What’s the key difference between a socially anxious, reserved introvert and Asperger’s?

[CustardD123]

What’s the key difference between a socially anxious, reserved introvert and Asperger’s?

My DD nearly 5 has Asperger's. She struggles socially but does actually want friends but tends to control and dominate and go off into one track conversations alienating her peers.
Although she is socially awkward there is more to it than that.
She needs quiet time after she has been somewhere in order to process what she's done. If she's been out and stimulated too long she will zone out and look very vacant and will sometimes spin around.
She controls everything. We can't take her to certain places as she's unable to cope with the environment.
She has to go into school 10 minutes later because she gets so anxious about her environment and wears ear defenders to cope with lots of noise.
She has a lot of sensory issues, a very limited diet, likes repetition so reads the same books and watches the same programmes over and over.
She will happily play alongside other children but not with or will control everyone and very much direct any play she's involved in.
She also has very intense interests which she will tend to talk about in depth.
She also has to be right. Everything is very black and white with her and will correct people and will not drop something to the point it becomes embarrassing.
She also has an amazing memory and will remember very insignificant details about people.
So what I'm trying to say is that although there may be some overlap between children with Asperger's and children who are intensely introverted, there will often be many more factors at play in order to get a diagnosis of Asperger's. Not all children with Asperger's are introverted. My DD can at times be very friendly but not understand social cues and boundaries which means that they can have difficulties socialising with NT children and can become confused quite easily.
Apologies if I've gone off on a tangent here but I hope this helps.
Why do you ask OP?

I think it all depends what other traits they have, a introvert may not have any other ASD traits but from experience a lot of socially anxious introverts do have other ASD traits.

Socially anxious, reserved introvert? Well they could just be quiet and shy.

Shyness doesn't mean they have Aspergers.

I think it’s down to communication. Introverts just prefer to be alone to recharge, are happy with their own company. Autism impacts on your social skills, understanding others, idioms, body language, social expectations...I believe the definition is when the difficulties impact on daily living. Of course Autism is a spectrum so it’s different for everyone.

Im socially anxious and really shy, weird tangents, trouble expressing myself and im dyspraxic

What’s the key difference between a socially anxious, reserved introvert and Asperger’s?

NAS info here including diagnostic criteria www.autism.org.uk/about/what-is/asperger.aspx

"The characteristics of Asperger syndrome vary from one person to another, but in order for a diagnosis to be made, a person will usually be assessed as having had persistent difficulties with social communication and social interaction and restricted and repetitive patterns of behaviours, activities or interests since early childhood, to the extent that these “limit and impair everyday functioning”