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Social distortion a reality with disability

Dear Annie: I have a handsome 23-year-old son who has been dealing with Asperger’s syndrome for about 20 years. He has grown from a very young child who didn’t look at or talk to people other than the family to a young man who can even share small talk with people, attend college and be a successful track and field athlete.

However, he still has a terrible time knowing how to act around women, and he observes people around him for clues. He recently received a phone call from the campus police asking him to stop by. A woman had reported him because she felt uncomfortable around him at a dance. He had danced with her, sat and talked with her, and gotten her some punch, but then he put his arm around her. He did this because that’s what he had observed while watching other guys and girls. He felt terrible because he really liked her and is still missing the friendship that could have been.

In the next day or two, another woman complained to the campus police. He and this other girl had a class together and had talked a few times. She accused him of stalking her. But what she said was “stalking” was his knowing a few things about her that he had gotten from her Facebook page — and she had accepted his friend request.

He was banned from all the dorms and ordered to stay away from these two women. There was an appeal process, and the school lifted the ban on the dorms after everyone understood that with Asperger’s, a person doesn’t read body language or facial expressions very well.

He went to the speech pathology department last year for coaching about social situations. Now, after this involvement with campus police, the Title IX department — which we didn’t know existed — has gotten involved. It has some classes that will help him to understand body language and facial expressions. I hope this will help him, but I also hope and pray that people, especially women, will give him a chance.

Please tell women that if someone has made them uncomfortable, they should gently but firmly tell the person, “You are making me uncomfortable because I don’t know you that well.” My son would never hurt anyone, but these women ended up hurting him deeply. And as I’m his mother, they hurt me, too. — Heartbroken Again

Dear Heartbroken: Thank you for sharing your son’s story. Although I would never fault young women for removing themselves from situations that feel unsafe, it sounds as if these two women simply felt awkward. A little communication can go a long way in such cases. We should all be compassionate and keep in mind that we have no idea the struggles a stranger may be going through. I wish your son all the best.

Dear Annie: I realize you meant well with your response to “Girl Who’s Gotta Eat,” whose co-worker was bothered by her frequent snacking. However, as the parent of a child who has been diagnosed with an auditory processing disorder, I think you should have gone further and researched misophonia.

This is one of the perils and costs of the open-office trend. Your reader with the high metabolism has needs. However, they may not be on the same level as a fellow employee who has a genuine psychological or medical condition.

My daughter is a successful student. Her condition is recognized and accommodated for. Without accommodations, her academic performance suffers.

Perhaps a less flip answer and additional research on your part are in order. A more holistic perspective might call into question the employer’s need to optimize employee performance in an open-office work area. — Think Again

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Send your questions for Annie Lane to dearannie@creators.com. To find out more about Annie Lane and read features by other Creators Syndicate columnists and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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