ntroduction 2.0 (Harsh Edit)

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, version 4-R, defines Asperger's Syndrome's diagnostic criteria as follows:

(I) Qualitative impairment in social interaction, as manifested by at least two of the following:

    (A) marked impairments in the use of multiple nonverbal behaviors such as eye-to-eye gaze, facial expression, body posture, and gestures to regulate social interaction
    (B) failure to develop peer relationships appropriate to developmental level
    (C) a lack of spontaneous seeking to share enjoyment, interest or achievements with other people, (e.g.. by a lack of showing, bringing, or pointing out objects of interest to other people)
    (D) lack of social or emotional reciprocity

(II) Restricted repetitive & stereotyped patterns of behavior, interests and activities, as manifested by at least one of the following:

    (A) encompassing preoccupation with one or more stereotyped and restricted patterns of interest that is abnormal either in intensity or focus
    (B) apparently inflexible adherence to specific, nonfunctional routines or rituals
    (C) stereotyped and repetitive motor mannerisms (e.g. hand or finger flapping or twisting, or complex whole-body movements)
    (D) persistent preoccupation with parts of objects


(III) The disturbance causes clinically significant impairments in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.

(IV) There is no clinically significant general delay in language (E.G. single words used by age 2 years, communicative phrases used by age 3 years)

(V) There is no clinically significant delay in cognitive development or in the development of age-appropriate self help skills, adaptive behavior (other than in social interaction) and curiosity about the environment in childhood.

(VI) Criteria are not met for another specific Pervasive Developmental Disorder or Schizophrenia.

 Many forms of communication among humans are accidental or incidental. I am nearly incapable of accidental or incidental communication; most of my mannerisms were deliberately learned. What's more, they're not self-correcting; I do not notice when they fall flat, communicate poorly or not at all, or hurt people. These things need stated deliberately and openly, or I will not notice them.

When I am under a great deal of stress, my adaptations, including filters which improve the coherence of my speech, slowly begin to vanish.

It may or may not help to know I consider myself less than human. There are things most of you do with trivial ease which are beyond my abilities, most likely forever out of reach. The vast majority of facial expressions are unreadable to me.

In short, I wish to make this a safe place for all of you, and if as it stands I make you feel unsafe, you please must know that I am both unaware and entirely uncertain how to correct it.

I am largely incapable of healthy, normal eye contact. Anything said to me subtly or nonverbally will be missed almost entirely.

There are no safe spaces for me, but the spaces which exist are safer for me than they are for some others present.