Examples of everyday situations that can cause difficulty and distress for people with Aspergers

ONE

A scenario: Two people both of whom have Aspergers. Person A is no good at DIY and person B is OK at it. Person B comes to person A's house to put up a shelf but they forget their drill. So they drive back home several miles to get the drill. Meanwhile person A gets very stressed due to things not going as planned and not knowing what to do and person B can't see any other solution other than to go back for the drill.

Now, for the average neurotypical, the above situation would go something like: The person who forgot the drill would be annoyed and the other person may well say something like 'Look, I'll go round to my neighbours and borrow his drill.' Problem solved!


TWO

A person with Aspergers, who is normally calm and rational organises ticket distribution for his friends at a theatre show. But things go wrong and the person gets confused and becomes visibly distressed, 'goes to pieces' so to speak.


THREE

One of the many baffling things with Aspergers is an apparent indifference in the person who has Aspergers. I was once in a café with a person who has Aspergers and his mother. His mother started choking and her son just ignored her. She went off to the toilet and I was concerned and went after her to see if she was OK. But even I was baffled by this! That a man could be so apparently uncaring and unconcerned about his mother!


FOUR

Another situation that happened to me. A man I know comes to look at my computer because I had a problem getting The Internet.

First bit of anxiety: Actually interacting and negotiating with him about when to come over. Then anxiety waiting for him as I have anxiety about ANYONE actually coming to my flat.
When he turned up anxiety level dropped but still somewhat uncomfortable with him here.

He sorted the problem and I felt better.

If I tell someone of the above, they might say 'Oh I'm like that. I can't do anything until they arrive.'
And here is where MISUNDERSTANDING occurs. The person who says this does NOT have the levels of anxiety and distress I have (or if they do, then like me they have a problem.)

But this is what infuriates me, that people just don't 'get' this disability or difference called Aspergers!