How to portray a character with Aspergers

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My friend and I are making a short film in which the main character has Aspergers. I, obviously, know a lot about how an Aspie would act from personal experience, but I would also like some input from other aspies on how to portray the fact that this character has aspergers. My Aspergers is fairly mild, so most people would just think im a little weird, so i guess i just want people to see most symptoms of Aspergers, so that people could really notice and understand Aspergers Syndrome.

Thanks a lot!

Have you thought of just having someone be himself or herself while portraying someone trying to portray someone with AS?!

I suspect more people, Aspie or not, could actually identify there and possibly even learn something along the way.

Yes, we have considered that. I am going to play the aspie, but a lot of my symptoms aren't very noticeable to other people, so i just want some more tips on how to act like someone with more severe Aspergers Syndrome.

Stim.
Be very sensitive to textures and sounds.
Try to act more socially inept.

I would suggest reading up on Asperger's, so that you can learn more about the traits. Take out some books, or go online. Or watch movies about people with Asperger's, whether they are fictional or real people. As they say in the world of acting, "find your motivation." And as they also say, "Break a leg!" Don't do it literally, of course; that's just an old theater expression. It's what they say instead of "Good luck."

Hmm...

My drama coaches always told me "Show it, don't say it". So don't hang a lantern on the character by having someone point out that the character is an Aspie or an Autie (Aspergian? Autist? )

- Limit movements; keep body motions slow and simple, yet deliberate. The character should use complex movements only when anxious or panicked.

- Limit eye contact: if the character should stare at a person, he or she should look down or away if the other person looks back.

- Limit vocal expression: a soft, almost whispery voice with no change in tone should do it.

- Bipolar vocabulary: unless the character is describing his or her special interest, he or she should use the shortest possible sentences to get the message across, or resort to grunts, shrugs, gestures, et cetera. If the special interest is involved, let the character ramble on without seeming to take a breath while using polysyllabic vocabules and a more intense and excited tone of voice while his or her hands rapidly go through the motions of demonstrating every subtle nuance and aspect of the character's special interest ( ).

- Special interest: the character should not be completely obsessed, but certainly gravitate toward his or her special interest. For example, if the character has an obsession with cell phones, then his or her attention should zoom in on any cell phone in sight, and he or she should "hover" around any person using one.

- Meltdowns: this must be handled with both compassion for the character, and devotion to the story. While one character might curl up into a "Rocking Ball", another might scream and flap. Yet another might bang his or her head against the wall or start picking at imaginary scabs. Please make the message more influenced by compassion toward the character than by a need to entertain the audience.

Finally, these are suggestions only. The final result is entirely up to the director and the actors. Again, when in doubt, err on the side of compassion for the character.

Thank you.