I never was tested for it nor do I plan to be. I'll admit I might have it as it would probably explain some of my behavior over the years, but I accept myself for who I am so I feel I don't need to know if I have it or not. I live my life like anybody else and that's all that matters to me. From my own observation, that seems to be how most of those who do know they have it handle it. They just accept themselves for who they are and live their lives. Unfortunately, that's not always the case. Many of those with Asperger's or similar forms of autism get bullied and teased and it can be really emotionally damaging to them even to the point where they may feel like hopeless freaks or misfits or outcasts and nobody deserves to feel that way.
Most of you probably have already gathered, but in case you haven't, I'm gay and I have a boyfriend who has Asperger's and I absolutely love him to death and he loves me. I think right there is proof positive that if people just take the time to try and understand the facts about Asperger's or even just autism in general, we can make those people who have it feel just a little more normal just by accepting them and loving them like we would anybody else. So for those of you who are opening up in this thread, you should hold your heads up high and be proud of who you are. For those of you who haven't quite gotten there yet, I hope that you'll be able to some day because you're somebody and nobody can take that away from you. You're not a freak or a misfit, you're not hopeless, and you
are important.
I've met several people with Asperger's or similar forms of autism through this site and elsewhere and for anyone who's encountered me here or there, I
do not judge people for it. If you've had a bad encounter with me, there were reasons for it that had absolutely nothing to do with it. That goes for anybody. I try to be a nice person and also easy to get along with. If you're nice to me and I like you, I can be your best friend. If you're not nice to me and I don't like you, then I won't be so easy to get along with. I am who I am, what you see is what you get.
In closing, for those of you who don't have it and don't quite get it, autism is a developmental disorder that affects someone's social and communication skills, not a mental illness. You may meet an autistic person some day and they may seem shy. Just be patient with them and be nice to them. Treat them with the same kindness and respect anybody else deserves. They're not crazy or stupid, they're just not as quick to be socially outward and it varies from one person to the next how extreme the case may be. Learn more at
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
