A true sociopath is a ruthless manipulator with an uncanny ability to read and utilize others’ emotions against them for his own gain. They are more “self-centered than selfish,"4 with an attitude towards others that may range from indifference to deep concern, but is rarely malicious.īecause people with Asperger's are intelligent but “lack empathy," fears have sometimes been raised that they may be sociopathic. What it does not mean, however, is that they lack all compassion. If, by empathy, you mean a deep understanding of other people’s specific emotional states and how to respond appropriately, this is true.
3Įmotion is another realm that befuddles people with Asperger's. It is around this pre-school period that many parents first become concerned about how their child is functioning. These social deficits, which may be somewhat masked at home where all is familiar and adults bend to a child’s unique style, stand out in sharp relief once the child is placed into a group context with typical peers, whether at informal play groups or pre-school. This presentation is largely responsible for the impression of social naiveté and behavioral rigidity that is so forcefully conveyed by these individuals.” 2 Their poor intuition and lack of spontaneous adaptation are accompanied by a marked reliance on formalistic rules of behavior and rigid social conventions. One group of clinician-researchers commented: “They may be able to describe correctly, in a cognitive and often formalistic fashion, other people’s emotions, expected intentions, and social conventions yet, they are unable to act on this knowledge in an intuitive and spontaneous fashion, thus losing the tempo of the interaction. Because they cannot read social or emotional cues well, they come off as insensitive, pushy, or strange, yet have very little insight into how they are perceived.
Their approach is awkward and one-sided, and reflects a lack of understanding that the other person in the exchange has needs and wishes that have to be taken into account, too. Unfortunately, they have very little idea how to make friendship work. Unlike more classically autistic children, who may be described as “aloof” or “passive” in their social interactions, children with Asperger’s tend to be “active but odd.” 1 Not content to be alone all the time, they long to form friendships (as they understand them) with others. There are some claims that what makes them different from people with autism is a greater desire to interact. They do not always pay attention to the social scene in which they find themselves, and even when they do, they are often not able to make sense of what they see, or to respond appropriately. Like people with autism, people with Asperger's syndrome have a dreadful time understanding what is going on, socially.
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