What are some signs of Asperger's syndrome that can be observed through body language?

[Answered on Quora.com by Kathleen Godfrey]

The autistic trait that I have, that I didn’t think I had was the T-rex arm thing. I have no historical memory of doing it, but once it was pointed out in Youtube videos, I caught myself. When I pause, like in front of the fridge, I have my right arm, (I am left handed), held next to my ribs or waist and the right hand just hangs there like dead weight. I have excluded it from my bodily processing because I am all up in my head. Its so weird.

I was also the clutzy child, always skinned my knees when shorts season came along or I wore a skirt, right into my adulthood. Every winter I would fall on ice a few times until I got my ‘ice legs’ under me again. I did not win ribbons at school track meets, they were another form of torture. I was the kid that caught the softball with my head and got a concussion. I was the tortured kid in the locker room, always being laughed at for some reason, so Yes, physical signs were quite prevalent, even if no one knew what they were the signs of.

I avoided risking life and limb at all cost. Even when everyone else was doing it. Like ice skating. Which I could sort of do after the age of 14, I also didn’t learn to swim until 14. Self taught alone, where no one could see me.

I was also the kid who always won the school essay writing contests and earned the name, Teacher’s Pet’. I have been bullied, abused, and ostracized in almost every group of people I have been forced to deal with my whole life. So the signs must be many and quite readable by NTs.