Auties--would like to hear from you about this

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I knew an LFA guy at a day centre I worked at who didn't display these things listed, at least not when I saw him. And I saw him every Friday from November 08 until March/April 09. You never heard a peep out of him, except for when he used to ask for something or laugh or break into song. He always seemed happy and content with things. I remember one week his weekly swimming was cancelled, and he didn't make a fuss even though he did look disappointed. He was generally a calm and serene guy.

I am high functioning and I have had some history with these things, but not at a severe level. With the self harm thing when I've been really angry or frustrated I've bit my own hand or pinched it or summat loads of times, but nothing that could cause any damage. When I was a kid I'd have screaming fits in public over seemingly small things up until the age of 12, then after that it was less obvious stuff but I am still very obviously frustrated with something because I've got tears in my eyes and I'm stomping about the place. I have anger outbursts at home, I am easily wound up and you can change my mood just like that, and I'm yelling and screaming and what not over nothing. Usually because you're irritating me by talking in an annoying voice or talking over the TV or interrupting me mid conversation etc etc.
I have ridiculous levels of anxiety and can get obsessive anxieties over things that don't matter, for example right now I have some irrational fear of getting a bad stomach and if I don't go the toilet in the most comfortable, satisfying way possible I'm fretting all day.

So, an LFA who's really care free and never angry. But a very high functioning aspie who's really angry and neuroticly anxious and shows public displays of extreme emotions in childish ways. WTF?

My melt downs used to involve self injury and destructive outbursts at my parents, until I got on the right meds. Now, the outbursts are gone, and the self injury is greatly decreased. I still bite when I'm excited, but it doesn't break skin, so no one's too concerned about it.

Thanks for the responses, everyone.

It feels good to hear from other auties that are like my son.

This warrants a new thread, but I wanted to try to keep the conversation going here, first. (and I'm still fairly new to the board, so this topic may be a tired one. Nevertheless, I want to ask...)

I find the idea that there isn't a meaningful difference between autistic and asperger's perplexing.

Let's just leave aside that "autistic" indicates a spectrum and a broad category that contains aspergers within it.
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I think that there is a meaningful difference, with the difference between one's ability to communicate in words easily starting from a typical developmental age. I thought that WAS the difference. I thought that someone with aspergers was typically verbose. While someone with autistic disorder (shortened to autism) had trouble with speech.

But, I'm meeting people through WP that don't recognize a difference.

Tenzin has always used speech, but sparingly and with much effort. He had to be taught how to have conversations, and needed and still need speech therapy. And he has a really really hard time joining others in play, for a variety of reasons but one of the main ones is not being able to follow their ideas and structures.

I'm confused.