Explaining Aspie's...

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I moved to my new neighborhood in the summer.

I met new friends at the beginning of the school year.

Now, after being friends with them for a while, they're beginning to wonder about my "quirks", and I'm having trouble explaining what Aspie's is, because they don't really understand it, and they don't know why it matters.

How do I explain Aspie's to my non-Aspie friends? They're my best friends, and I want things to be the same as they were at the beginning of the school year.

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If you don't get the message across completely 100%..itll just be weird and your friends will sort of have misconceptions and stuff. umm..In my experience its very hard to make yourself clear on this topic. I think you should use the terms Asperger's when you bring up the subject, and when you've described some of the characteristics and stuff- mention that its a less sever form of autism. If you start initially with 'autism' people immediately think of the 'Rain Man' stereotype , which sets up expectations and preconceptions in their mind. Also maybe you should start of by telling the friends that your closer to, and then later on tell the rest of the group.

I have only ever told 4 people in my life (mum, sister, and 2 friends) and each time it was a very weird experience.

It's interesting. We're normal, but we're not normal.

I would say, It's like you have the ability to be normal but you must train yourself to act that way rather than real normal people who automatically know how to fit in without thinking and practice. Try and ask your friends for help, ask them what they think when dealing with activities you have trouble with.

I tend to tell people that I am very socially inept, and that I am the poster child for obsessive compulsive disorder. I've never actually told anyone yet that I have AS/autism, because I don't have a firm diagnosis (yet).

A lot of people like coffee, so I like to explain what Asperger's syndrome is by making a handy analogy with many Americans' favorite drink. I explain that Asperger's syndrome comes in various grades and blends. For instance, Albert Einstein was a particularly high grade of Aspergonautics (my hip word for Asperger's syndrome, as a positive affirmation of our ability to sail along the sea of society). Some get a blend of autistic traits like sensory integration dysfunction, strict adherence to routines, intense absorption in an interest, differential ability in reading nonverbal communication, and so forth.

Some Aspergonauts, whose beans have probably been roasted for too long, are bitter; and some, topped with whipped cream and cinnamon and kissed with cocoa, are really sweet. As any coffee gourmet knows, one good cup of coffee can taste worlds apart from a completely different preparation. Likewise, if a person has met one Aspergonaut, that person has met exactly one Aspergonaut. We all set our instruments to sail for different courses.

That's a good explanation, NeantHumain. I know which category my beans must be in.