A survival guide for people with Asperger syndrome

www-users.cs.york.ac.uk

11 points·qwph··8 comments

"It can often be an effort to have a shower or a bath three times a week and to wear deodorant but it is much easier to talk to people if you feel you are clean and if you cannot be smelt. Remember, if you smell you might not be aware of it. "

You have got to be kidding.

why?

Who doesn't know that. I don't think that has anything to do with having Aspergers.

There is a theory that people with autism-spectrum disorders have trouble modelling what is going on in other people's minds, and this is what makes social situations hard for them.

If this theory is true, then a person with Aspergers who is not annoyed by his or her own body odor would have trouble realizing that the odor might bother other people.

Oh, my parents had to teach me that one and I don't even have autism (as far as I know.) It seems obvious when you think about it: people are bothered by strong smells so if you smell strongly people will be bothered by you; but, if you're not clued in socially, you may not be aware of such things. This is especially true if you don't recognize hints from other people that you smell.

Step 1: Go to your doctor and see if you actually have Asperger's. If you don't, stop using it as an excuse.

Is there some tendency for people to falsely claim they have Asperger's disorder?

I think some of this is useful for normal, not-very-social people.

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