Reply To: Meeting Girls With Asperger Syndrome

[AriMoJ]

She’s Six Steps Away will definitely help. I have some friends with varying degrees of Aspergers. My brother is also a psychologist who deals with Aspergers clients. The step by step method is a good approach to take, breaking down the interactions into manageable equations. And it will get you there to a point. As Lee mentioned, it may take longer to master the later interactions, but there are also guides on the net and on this site about escalation, texting and power dynamics and so on.

I don’t want to make any awkward generalisations here, but a sticking point for people with Aspergers tends to be seeing situations, assumptions, points of view, feelings, or even just general comments from the other persons perspective. Getting ‘out of your own head’ can be a challenge for most people. People tend to focus inward and analyse everything they do, which can confuse them. Interactions are about ‘affecting’ other people, which involves analysing them. But I know people with Aspergers can learn to read other people.

An analytical approach may if fact be the best approach. The way a lot of ‘pick up’ information has been broken down and scrutinised to the nth degree makes it possible for people who have difficulties in social situations to learn the process. With enough information, all your interactions are almost scripted, until you feel comfortable enough to make the interaction your own.