectrum disorder called NLD or PDD, I am just not able to "see" or recognize "personal space" as well just as most people can't "see" aura's around people... Now, I don't go up hugging people or anything like that.. it's subtle.. and sometimes I stand too FAR away. Is there some way to improve the ability to do this -- to just be able to recognize someone's personal space so that they won't immediately assume that I'm a very rude person for violating it and therefore, attack me? (verbally attack or otherwise or fire me, etc.?)

Vell...being the kind of person that I am, I have a huge bubble of personal space around me...I don't like to be touched unexpectedly...don't generally like to touch other people who I am not comfortable with.....I am too busy guarding my own personal space to um....invade others...

I have know others AS-types who have no concept of personal space at all and always get way too close for comfort....

I don't go up and touch people.. I'm not the "touchy-feely" type... Sometimes I don't stand close enough and people get impatient because I didn't realize their irritation when I didn't immediately recognize the hand signals motioning me over. I take a class right now that involves working in close proximity to others sometimes around electronics. If I'm standing too far away, the teacher thinks I'm not interested or not willing to participate as much... other times, I get too close and irritate people? It's just hard to know... that's all...

I was wondering if there was some list of rules out there concerning this...?? or some info??

One time my ex-yoga teacher told me "Don't you sense my aura, my presence? I'm very powerful." She was telling me I was standing too close and that I wasn't respecting her... as if to say that I was standing too close to such a powerful person and that I apparently was in her "aura"... I moved back and nodded.. but the truth was that I did NOT see or sense her aura At ALL!! I just was trying not to offend her further.... Do any of you sense this stuff?

A nice rule to go by is that you should be able to touch the person comfortably with just your fingertips without leaning forward/backward. In a setting that is more cramped, e.g. at a party, you would probably stand a whole lot closer - a good rule there is to try and not touch anyone, and you're safe.

Everyone has their own personal space but the majority of people, theirs is three feet. If you stand closer to them than that, then you are in their personal space. My mother told me stand three feet away from people. If they are my arm length away, I am giving them enough space, if I am unable to stretch out my whole arm without going past them or by them, then I am in their space so back up.

Using this method really helps. But only time you can stand very close to them is if you are in a really crowded place like being in an elevator with other people.


If lot of people don't like being touched by strangers, then this isn't a AS thing at all, it's a personality trait. Maybe the reason why doctors thought it's AS because we make a big deal out of it while lot of other people just ignore it.

An arm's length away is the common rule, and I also recognize it as the size of my comfort zone.

I think I read somewhere that 18 inches is the magic distance for standing beside other people. Which makes sense, because that's also the distance covered in an average step (useful to know if you're building stairs!), so basically you're one step away from someone.

I'm not sure about the specific codes, but when you're building steps the rise and the run should add up to 18".
A step is just a natural distance to be away from a person. Of course, more space is better, but not always possible when you're waiting at a bus stop with 50 other people.