Is there a difference between HFA and AS?

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Hmm. I'm dxed with autism and I do like to socialize (not all the time, and less than most people, but I do like it given the right people and circumstances and so forth). Also I think what people do on these boards is socializing, so I find it kind of strange listening to people socializing over talking about not liking to socialize.

I think autistic people (whether diagnosed AS or autism or PDD-NOS) range the full range from highly extroverted to highly introverted. And I have known people who were always dxed LFA who when they got a way to communicate said that they really wanted to socialize but everyone always read their body language wrong as if they didn't, so I wouldn't want to make assumptions that dx of autism, or even being categorized as aloof, means not wanting to socialize (those assumptions can be devastating to people who are very lonely but nobody takes their social needs into account because they're assumed not to have them).

Also, being non-verbal for awhile is considered a language delay, because it delays how old you are when you start talking.

The other things they look for are loss of previous language (which I had, and stopped talking for awhile) and certain kinds of abnormal language once the person does start talking (which can mean even if there was no delay in when the person started talking). Those include echolalia, pronoun reversals, and a few other unusual sorts of language use. Any or all of those can move a person from an AS to an autism diagnosis, officially.

[quote="anbuend"]

Aloof (actively avoiding social contact, or appearing not to even notice social contact when it's initiated).
Passive (allowing social contact if someone else initiates it, but not initiating).
Active-but-odd (initiating social contact, but doing it in a way that most people wouldn't do it).
Formal (dealing with social contact in a manner that seems too formal for casual occasions, but staying in that formal mode all the time).
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These categories have been very helpful, thank you. I would say i fall into the first three depending on what type of mood i am in.

I was diagnosed with HFA, though I have my doubts
I did have speech/language delays, but I'm caught up, so who cares?
I do sometimes have desires to socialize, but most of the time I have nobody to socialize with and end up feeling lonely. I constantly feel like I'm being ignored.

You know, autism/Asperger's probably exacerbates the differences in personality: my mother is "normal", but she has no desire to interact with people (barring meeting with a friend now and again). "Aloof" to "odd".

Researchers tend to lump all people who appear aloof into that category; my dealings with professionals have been less than stellar in their questions, i.e., 'Do you want to meet people?' The question is far too open, 'not really.' The thing is, I cannot adequately make my point known verbally; I most likely appear aloof (it's besides the point that I don't want to socialize out there).

I've always been "aloof" when I've been in my "bad" periods; passive in my "good" ones.