Because people with Asperger's can be pleasers, or perhaps very frightened in the moment, some folks have confessed to crimes they didn't commit in order to end the interrogation or satisfy the inquiring officer. In one instance, a twenty-year-old man with Asperger's entered into a sexual relationship with a neighbor. Later, when the relationship soured, the woman formally accused the young man of sexual assault. Because of his diagnosis, his confusion about details, and his misunderstanding of the legal system, his side of the story was not believed and he found himself incarcerated, serving a sentence for what his family believes was an entirely consensual relationship.

A Stalking Charge

If your child is involved in a romantic relationship that is not being reciprocated, monitor the situation as cautiously as you can to guard against your child's actions and activities being construed as stalking. When some individuals with Asperger's fall in love, it can appear to be an obsession or infatuation. While the individual's feelings are genuine and sincere, his or her expression of those feelings, through words and actions, can seem exaggerated. The desire to express love can come across as desperate and even urgent, the intensity of which may be quite frightening for the person on the receiving end — especially if he or she no longer wishes to participate in the relationship.

Harassment or Assault

Your child may be genuinely surprised to learn that something he has done is criminal or constitutes unacceptable behavior. Sometimes this occurs because of how films and TV portray relationships between people. So much of what is considered to be entertainment is over-the-top, exaggerated human behavior. Most people would never dream of engaging in some of the activities they see or saying the things movie characters say, because they know they'd get arrested, fired from their jobs, or damage relationships. Part of the entertainment comes from the comfort and safety of watching what happens to someone who so blatantly breaks the social code of acceptable conduct.

So, for example, in a movie, the leading man can say to a woman, “Hey babe, nice rack! Let's go get it on!” and it works. If your child used this line in real life, he would probably be slapped across the face (in the best-case scenario) or have sexual harassment charges filed against him (in the worst-case scenario). Many instances of alleged sexual harassment by young men with Asperger's is later determined to be a misinterpretation along these lines.