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I Think My Roommate Might Have "Mild Asperger's"

Sep 16, 2011
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One of the college roommates with whom I have lived over the past year has displayed some traits that seem to line up with a mild case of Asperger's, and I'd like to see if you all think it sounds about right.

First off, he has a habit of frequently making a very loud "brrrr" noise, similar to a motorboat or engine.

Any time I have tried to converse with him, it has quickly transitioned into him talking about a topic I do not understand, or have no comprehension of (such as physics or mechanical engineering). And he doesn't seem to be able to pick up on the hints that I am not interested, or that I have to get going. (I've read that Aspie's have difficulty reading body language)

Whenever there is an issue to be addressed, he doesn't start a conversation in the normal way. He usually just walks into my room and starts talking about it. He never asks if he can talk to me about something, he just jumps right into the topic with no prior warning.

He tends to look down at the floor when talking to me, but makes eye contact when I am speaking.

I have never seen him bring a friend home, other than his brother, and he only ever leaves to go to his classes, so I can only assume that social groups are not high on his priority list.

I hope this doesn't sound like I'm bashing him. He is a really nice guy, and I only made a long list of behaviors because I want to be as thorough as possible. If it seems as though he does indeed have "mild asperger's," then I would like to ask for tips for how to live with him in harmony and how to love him well.

Thank you in Advance.

Edit: I forgot to mention that he has a habit of loudly speaking out random things to himself. He'll also whisper to himself on occasion.
 
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hedrick

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My suggestion is to ask for tips in any case. It's quite possible to have some of the symptoms without being officially diagnosable. It sound like there are enough AS-like symptoms that it makes sense to try AS-like responses, whether he is officially that way or not. That's not something you can decide anyway, and even if he has been officially diagnosed you might not know about it.

I should note that our disabilities office says one of their major problems is between roommates, one of whom has AS. Indeed a college student that I know with AS dropped out, and I believe that was one of his issues. (He moved to a different school where he could live at home, and seems to be doing very well.) They can't provide official support unless he self-identifies, and wouldn't be able to tell you if he did. But they might be willing to provide tips anyway on a hypothetical basis. Someone trying to support a roommate who is different is to be encouraged, whether it's AS or not. It's not like approaches for dealing with AS would damage either of you if he isn't really.
 
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