"If you have Asperger's, however, the nonverbal aspects of communication do not come naturally to you."
"At first, I tried to overcome this and effectively socialize anyway; when that failed, I retreated like so many others into the world of books, with the library serving as my sanctuary."
"The first step was seeking out the nonverbal cues, large and small, used by others in social situations; the second was mimicking them myself, even if it initially came across as stilted and forced; and finally, over time, I learned how to make it seem natural, like it sprang from an organic part of my character instead of years of meticulous training. Like someone learning how to drive a car, I gradually eased from carefully obsessing over each lesson in my head, whenever I was behind the wheel to being able to get by with only casual reviewing over them. Also like a driver, though, I know that I can't completely put those rules and lessons out of my head, no matter how comfortable or close I may feel around someone. If I forget to be mindful of the rules of the road - and I still do, even today - I crash."