

Is Hacker News potential treatment for those with Asperger Syndrome? - amichail

More generally, it seems that social news sites would be a great way to treat people with Asperger Syndrome.<p>Voting would give immediate feedback that would help develop a theory of mind.
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useonce34
Eh, no. Well maybe, a little, if we're talking baby steps. If you're just
lurking it's not.

Disclosure: I've been diagnosed with AS by someone with lots of
experience/publications in it, and I attended a group therapy thing for most a
of a year weekly.

My personal advice. Read _How to Win Friends and Influence People_ , some pua
books if you're interested in girls ( _The Mystery Method_ & Roosh V's _Bang_
) and also as a way of developing a theory of mind, books on ettiquette and
social skills, and evolutionary psychology books and apply what you learn.
Keep what works.

Hanging out with communities more accepting of odd or rude behavior helps.
Stay away from testosterone drenched ones unless you're good at, and like
fighting. Personally I've found Goths, gamers and other assorted nerd groups
the easiest to deal with. Despite the fact that excesive alcohol occasionally
turns me into a total prick it was really helpful in developing my social
skills, because my inhibitions were lower so I tried more shit.

Learn to do smalltalk. Practice turntaking in conversation. Do eye contact but
don't hold gaze relentlessly, that's a dominance behaviour. Acting, comedy,
and improv are good. Any social group built around a shared interest provides
a way to start a conversation. Not all silences are awkward, some people are
introverts. _Most people do not share your background assumptions, and you
will only get good results modelling them if you keep this in mind._

Debating clubs are awesome, because you're _meant_ to rip people's ideas to
shreds. We're social apes for whom talking has replaced grooming, animals.
Keep it in mind.

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stavrianos
I would have said that immunity to social conditioning was the problem, rather
than lack of social conditioning. Speaking from a position of extreme
ignorance.

~~~
amichail
I think people with Asperger Syndrome just need more obvious feedback. They
don't pick up on subtle cues.

