Is social interaction the main area of disability for AS?

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The hierarchy is determined by who needs who more. Who needs who more is observed through interaction (conversation, non verbal communication, etc.). The make of your car is one example of non-verbal communication. Think high-school and a kid parking his car next to the school. He's established himself in the hierarchy without saying a word.

A wants to be friends with B. B looks up to C. A, therefore, has to place self below C, to appease B.

The more people there are, the more complex it becomes, but the basic principle is always who needs who more.

It's a pervasive disorder that affects far too much for just one symptom cluster to be the most disabling; it all adds up to the level of disability that's common.

Some of the symptoms are more obvious than others to the observer, but that doesn't mean they're the most disabling (i.e., a lack of eye contact by itself isn't going to amount to much).

Worst is when a tv is on in another room, can't hear the show itself, but the electronic hum drives you insane.

Same here. I feel other ppl are more affected by my social shortcomings than I am. Mainly because I don't notice what I'm doing wrong. I'm usually just trying to stop myself from overloading due to noise or light, or even temperature.

Wait, people can get sensory overload from temperature? Are you talking extreme temperature that would make someone scream in pain (I've had some experiences with the cold like that)? or just temperature that is different?

I mostly get it from sound. Loud noises, too many different noises, etc etc etc, I hate it, that is why I am glad to be back at my uni residence instead of at home.

I think it varies for different people. I've seen some who struggle socialising as much as I do, maybe even worse, to some who seem to enjoy socialising.

Well I do. I get all disorientated if I get too hot. I can get VERY aggressive when it's too cold, and I can't control my limbs properly. End up hitting myself in the head or punching my legs.

Social problems aside, the other areas that cause me problems are:

1. Sound. Some sounds seem to "hurt my head". It can be certain pitch sounds, or loudness etc. People sometimes think I'm strange if I leave the room because of a particular sound e.g. a vacuum cleaner. Also it hurts my head if the television is on and people try to talk to me. Sometimes just someone talking to me is too much - it feels like a migraine or bad hangover.

2. Repetitive movements used to irritate me - I didn't know why I did them until I found out about Aspergers a year ago.

3. Obsession with certain things at the total exclusion of other, perhaps vitally important things. This can cause friction within a relationship and within the work place.

I myself enjoy myself when I'm with cool friends who I already feel accepted by so no pressure. Sometimes I can't stand how socially inept I am. I can be on either end, it just depends on the situation.

I was wondering if you could get sensory overload from temperature. I was talking to my friend yesterday about wanting it to be cooler. She said she loved summer. For me hot days are like someone has thrown me into a furnace, not even cold beverages and cold showers can keep me cool for long. I get itchy and my neck stings.
In cold weather parts of my body get sore. I usually walk a strange way in winter because my body is in pain from the cold. Cold wind in my eyes feels like mace. I remember walking home one day with burning eyes and ears, and it was just exposure to the cold air.
Last winter I had no idea what sensory overload was so I had no idea if people experienced the same thing or not.

I don't get sensory overload from temperature, but, temperature does bother me a lot. I have one condition that destroys my outer extremities in the cold, my eyes don't take the wind well, especially a cold wind, and they just get very very watery. The heat just makes me brutally hot, I need that AC in the summer.

My aspergers dosent really affect me much other then social interaction. My problems is knowing how what to do with myself in the actual socializing.I dont know how to send out the right signals and interact fluently, I often stay really quiet and aloof when Im in an uncomfortable situation. It gets fustrating when people interact back and forth so fast, its hard to get in a word in. My psych has told me, I have to be more aware of the impact my presence makes on people, like when I walk into a room. Well after years of being invisible in highschool, its kind of hard.

I think my biggest disability is my problem with information processing, namely, social and visual information. I just get overloaded when I'm around people or when my visual environment is too busy/unpredictable, and then I become incredibly tired and find it hard to function properly. Social ineptitude doesn't bother me most of the time, because I don't socialise a lot, and when I do, I don't notice when I'm doing something wrong. I do notice that I talk much less than other people, and that I find it hard to keep my attention on others' conversations, but I don't really care about that, because I'm not really interested in talking to people in the first place.

I think it is. My hypersensitivity doesn't cause me problems. My motor functions are decent. My academic performance is good. I'm in gifted math. I can learn and focus on things. My social skills are completely non-existent.

I think it is. My hypersensitivity doesn't cause me problems. My motor functions are decent. My academic performance is good. I'm in gifted math. I can learn and focus on things. My social skills are completely non-existent.