[AndyNemmity]

Sounds like a lot of us here fit the description pretty well.

I'm not convinced this is anything more than the various styles of potential people. Take for example that I don't read or watch fiction. I haven't been able to cope with it my whole life. I read non-fiction and much prefer it.

Is that a preference? Is that some meaningful indication about who I am?

I don't know. I am hearing the spectrum answer from a lot of people. That sounds like an answer with no way to refute it, so the value of it is meaningless.

I really don't know much about this topic, and haven't given it the time to learn. My input is not particularly valuable in this discussion.

However my best guess is that this is trying to explain the range of human possibility with a diagnosis as opposed to simply thinking that there are different people with different traits, and that's all okay.

I used to be "unable" to do a lot of tasks of a business professional and just coded and worked alone.

Then I was promoted until I was unable to do what I was good at, and has to learn how to do the business tasks. Now I am doing them.

It wasn't that I was unable. I just didn't desire to do it on my own, and wasn't in a position where I had to regardless.

I sort of think of all of this like ADHD. The majority of parents I know tell me their kid has ADHD, and many are on medication for it.

And I watch them feed their children coke regularly.

[city41]

I worked with someone who has Aspergers and I would definitely say it's a legitimate condition and not simply a case of people having "various styles" or "different traits". I think it's one of those things that you can't really understand until you experience it first hand.

To be completely honest, although he was very smart and I understood his condition, I found him extremely difficult and uncomfortable to work with. Which is really unfortunate.

[AndyNemmity]

Completely reasonable. I was extremely difficult to work with for a long time until I learned how to change my tactics.

But maybe that's the core difference. I can learn how to change my tactics, even if it took me years to figure it out.

Edit: The real key for me was turning social interaction into a programming problem. Once I did that, I went from completely inept terrible person to work for, to a person who works with C levels regularly, and does upper level VC work.

And all that really happened was I turned the business social interaction into a programming problem mentally. Once I turned it into a game, I started to succeed at it. But it's not organic.