Reddit reviews Be Different: My Adventures with Asperger's and My Advice for Fellow Aspergians, Misfits, Families, and Teachers

Because of my ASD I have above average verbal skills, tolerance of repetitive kinds of work and ability to show up everyday on time because I like to stick to schedules. I've always had a job. Up close looking into a person's face freaks me out, but I'm great on the telephone. Back in the 70s I was called a telephone solicitor. Then in the 80s they called it "telemarketing". Nowadays I do call center work. You call me, I don't call you. Customers tell me how good I am and that I should be on the radio because I've trained what used to be my nasally Asperger's voice into something that sounds like an announcer. I own a house, have a 401k and good credit. No friends, never had a relationship, but always had a job.

There's a book I recommend along this theme by John Elder Robison called "Be Different". He's about my age, late 50s, and had very significant challenges early in life because he was not good with people. But he was good with things like electronics and later luxury automobiles. He started roadying for bands and worked up to working for Kiss in the 70s inventing Ace Frehley's fireworks spewing guitar and all kinds of cool stuff. Then became a mechanic and built a successful business and he's had a pretty good life, much of it because of Aspergers, not despite it.

Sometimes I avoid this forum because it's so negative. We need more positive success stories.

http://www.amazon.com/Be-Different-Adventures-Aspergers-Aspergians/dp/0307884821

There is less of a line between those two things than you think, and not understanding that can be a real problem for those who think playing the socially awkward card is a totes adorbs way to be excused for saying stupid things. Everyone can be a moron some of the time, but some people have real difficulty grasping limits, boundaries, and appropriateness. The OP doesn't sound angry or entitled (though maybe, just maybe, a little too lacking in self-doubt). He sounds as if he genuinely wants to know how to behave. In other words, he is asking someone to tell him what the social norms are that he violated. Maybe his parents couldn't or didn't know how. Or maybe he didn't appreciate the costs of not knowing them until now. And truthfully, that parent response does hit on the truth in a way that is forceful enough to possibly get through.

I raise an autistic child, and am married to an autistic man. I get angry at the grownup one for not accepting that he has a neurological issue and finding workarounds, something that is totally possible.I see it as my job to teach our son about boundaries and learning skills that will help him avoid being seen as creepy. It's a hard as fuck job. I might fail. If so, I will direct him to reddit. Amen.