I may be able to speak normally at most times, but I also know what it's like to completely lose speech under stress. It's not a far stretch to imagine what it would be like to live like that full time. I may not bite under duress, but many times I have to tamp down my violently defensive reaction to high pitched noises, crowded situations, and the wrong type of touch. It's all a question of degree. People like Mr. Blaxill may struggle comparing a fairly independent person with Asperger's to those on the lower end of the spectrum - but we can see (and feel) the similarities.

As a teenager, a forward thinking theater teacher of mine took a young man with autism under her wing, capitalizing on his love of theater to draw him out of his shell, and help him to learn to socialize (much as she and others did for me). I still remember the moment he walked into the classroom. The door swung open, and in walked this tall, handsome, strawberry blond young man in a black leather jacket. His face looked severe and impassive, he rarely spoke, and he walked with a vaguely robotic gait. I backed away. I was afraid. The word "autism" was so monolithic and frightening - I was afraid to get close. I was too afraid to get close enough to realize how much I had in common with this misunderstood young man. That is what the stigma will do. (Who knows what would have happened had I known about Asperger's then.)