I was diagnosed with Asperger's just a few months back, actually. It's interesting how it actually does match up with my personality pretty well. To rip off of the OP's post, here's a comparison:

Originally posted by DSM-IV Diagnostic Criteria for Asperger's Disorder

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A.Qualitative impairment in social interaction, as manifested by at least two of the following:

(1) marked impairment in the use of multiple nonverbal behaviors such as eye-to-eye gaze, facial expression, body postures, and gestures to regulate social interaction
(2) failure to develop peer relationships appropriate to developmental level
(3) a lack of spontaneous seeking to share enjoyment, interests, or achievements with other people (e.g., by a lack of showing, bringing, or pointing out objects of interest to other people)
(4) lack of social or emotional reciprocity

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I do tend to be somewhat socially awkward a good deal of the time. I'm not always good at showing the emotions I feel and tend to act a lot more neutral than I want/try to, and when I do I end up being the emotion I try to to a crazy extent, like laughing uncontrolably over the slightest things and making a ton of "jokes" that really aren't funny (though I'm getting better at it). All of these four do apply sometimes.

Originally posted by DSM-IV Diagnostic Criteria for Asperger's

Disorder

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B.Restricted repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behavior, interests, and activities, as manifested by at least one of the following:

(1) encompassing preoccupation with one or more stereotyped and restricted patterns of interest that is abnormal either in intensity or focus
(2) apparently inflexible adherence to specific, nonfunctional routines or rituals
(3) stereotyped and repetitive motor mannerisms (e.g.,
hand or finger flapping or twisting, or complex whole-body movements)
(4) persistent preoccupation with parts of objects

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Most notably, (1). This is the brighter side of having Asperger's. I have a strangely obsessive attraction to musical things - playing instruments, composing my own music, of course listening to music, and all that stuff. I probably spend a minimum of four hours a day doing this kind of thing, and a lot more than that when I'm not doing anything that requires study time. Knowing me, I probably could find answers to the other three as well, though they aren't too prevalent (obviously).

And then ponies -could- come into factor here, as I think about them a lot more than I show (two or three hours a day, at minimum).

Originally posted by DSM-IV Diagnostic Criteria for Asperger's Disorder

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C.The disturbance causes clinically significant impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.

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Again, I tend to show a good deal of social awkwardness. It is enough to weird people out and drive them away sometimes, I'll say that much.

Originally posted by DSM-IV Diagnostic Criteria for Asperger's

Disorder

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D.There is no clinically significant general delay in language (e.g., single words used by age 2 years, communicative phrases used by age 3 years).

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I actually had a significant general advantage in that area, reading my first words at sixteen months.

Originally posted by DSM-IV Diagnostic Criteria for Asperger's

Disorder

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E.There is no clinically significant delay in cognitive development or in the development of age-appropriate self-help skills, adaptive behavior (other than in social interaction), and curiosity about the environment in childhood.

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I didn't run into any of this.


While I do pretty much fit the criteria, I like to think of it as, overall, a personality type more than it is a syndrome/disorder. Sometimes I wonder if I was misdiagnosed, but I just don't really care about the whole thing - it does more good then bad for me as a whole anyway.

So, eh.


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I .. totally could put something creative and witty here. If I felt like it.