Harvey, most of what was said in your quote from the book fits me, and I don't have Aspergers. For example I can get along fine at social functions but I often don't feel comfortable simply because I don't want to put on the 'public' face - not because I can't read non-verbal clues. I don't think they're the actual symptoms but how the symptoms can manifest. Some of the signs in the article sed posted also fit. I think the diagnosis comes about because of the combination, the permanance, and the degree of the signs.

I'd imagine it would be difficult for a musician with Asperger's to play in a group setting. They do have to read an awful lot of non-verbal clues. I also believe that there are plenty of ways to remedy that which depend not only on the individual with Asperger's but on band members' awareness and willingness to treat the person honestly and not get angry if clues are missed.