Impairment in Communicaton? Me?

On page 50 of his book 'The Complete Book to Asperger's Syndrome', Tony Attwood, a leading authority on Asperger's Syndrome and Asperger's in girls, lists five qualitative impairments in verbal or non-verbal communication that mark Asperger's Syndrome in adults.

Me?  I have a problem with COMMUNICATION?!

December 29, 2012 South Bank, Brisbane

1.  Tendency to turn any conversation back to self or own topic of interest.  Well, yeah, it's how I relate to you, through letting you get to know ME!  Sigh.  You should hear conversations between me and horse girl.

2.  Marked impairment in the ability to initiate or sustain a conversation with others.  This I CAN do.  I just talk about ME!  Cannot see the point of superficial social contact, niceties, or passing time with others, unless there is a clear discussion or activity.  Uh Dad, sound like anyone you know?  More on this later.

3.  Pedantic style of speaking, or inclusion of too much detail.  Are you laughing with me or at me?!  Although, really, how you people live without knowing what's up is beyond me.

4.  Inability to recognize when the listener is interested or bored.  Even if the person has been told not to talk about their particular obsessive topic for too long, this difficulty may be evident if other topics arise.  I, for the record, can tell if you are bored.  I just don't care.  This is also one of the first points Ryan's teachers mentioned about her in Germany, her inability to care that the other kids weren't interested in what she was saying.

5.  Frequent tendency to say things without considering the emotional impact on the listener (faux pas.)  Interestingly, or perhaps only to me!, I can tell how I impact others, I just don't care sometimes, because I don't get why people don't want to acknowledge the truth.  It's out there.  We all know it.  So why not be honest about it?

Attwood says that most adults diagnosed with Asperger's are relieved.  They have always known there was something different about them from everyone else.

"There can be a new sense of personal validation and optimis, at last not feeling stupid, defective or insane.  'That's why I'm different; I'm not a freak or mad."

It's an AH- HA experience.

Now.  Will someone please tell me the point of superficial social contact, niceties, or passing the time with others unless there is a clear discussion or activity?!  Really, please.  This is why I drank.